iFixit has finished a teardown of the 12 mini that reveals just what Apple sacrificed in the name of size. The battery is an expectedly smaller 8.57Wh versus the 10.78Wh in the regular iPhone 12, although that’s still larger than the 6.96Wh from the iPhone SE.
The Taptic Engine, speakers, and MagSafe ring are all included in the mini in smaller versions to save space. But Apple managed to fit the same-sized camera as its other iPhone models into the mini, which iFixit suggests may have come at the expense of battery life.
The mini camera has the same ƒ/1.6 wide-angle and ƒ/2.4 ultra wide-angle cameras found in the iPhone 12, the teardown shows.
The inspection also reinforces the differences between the US and international versions of the iPhone 12 mini, such as the presence of “squares” near the camera array that might be mmWave 5G antennas. And despite earlier worries with the regular 12, it appears that camera replacements work properly here.
Despite the 12 mini’s compact body, iFixit determined that it would be relatively easy for DIY enthusiasts to repair the screen and replace the battery. The glass housing is the main concern, as you might have to replace the whole body if that breaks. Apple clearly made a few compromises to stuff the A14 and 5G into a design this small, but not so much that common fixes became difficult.
