How do the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone XR compare?

It’s the battle between big and small, old(er) and new(er), and which has the best battery. Let’s see how the iPhone 13 mini and the iPhone XR compare.

iPhone XR – excellent battery life and a large screen

The iPhone XR is a bit of a beast, weighing 194 g and measuring 159.9 x 75.7 mm. It has a large 6.1-inch screen and a really great battery. Compare this to the iPhone 13 mini and there’s a whopping  53 g difference in weight, and almost 30 mm in height. The iPhone 13 mini weighs 141 g and measures 131 x 65.2 mm. The iPhone 13 mini will most certainly be easier to handle, but you’ll lose out on 0.7 inches of screen. You do get a more advanced OLED screen though, whereas the iPhone XR has the older style LCD screen. Battery-wise the iPhone XR has the edge with about an hour extra on average usage.

iPhone 13 mini – quality cameras, powerful and easy to hold

The iPhone 13 mini is the more powerful of these two phones with a newer A15 bionic processor compared to the older A12. It also offers better memory with 4 Gb RAM compared to 3 GB. Storage-wise, you can get up to 512 Gb on either phone. If you love your Insta pics, then this might be the better option as it has a dual-lens 12 MP camera with an ultra-wide option, while the XR only offers a single lens. You’ll also be able to record 4K video on the front camera. The iPhone 13 mini is enabled for the latest Wi-Fi 6 and can be upgraded to run iOS 16.1.1 as can the iPhone XR. The iPhone XR was cheaper on release than the iPhone 13 mini, but you can now buy either phone for around a third less if you buy refurbished.

Which should I buy?

Both the iPhone XR and the iPhone 13 mini have plenty to offer. For better screen size and battery life pick the iPhone XR, for a phone that’s fast and easy to handle with a better-quality camera opt for the iPhone 13 mini.