Category Breakdown
Apple iPhone 12 mini
Apple iPhone XS
Performance
83.978.2
Camera
96.295.8
Display
88.788.6
Battery
81.183.2
Build
78.797.3
Connectivity
81.569.8
Audio
87.687.6
Overall
77.774.2
Summary
- The Apple iPhone 12 mini features a more compact design with a glass front and back, aluminum frame, and weighs 135g, while the iPhone XS has a stainless steel frame and weighs 177g.
- The 12 mini has a 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels, compared to the 5.8-inch Super Retina OLED display of the XS at 1125 x 2436 pixels.
- In terms of performance, the 12 mini is powered by the A14 Bionic chip, offering improved efficiency over the A12 Bionic in the XS.
- Both phones have a dual-camera setup, but the XS includes a telephoto lens for optical zoom, while the 12 mini excels in low-light performance with a wider aperture.
- The battery capacity of the 12 mini is 2227mAh, which is smaller than the XS's 2658mAh, but both support wireless charging.
- Both devices run iOS 14.1 and are upgradable to iOS 18.5, providing a similar software experience.
Side-by-side Specification Comparison
Apple iPhone 12 mini
Apple iPhone XS
General
Release Date
2020, October 13
2018, September 21
Announced
2020, October 13
2018, September 12
Description
Versions: A2399 (International); A2176 (USA); A2398 (Canada, Japan); A2400 (China)
Versions:A2097 (Global market)A1920 (USA, Canada, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands)A2100 (China, Hong Kong); A2098 (Japan)
Display
Size
5.4"
5.8"
Type
Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 625 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak)
Super Retina OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 625 nits (HBM)
Resolution
1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~476 ppi density)
1125 x 2436 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density)
PPI
1080
1125
Refresh Rate
60Hz
60Hz
HDR Support
✓
✓
Protection
Ceramic Shield glass
Scratch-resistant glass
Performance
Chipset
Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm)
Apple A12 Bionic (7 nm)
CPU
Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm)
Hexa-core (2x2.5 GHz Vortex + 4x1.6 GHz Tempest)
GPU
Apple GPU (4-core graphics)
Apple GPU (4-core graphics)
Memory
64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM
64GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM, 512GB 4GB RAM
Expandable Storage
✗
✗
Card Slot
No
No
Camera
Main Camera
12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.6"
12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom
Main Camera Features
Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama)
Quad-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama)
Front Camera
12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µmSL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)
7 MP, f/2.2, 32mm (standard)SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)
Front Camera Features
HDR
HDR
Video Recording
4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 30fps), stereo sound rec.
4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR, stereo sound rec.
Selfie Video
4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS
1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS
Optical Stabilization
✓
✓
Night Mode
✗
✗
Raw Photo Support
✗
✗
Battery
Capacity
2227 mAh
2658 mAh
Battery Details
Li-Ion 2227 mAh (8.57 Wh)
Li-Ion 2658 mAh, non-removable (10.13 Wh)
Charging Details
Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min15W wireless (MagSafe)15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.4 update
15W wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 minWireless (Qi)
Fast Charging
✗
✗
Wireless Charging
✓
✓
Build & Safety
Dimensions
131.5 x 64.2 x 7.4 mm (5.18 x 2.53 x 0.29 in)
143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7 mm (5.65 x 2.79 x 0.30 in)
Weight
135 g
177 g
Materials
Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame
Glass front (Corning-made glass), glass back (Corning-made glass), stainless steel frame
Colors
Black, White, Red, Green, Blue, Purple
Space Gray, Silver, Gold
Foldable
✗
✗
SAR
N/A
1.19 W/kg (head) 1.18 W/kg (body)
Connectivity
SIM
Nano-SIM +eSIMNano-SIM + Nano-SIM
Nano-SIM +eSIM
Network
GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE
Network Speed
HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps
HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (4CA) Cat16 1024/150 Mbps, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps
5G
✓
✗
4G
✓
✓
WiFi
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, hotspot
Bluetooth
5.0, A2DP, LE
5.0, A2DP, LE
NFC
✓
✓
USB
Lightning, USB 2.0
Lightning, USB 2.0
IR Blaster
✗
✗
Headphone Jack
✗
✗
Radio
✗
✗
Positioning
GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS
GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS
Audio
Stereo Speakers
✓
✓
Loudspeaker
Yes, with stereo speakers
Yes, with stereo speakers
Audio Jack
No
No
Software & Security
Operating System
iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 18.5
iOS 12, upgradable to iOS 18.5
Fingerprint
✗
✗
Face Unlock
✓
✓
Sensors
Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer

