Those of us who are old will remember how at the beginning of the 1980s, we were invaded by a series of “computer” products that, to boast of “the latest in technology,” were getting smaller and smaller. These “cutting-edge” products were nothing more than credit-card-sized calculators. This format soon shrunk even further to fit in digital watches – Casio made a school here – forcing us to mark the numbers with the tips of our fingernails.
It was nothing more than a display of technological prowess (impressive in those days; ridiculous today), and consumers soon saw how impractical it was to do math with such tiny calculators. “Yes: we already know that you can make calculators the size of a shirt button, but they are not convenient for us, and we prefer a machine with extensive keys and screens so as not to make mistakes.”
Without being a copy at all, we could say that the history of smartphones has gone in the opposite direction. The more progress was made, the larger the screens became. And this made sense: why would you go from an LCD screen to a Retina -increasing the pixels- if you were not going to be able to appreciate it in all its greatness? What are the games for? Why the videos? Why refresh rates? 3.5 inches measured the screen of the first iPhone (320 x 480 pixels), except for the thickness. Everything was more in the following years.
And at the end of 2020, the question is inevitable: Do we need so many screens? So much volume? So much weight? We know perfectly well what Apple and the other manufacturers are capable of, only that… sometimes we get tired of always having to use them with both hands, not to mention when we are lightly dressed and do not know where to store these 16 x 8cm Those of us who have been using large phones for years enjoy small models as a sweet after a heavy dinner. Like the iPhone 12 mini, it fits unobtrusively in all our pockets and can be used with one hand, a feeling we almost thought we had forgotten.
And the best: it has the same capacity and performance as the larger iPhone 12. We give up a large screen and a telephoto camera, but we gain a lot in versatility and comfort. In addition, it happens as with a puppy: its size and appearance make it irresistible.
5G
The fifth generation of mobile technology can be used without problems in your new iPhone mini… as long as 5G arrives wherever you are. If this is the case, you’re in luck: download speeds with 5G are super fast; latency is lower, so you can enjoy real-time applications and games wherever you are. Plus, when you don’t need 5G speeds, Smart Data mode will automatically switch to LTE to save battery life. Oh, and for the first time, you can enjoy FaceTime HD (1080p) over a cellular network.
cameras
The dual-camera system combines new hardware, a new A14 Bionic chip image signal processor, and the power of computational photography, making every photo and video captured by iPhone 12 mini look great. The new wide-angle camera lets in 27% more light. Night mode and Deep Fusion now come on all cameras and turn on automatically. In addition, its Intelligent HDR system detects scenes to achieve even more realistic photos. Video capture is getting better in low light conditions. All iPhone 12 models also record 4K HDR videos with Dolby Vision. We repeat this: all iPhone 12 models.
We use the camera in conjunction with the iPhone 12 Pro Max camera, which is superior. But we couldn’t help but marvel at the high-quality photos the little 12 mini can capture. The quality and detail capture left us quite satisfied:
As we said, the wide-angle lens has a new aperture of ƒ/1.6, the fastest on an iPhone. In addition, it includes a 7-element lens, which improves performance in low light conditions by 27%. Thus, the wide-angle camera freezes movement, reduces noise, and achieves brighter results.
The ultra wide-angle camera captures a field of view four times wider, ideal for captures in small spaces or epic landscape photos. It also adds a dynamic and more dramatic perspective to photos taken up close. The camera provides a 120-degree field of view, allowing you to “zoom out” twice as far as the wide-angle camera.
Machine room
IPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini feature A14 Bionic, the fastest chip in a smartphone. Te, the first manufactured with a 5nm process technology. Everyday tasks are smoother, game graphics are even better, and machine learning makes a big jump in overall performance.
A14 Bionic features two custom Performance Cores and four Efficiency Cores that work together to deliver fast, efficient performance when needed. A14 delivers up to 50 percent faster performance than any other smartphone chip, making it perfect for playing high-performance games, rendering augmented reality and editing video.
MagSafe Leather Sleeve
On this occasion, we have had the opportunity to test a new complement to the MagSafe line: the Leather Sleeve. It is a hybrid between a protective case and a wallet with a strap that you can comfortably hang on your arm. Being a MagSafe product, the Leather Sleeve consists of magnets that make it adhere precisely to the wireless charger, so you won’t have to remove it from the case to recharge your iPhone 12 mini. We would only recommend that you choose the color well since the Saddle BBrown we tested did not quite convince us.
