Ahead of iPhone 12 Mini and 12 Pro Max Pre-Orders, Media Sites Share Hands-On Impressions

iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max pre-orders are set to go live at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday, November 6, and just ahead of that deadline, media sites are sharing their hands-on first impressions of the new devices.

thevergeiphonecomparison

Image via The Verge

The Verge, Engadget, TechCrunch and CNET have all been able to spend some time with Apple's smallest and largest iPhones ahead of when people can make a purchase. The sites aren't offering up full reviews at this time, but were able to visit an Apple location in New York to preview the new iPhones.

According to The Verge, the ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ is "really" small by the "standards of 2020 flagship smartphones." The smaller size is nice to hold, and iOS "scales well to the 5.4-inch display."

The ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ is described as "a surfboard of a phone" like other Plus and Max-sized devices. Despite the size, it "doesn't feel too heavy in hand" and unfortunately, Apple isn't taking advantage of the larger display because there's no multitasking option.


Engadget said the ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ "feels huge to hold," but the stainless steel and glass feels more premium than the ‌iPhone 12 mini‌. Pictures looked great, but it was a controlled testing area so there's not a lot to glean from the camera tests at this time.

The mini, meanwhile, fit well in a hand and it was easy to use with one hand, unlike the Pro Max.



CNET called the ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ the "most interesting of the bunch" because of the number of features that it packs into a small body. It felt "incredibly small" in the hand. The ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ is "very big, but not outlandishly so."


TechCrunch said that the 6.7-inch ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ "doesn't appear exceptionally large" to someone used to larger-sized Android devices, with the size between the mini and the Pro Max being "pronounced." The 6.1-inch middle size feels like a "pretty good sweet spot" for most users.

Full reviews of the ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ and ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ are likely to come out next week ahead of when the devices begin shipping to customers on November 13. Those who want to pre-order will need to do so at 5:00 a.m Pacific Time on Friday, November 6.

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Top Rated Comments

macjaffa Avatar
61 months ago

The Mini looks really small and the Max looks way too big. Geez...
if only there was a phone bigger than a iphone 12 mini , and smaller than and iphone 12 max. They could call it iphone 12
Score: 46 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coolfactor Avatar
61 months ago

Was all about the mini until it was confirmed the notch is the same size as the other iPhones!!
Have you use an iPhone with the notch yet? Seriously, it's a complete non-issue. People have made wayyyyyy too much of a deal out of the notch. You don't even notice it in general use.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lazlow Avatar
61 months ago
I love how all impressions are describing the mini as "incredibly small" like ok we were just using an iPhone 5S six years ago...

"It's nice to be able to use the whole phone with one hand" the fact that this is being touted as a "feature" baffles me. This should be a basic requirement for a portable device.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
now i see it Avatar
61 months ago
The Max is still not big enough
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
EM2013 Avatar
61 months ago
Why don’t they optimize iOS for each screen size?

Sad that the smallest screen looks exactly the same as the biggest screen. Lazy design.

Attachment Image
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GeoStructural Avatar
61 months ago
I am ordering my Pro Max ?. My alarm is set, my card is ready, color picked (finally went with graphite instead of blue). I can't wait!
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)