New phones were about to drop and this made me watch all the videos and ponder an upgrade to the latest. The big feature Apple introduced was a dedicated camera control on the right side of the screen and a bunch of AI features that would be railroaded in at a later time.
What I really wanted was a smaller phone that did less. But I didn’t want to forgo the Apple ecosystem and current lip service for security.
So I ordered a used iPhone 13 Mini.
I enjoyed everything about it save for one thing: The battery.
Battery health topped out at 87% (not at all unusual for a phone) but it was extremely finicky to charge — shutting down with excessive heat warning when the weather was not at all hot.
The return window generous, I begrudgingly sent it back.
If Apple ever makes another Mini, I am confident it would be the right choice for me.
And the best thing about the new iOS upgrade is more customization for home screens. It definitely resets how icons should be designed to play well within the new framework. (I’m looking at you Swarm icon with the bee.)