r/iPhone12Mini

Hi everyone,

I've had my iPhone 12 Mini for around 3 years. I bought it refurbished and don't know how much capacity the battery has, as I can't access information about a foreign part in the settings (apparently, the seller placed a random battery, not the original from Apple). However, at this point, my phone dies after a few hours and overheats easily. So, I want to replace it at an Apple store.

I still run iOS 18 on my phone. I am well aware of the security updates in the later iOS, but I just want a minimalist, small and functional phone without AI features or fancy design, hence, I haven't updated it. Now, to the question. If I brought my iPhone to Apple services for battery replacement, would they also have to upgrade my system to the newest iOS?

Thanks a lot! Lots of love to your Minis!

I’m curious what people would recommend for a thick case for an iPhone 12 mini? I’m not looking for a heavy duty case or anything I’m just looking for a thicker case purely for hand feel.

Hello people. A few weeks ago i posted here asking whether i should upgrade to 13 mini or stick to 12 mini by repairing the camera as it had some issues. Initially I was thinking of going for the iphone 13 mini but i found a genuine camera module and got it fixed for a total of 40$. And im gonna stay with this phone till the end of time now. I had changed the battery like 6 months ago as well. Just wanted to share this because im very happy. 😁

Hi

I got a beautiful green iphone12Mini with 83% battery health which I use mainly as my secondary phone. Given the value of the phone , is it still worth replacing the battery , which from apple costs around €100?

I've had my 12 mini for almost four years now, and I still can't bring myself to replace it. I know there are newer iPhones with better cameras and bigger batteries, but I genuinely love the size of this phone and it still does everything I need.

The only thing that's becoming frustrating is the battery. It's down to 76% health now, and I find myself thinking about charging it whenever I'm heading out for more than a few hours.

I started looking at aftermarket batteries after realizing Apple's replacement isn't exactly cheap where I live. A repair shop suggested one that supports battery health reporting and is supposed to feel closer to the original battery, but I'd rather hear from people who've actually lived with one for a while than rely on a salesperson's opinion.

For anyone who's replaced the battery in their 12 mini, did it genuinely make the phone enjoyable to use again? Or did you eventually end up upgrading anyway?

I'd love to keep this phone for another year or two if a battery replacement is all it really needs.

Postimg this just for info for others because everyone is considering probably battery or phone replacement right now. 4 year old and battery life was 77% but it was really struggling. First Decided to look into OEM battery replacement by apple but costs 110€. For that price considering maybe just replacing for a new phone.
I knew about the screen issue so did not want to change battery myself at first.
Then decided to look if there is a new iphoneor even android with similiar size screen etc. There is none because they are very unpopular compared to others.
So what i decided in the end was to order new battery from aliexpress for 15€ and replace it myself. If the screen failed I would just toss it and go get a new phone since resale value is nonexistent anyway.
So I did the replacement and since I do not use phone case at all(only screen protector) the screen ofcourse delaminated from the frame. I did heat the phone and took a long time to open slowly (30min) but then realized it wasnt the waterproofing seal/glue but the screen actually got removed from the frame. The digitizer connection is at the top of the screen luckily i did not break it when opening. Basically my screen was completely seperated drom the frame before i realized the rest of the frame was still inside. Anyway the screen still worked and i decided to finish the replacement. The screen glue was butyl based so I just closed it back up again and only replaced the waterproofing seal that cane with new battery.
Making this post from the phone, its been a few weeks and battery life is 2-3x better than before, not 25%.
No issues with the screen or anything yet.
But would recommend buying a new screen just in case aswell if you diy it and need the phone.
Still cheaper than oem replacement.

updated my 12 mini to ios27 beta 2 yesterday and it became unusable. battery drains faster than ever (3% in 1 minute), phone lags as hell, and overheats when i'm tryin to do anything. it was laying still on my desk after i updated it. just cleared some storage, i REALLY do hope that it gets better after couple days.
now i'm stuck with my old big ahh phone and im struggling

upd: i turned on default app icons and it fixed most of the problems. phone will start to lag, overheat and drain battery only if you have tinted icons.

My 12 mini took a dive with me in the pool. It was submerged in my pocket for a good 5 minutes. There is water in the front facing camera and Face ID no longer works. There is also a very bad ghost touch on the screen despite everything else functioning normally.

My phone is currently in a bag of rice and silica gel packets sitting on the dash of my car in the sun.

Hopefully it drys out and is okay. 😭

Posted from my old iPhone 8

My beloved 12 Mini, with me since launch, is out of space. Unbelievably, 128GB is just not enough. Getting warnings and every time I open an older app, it downloads it, then opens it. Definitely cooked in space.

I love the form factor. So I decided to get the 13 Mini with 512GB. This should take me to 2030. I hope.

This 12 Mini 128GB, is in great shape with a newer battery that’s at 92%. Hoping to recoup a few bucks, as the 13 Mini was about $400 before taxes.

so currently i own a OnePlus 13R, the phone is good but in typical OnePlus fashion the notifications are always delayed or sometimes complete miss. So I was planning on selling my phone and get iphone 12 mini second hand, I'm getting one for 16k rupees($170) in pristine condition but battery health is 79%. So should I get an almost 6yr old phone in 2026 or maybe look for newer models?

I found my old 12 mini today. Still in good shape. 80% battery health. What should I try to sell this for?

Hi everyone, I am looking for a slim magsafe
power bank to snap on my 12 mini without it sticking out over the edge anywhere, also still feels nice in pocket. What do you use?

Edit: Typos

I am no longer a fan of my huge 17pro max and want to go back to my 12 mini. When I charge it the phone takes the charge and still vibrates like it’s on but the screen is blank. It still vibrates when I touch the screen too so I recon it’s the screen probably?

Just wondering if it’s worth it to replace, how much it might be, and would I be okay taking it to a third party store for repair or should I bring to Apple? Not sure if it matters much in terms of quality screen replacement or what.

Any insight would be very much appreciated. Thank you!