While Apple hasn’t confirmed whether it’s ready to make a mini iPhone, insiders seem to believe that the larger iPhone 14 Max will replace the iPhone mini at the company’s fall event next week.
I don’t usually get emotional about every device I use. After all, it’s my job to try a new device and tell readers how I feel afterward. But there are devices that help you discover your inner self, which is why I feel such a deeply personal connection with the iPhone 13 mini. It’s not a phone call to me, it’s a feeling.
I’ve tried a lot of smartphones over the past few months, but the iPhone 13 mini has been bugging me. Choosing the iPhone 13 mini over other smartphones was a conscious decision. I use my phone for certain things, so I limit myself to calling, WhatsApp(ing), listening to music, taking pictures when I spot a cat or bird in the park, and watching Swami Muktananda’s videos before bed at night. I’m not in the mood for Instagram or watching Netflix on my phone.
My phone is in my pocket when I want to use it, but the rest of the time I spend doing other things that make me happy. In fact, the most time I use my phone is in the morning listening to music and replying to unanswered WhatsApp messages, or taking a walk in the evening.
Before you make any assumptions about what kind of mobile user I am, I want to make it clear that my iPhone 13 mini is just a part of the device I use during the day. I also use an iPad mini 6 for gaming, streaming, reading and surfing. Yes, I am a completely different type of user.
I have never wanted to own a smartphone with a 6.5 or 6.7-inch screen in the first place because psychologically are naturally inclined to use a phone with a big screen more than you should. They are marketed toward people who want to ‘multitask’ on a smartphone. I am not one of those who see their phones as a ‘mobile office’ but then there are people who ask for giant slabs with big batteries and I respect their decision.
The small size of the iPhone 13 mini has drastically changed my life. Not only did it replace my iPod, it also changed the way I think about small smartphones. For example, I use my iPhone camera more these days because of the Mini’s user-friendly and ergonomically comfortable design. It’s a very compact smartphone that can easily fit in a pocket or carry around, and its high-quality lens delivers incredible image quality and noise reduction, making it ideal for night or low-light shooting. Plus, it has an IP68 rating, which means you can take it out in adverse conditions. On all my trips this year, I’ve taken the iPhone 13 mini anywhere with confidence.
I know there’s a big market for big-screen smartphones, but I’ve been having so much trouble with big phones that I feel like giving up on them anytime. There is an uneasy feeling and have been struggling to use them with one hand. I don’t know how big the compact smartphone community is, but my love for devices like the iPhone 13 mini is very natural and organic. It’s a modern smartphone, but at the same time partially invisible, which is a good escapism for me.
With Apple’s September 7 event a week away, Cupertino can prove me wrong by keeping the iPhone mini. I had a great time with the iPhone 13 mini and don’t plan to switch to another smartphone until something better comes along.
The thing is, there are few other compact smartphones in the world that are as powerful and easy to use as the iPhone mini — not even the Galaxy Z Flip. I’ll miss the iPhone mini so much when Apple discontinues it, but I hope the company finds a way to revive the “mini” smartphone in the future. The iPhone mini isn’t underpowered and doesn’t need a complete overhaul, it just needs support from Apple.
I repeat: the iPhone mini is not a replacement for another phone, it should be experienced from a new angle.