Metal test, the 13 mini recorded an
exceptional frame rate of 51.5fps
(averaged across three runs),
compared with an equivalent figure
of just 42fps for the 12 mini. Its
superiority was less obvious in
other sections, but only because
they weren’t demanding enough to
harness its power.
GFXBench Metal Manhattan 3.1
iPhone 13 Pro: 60fps
iPhone 13 mini: 60fps
iPhone 12 Pro: 60fps
iPhone 12 mini: 60fps
iPhone 11 Pro: 59fps
Sony Xperia 1 III: 60fps
GFXBench Metal Car Chase
iPhone 13 Pro: 59fps
iPhone 13 mini: 60fps
iPhone 12 Pro: 46fps
iPhone 12 mini: 52fps
iPhone 11 Pro: 51fps
Sony Xperia 1 III: 48fps
GFXBench Metal Aztec Ruins
(Normal)
iPhone 13 Pro: 60fps
iPhone 13 mini: 60fps
iPhone 12 Pro: 58fps
iPhone 12 mini: 59fps
iPhone 11 Pro: 59fps
Sony Xperia 1 III: 56fps
GFXBench Metal Aztec Ruins
(High)
iPhone 13 Pro: 57fps
iPhone 13 mini: 52fps
iPhone 12 Pro: 38fps
iPhone 12 mini: 42fps
iPhone 11 Pro: 40fps
Sony Xperia 1 III: 36fpsNote that the Sony in the above set
is of course running the open rather
than the Metal benchmark, although
it gives us an approximate idea of
comparative performance.BATTERY LIFE
One of our reservations about the
iPhone 12 mini – and indeed about
the SE (2020), being seemingly a
weakness inherent to small-form
iPhones – was its relatively poor
battery performance. That’s not a total
surprise, given that Apple is obliged to
use a smaller battery in such devices,
but was a worry nevertheless.
I’d love to be able to say that
Apple has put such concerns to
bed, but I don’t think that would
be completely true.
Sure, the company talks a good
game. Battery performance was a
major theme of the presentation, in
which Apple said the new mini would
last around an hour and a half longer