First Impressions From New iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max Owners

It's Friday, November 13, which is the official launch date for the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max. iPhone orders are arriving to customers, and Apple has begun selling the new devices in retail stores.

We've seen multiple reviews of the two new iPhones from media sites, but now regular customers have the smallest and largest iPhones in hand and are sharing their opinions of the device on the MacRumors forums. For those waiting for their own new ‌iPhone‌ or considering making a purchase, impressions from regular consumers provide useful insight.

iPhone 12 mini

MacRumors reader elephantnut had a long list of thoughts to share. The flat edges are a "welcome departure" from the rounded edges, but the design makes the phone look and feel thicker. The white color is "elegant but cute," and more of a warm white than a cool white.

The display is a fantastic size. While I wouldn't say it's comfortable to reach the edges, it's much easier to do compared to the 5.8" iPhones. The lighter weight makes is easy to shimmy the iphone across your hand if you have smaller hands.

True Tone seems a bit more aggressive than it was on my ‌iPhone‌ 8. Compared to an OLED ‌iPhone‌ X, my 12 Mini has a more yellow/green cast with True Tone off, and is significantly yellower with True Tone on.

MacRumors reader Hoobaman shared some useful photos of the ‌iPhone 12‌ mini in a Leather Case for those wondering how the new leather cases look.

MacRumors reader pinchies said that the size is nice and allows for one-handed typing, but getting to Control Center still "requires a hand shuffle." The screen is dimmer than the iPhone 11, and it's not quite as sharp as expected. MacRumors reader skyhawkmatthew disagreed on sharpness, though, and said that "colour and sharpness on the display look great."

Prior 2016 iPhone SE owner Klasma said that the ‌iPhone 12‌ mini is both heavier and larger than expected and not as "handy" as the SE when it comes to chassis size.

Other insights from ‌iPhone 12‌ mini owners:

• It's so small and lightweight that it feels like air
• The notch eats up too much of the screen compared to the rest of the ‌iPhone 12‌ lineup
• Speakers sound much better compared to older iPhones, but sound is "thinner" than ‌iPhone 11‌ with less bass
• The screws on the bottom of the mini are not color matched to the device
• The display is warmer than older iPhones
• The ‌iPhone 12‌ mini is barely noticeable in a pocket

iPhone 12 Pro Max

MacRumors reader Vengapat9 returned his ‌iPhone 12 Pro‌ because of battery life issues and chose the ‌iPhone 12 Pro‌ Max with its larger battery. He says the phone is "big as hell" and a "tiny bit wider," with the larger screen displaying more information "even better."

MacRumors reader Gtg456x loves the larger screen size and says that it "doesn't seem that big."

I had been debating between the Pro and Pro Max. I've had an ‌iPhone‌ X for 3 years, but before that had a 7 Plus, and have missed having a big screen for the past few years, but was worried about how many people were scared by the 12 Pro Max size and weight. Well, the 12 Pro Max came today, and let me tell you, it was the right decision! After only using it for 30 minutes, I looked at my ‌iPhone‌ X for something and MY GOD that screen looks small now. How the heck did I use it for 3 years? It honestly doesn't even seem that big. Seems about the same as all of the large phones from the past decade.

MacRumors reader Ryancgray said that the stabilization for video recording is "incredible," while MacRumors reader lukeoneill90 said that the ‌iPhone 12 Pro‌ Max is "blazing fast" with quality speakers.

Other insights from ‌iPhone 12 Pro‌ Max owners:

• The gold color is stunning and classy
• Face ID is the same as on 11 Pro Max
• Weight is similar to 11 Pro Max
• Feels more solid and secure to hold than 11 Pro Max
• HDR video recording is amazing, it looks very real and vibrant
• It's huge and may take some time to get used to

Have a new ‌iPhone 12‌ mini or ‌iPhone 12 Pro‌ Max? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Make sure to check out our iPhone forum too, where people are sharing more thoughts on the new phones, photos, and more.