which one; mighty mini, powerful 13 pro or iphone 14 pro?

By Karok, 28 September, 2022

Forum
Apple Hardware and Compatible Accessories

hi all, So while I love the iphone 11 pro and what it can do, I have always found it weight my pockets down ever so slightly. so, naturally, 2 years on I am considering perhaps a 13 mini, as I used to love the convenience of a pint-sized deviced back in the days of the 4s and 5. plus, I could use the magsafe battery pack? which I thought, worked like the old apple battery cases, and discharged itself first before the phone, yet from what I gather it, to, is a step backwards now as it is just like a top-up for the main battery so snap on when needed is that right? so, when the magsafe is connected, is it draining itself, whilst charging the phone up at the same time? and, of course, it can be used with the mini, pro either 13 and 14 respectively? However, battery life I guess would take a hit, so do I just sacrifice it? Then, comes the 13 pro. Is Lidar really worth it? will I be able to walk past say, the bakery and have it read perfectly the signs on the door? or, say, past a door at work and hear it described like handle etc. as in the podcast from mosen at large, or is it just too overwhelming? and for people detection, could the phone say the scene and that mandy is to your right, if she is trained to be recognised? or does it just beep to say a person is nearby? then, the 14 pro!! right now, I guess, if I am say, playing a podcast I have to find the now playing controls on my lock screen whereas, from what I gather, introls for playback etc. will be in the dynamic island is that right? so, they are not on the lock screen but hidden to be expanded in the status bar. Just not sure what phone to go for, as I guess they all have advantages? Will watch this.

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Comments

By Holger Fiallo on Friday, October 21, 2022 - 20:06

I have the 12 pro. I am considering getting 13 pro. Battery last longer, all day. Mini might be nice for you but like you stated battery. Regarding the charger, yes, It works just to get you through the day if your mini be 40% and if you were out 5:00 PM or something. Get the pro 13. 14 is nothing to write home about and the so call island is just not worth it. It probably will be out next year for all phones.

By Mabbs92 on Friday, October 21, 2022 - 20:06

I'm absolutely in love with my 13 Mini and don't plan to upgrade any time soon; it's so lightweight and unassuming. I find the battery to be perfect for my use (totally blind so screen curtain on, brightness at 0) which includes a bit of reddit browsing, texting, reading in Safari during the day and I end the work day at 50% give or take. A battery pack is a fine addition if you think you need a top-up for sure. Happy to answer any questions about it.

By Karok on Friday, October 21, 2022 - 20:06

@holger

Thank you for your comments on the 12 pro and 13 pro. Do you feel I would need a magsafe charger? what are the speakers and sound like compared to say, the 11 pro that I have now? also the main query is the Vidar, is door detection useful? have you tried ios 16 and that feature, outside? I just like the small mini size if i'm honest, yet as you say, the dynamic island in a 14, never had it before, guess wouldn't know how useful it was until I tried it, if that makes sense, but going from the 11 pro to the 13 pro, will safe money, and I won't do it as part of the upgrade program as I can just trade in devices as I see fit with Apple every few years. re the mini query: yes, thank you for that as well, both phones I guess have their advantages.

By Karok on Friday, October 21, 2022 - 20:06

@mapps92

Yes the mini sounds great, is the sound okay? love the size of the 12 mini that I have seen, just don't want get a 13 pro if I wouldn't use that Lidar but I find the 11 pro quite large in my pomet whereas a mini will just slide in to any pocket, and I guess that with a hable one as a competent brailleest would be ideal.

By Travis Roth on Friday, October 21, 2022 - 20:06

Hi,
I suppose it comes down to personal taste and preference, although I'd go for the newest available technology if making a new purchase. So that'd rule out the 13 Pro, I see no advantages to that. The one thing of a 14 Pro over any other phone that I am curious about and haven't really seen discussed, probably because people haven't had enough time to experience it yet, is the new dual frequency GPS. In theory, the 14 Pro should have more accurate GPS when in urban environments. Only the 14 Pro models, and the Apple Watch Ultra have the dual band GPS support.
I myself have a 13 mini and I like its size and I plan to keep it another year. That said, would I buy it this year if I as due for an upgrade? As much as I love its size, I think the technology advances would force me to a bigger phone. As always it really comes down to cost to benefit analysis.

By Holger Fiallo on Friday, October 21, 2022 - 20:06

Well the door detection is good but personally I had not use it. Depend how much you are using the phone. If you are a heavy user is better that you get a charger. The apple one is not a charger. When I go out to visits people for several days, I use a charger that has 20000 MG. The batter in the 13pro suppose to be muchbetter than 12 pro. Hoping that when I call Verizon and ask for the 13 pro, the monthly price is better.

By Mabbs92 on Friday, October 21, 2022 - 20:06

So I actually went from a 12 Pro to the 13 Mini. I wanted the 12 Pro because of the Lidar but actually found I used it a grand total of 0 times during the year that I had it, lol. Granted there may be some newer more efficient uses for it, but as of right now I can't see a big reason for choosing a device specifically for it. The speaker is good enough for me. I primarily stick to airpod pros but when I need the speaker I have no complaints.

By Bruce Harrell on Friday, October 21, 2022 - 20:06

There is very little difference in the computing power between 13 pro and 14 pro.

On the other hand, 15 pro is expected to utilize 3nm technology, which represents a significant improvement, if not a spectacular leap forward.

My iPhone 10s works well enough for now. I'm going to wait a year for the 3nm tech.

Joy!

Bruce

By wiljames on Friday, October 21, 2022 - 20:06

I had a friend ask me are you not able to find a door? What's wrong with asking for help? I think the usage of the lidar comes down to your actual needs. If you are walking to new locations, sure, you could ask where a place is. it is really nifty to walk down a sidewalk and see what else is around you. I would compare this to using a cane verses a dog. When using a cane, you get to know the area better, all the cracks, bumps, curbs, etc. With a dog, he takes you around those obstacles and you have no way of knowing they were there in the first place. I have had a couple guide dogs before from Leader Dogs and I am grateful for my experiences with them.

If the lidar fits your needs, go for it. If you feel that it will not, go with the mini. It really comes down to your actual uses of technology.