The Apple iPhone 13 mini first graced the market in September 2021 and belongs to our Premium ($600-$799) segment. Let’s take a look at how it did in our Battery protocol tests.
Key specifications:
- Battery capacity: 2406 mAh
- 20W charger (not included)
- 5.4-inch, 1080 x 2340, 60 Hz OLED display
- Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) chipset
- Tested ROM / RAM combination: 128 GB + 4 GB
About DXOMARK Battery tests: For scoring and analysis in our smartphone battery reviews, DXOMARK engineers perform a variety of objective tests over a week-long period both indoors and outdoors. This article highlights the most important results of our testing. (See our introductory and how we test articles for more details about our smartphone Battery protocol.)
Test summary
Scoring
Sub-scores and attributes included in the calculations of the global score.
Apple iPhone 13 mini
99
battery
82
Honor X7b
Best: Honor X7b (221)
91
Samsung Galaxy M51
Best: Samsung Galaxy M51 (195)
79
Samsung Galaxy M51
Best: Samsung Galaxy M51 (198)
106
Realme GT Neo 5 (240W)
Best: Realme GT Neo 5 (240W) (224)
107
Realme GT Neo 5 (240W)
Best: Realme GT Neo 5 (240W) (212)
94
Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro
Best: Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro (205)
186
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
Best: Apple iPhone 14 Pro (194)
Key performances
These key points are derived from the lab measurements during testing and do not figure into the overall score. The lab measurements, however, are used for the overall score.
2h52 autonomy
after 5-minute charge
Please be aware that beyond this point, we have not modified the initial test results. While data and products remain fully comparable, you might encounter mentions and references to the previous scores.
Position in Global Ranking
143
rd
2. Honor Magic6 Lite (5800 mAh)
156
7. Honor Magic6 Lite (5300 mAh)
150
8. Realme GT Neo 5 (240W)
147
13. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (Snapdragon)
142
23. Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
136
23. Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G
136
33. Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
134
33. Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus (Snapdragon)
134
33. Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
134
37. Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
133
37. Vivo X60 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
133
37. Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5G
133
44. Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 5G
132
44. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S
132
52. Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
130
52. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
130
54. Samsung Galaxy A34 5G
129
54. Samsung Galaxy A23 5G
129
54. Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G
129
54. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
129
70. Samsung Galaxy A13 5G
125
77. Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
121
79. Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G
120
79. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G
120
91. Samsung Galaxy A14 5G
117
100. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5
114
100. Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro 5G
114
105. Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
113
109. Motorola Moto G62 5G
112
113. Motorola Moto G9 Power
111
113. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
111
118. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5
109
118. Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon)
109
121. Samsung Galaxy S21 5G (Snapdragon)
108
125. Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
107
127. Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
106
131. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Snapdragon)
103
137. Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
101
138. Samsung Galaxy S21 5G (Exynos)
100
138. Xiaomi Redmi 10 2022
100
143. Apple iPhone 13 mini
99
143. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4
99
143. Vivo X80 Pro (Snapdragon)
99
148. Motorola Edge 30 Pro
98
148. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Exynos)
98
152. Samsung Galaxy A33 5G
96
155. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4
95
155. Samsung Galaxy S22+ (Exynos)
95
155. Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
95
161. Apple iPhone 12 mini
93
161. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
93
164. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
92
165. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Snapdragon)
90
170. Apple iPhone SE (2022)
84
172. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon)
82
176. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Exynos)
75
Position in Premium Ranking
31
st
2. Vivo X60 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
133
4. Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
130
22. Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon)
109
23. Samsung Galaxy S21 5G (Snapdragon)
108
29. Samsung Galaxy S21 5G (Exynos)
100
36. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Snapdragon)
90
38. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon)
82
40. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Exynos)
75
Pros
- Extremely efficient device
- Well-managed night consumption
- Good wireless charging experience
Cons
- Poor autonomy overall
- Low charging efficiency
Thanks largely to a 9.5% increase in battery capacity, the Apple iPhone 13 mini gained 3 points over the older iPhone 12 mini, although neither Apple device comes close to either competitor in the Premium category, the OnePlus 9 and the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G (Snapdragon). Battery capacity, tested charger, display type and resolution, and processor specifications for all four devices are shown in the table below.
|
Apple iPhone 13 mini |
Apple iPhone 12 mini |
OnePlus 9 |
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G (Snapdragon) |
Battery (mAh) |
2406 |
2227 |
4500 |
4000 |
Charger
Wireless |
20W (not included)
15W |
20W (not included)
15W |
65W
15W |
25W (not included)
15W |
Display type |
OLED |
OLED |
OLED |
OLED |
Resolution |
1080 x 2340, 60 Hz |
1080 x 2340, 60 Hz |
1080 x 2400, 120 Hz |
1080 x 2400, 120 Hz |
Processor |
Apple A15 Bionic 5 nm |
Apple A14 Bionic 5 nm |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G 5 nm |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G 5 nm |
Autonomy (45)
How long a battery charge lasts depends not only on battery capacity but also on other aspects of the phone’s hardware and software. The DXOMARK Battery autonomy score is composed of three performance sub-scores: (1) Stationary, (2) On the go, and (3) Calibrated use cases. Each sub-score comprises the results of a comprehensive range of tests for measuring autonomy in all kinds of real-life scenarios.
59h
Light Usage
Active: 2h30/day
41h
Moderate Usage
Active: 4h/day
25h
Intense Usage
Active: 7h/day
Because of its small battery, the Apple iPhone 13 mini offers only 40 hours 51 minutes of autonomy with moderate use, which is below the average in the premium segment. Its autonomy is slightly better than the iPhone 12 mini’s, but far behind its rivals, which both offer more than 10 hours of moderate use.
Position in Global Ranking
Battery Life (moderate)
163
rd
7. Honor Magic6 Lite (5800 mAh)
77h
9. Honor Magic6 Lite (5300 mAh)
77h
15. Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5G
72h
20. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G
70h
23. Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
69h
25. Samsung Galaxy A13 5G
69h
27. Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
68h
28. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
67h
29. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (Snapdragon)
67h
30. Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 5G
67h
36. Samsung Galaxy A34 5G
65h
38. Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
65h
40. Samsung Galaxy A23 5G
64h
46. Motorola Moto G9 Power
64h
49. Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G
62h
50. Samsung Galaxy A14 5G
62h
51. Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
62h
52. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S
61h
54. Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus (Snapdragon)
61h
55. Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
60h
77. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
56h
79. Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
56h
80. Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G
56h
82. Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G
55h
83. Realme GT Neo 5 (240W)
55h
93. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5
54h
103. Motorola Edge 20 Pro
52h
113. Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro 5G
51h
114. Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon)
51h
117. Vivo X60 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
51h
123. Samsung Galaxy S21 5G (Snapdragon)
50h
125. Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
49h
132. Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
49h
133. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4
49h
135. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
48h
137. Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
48h
140. Motorola Edge 30 Pro
47h
141. Samsung Galaxy A33 5G
47h
142. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Snapdragon)
47h
143. Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
47h
145. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5
46h
146. Samsung Galaxy S21 5G (Exynos)
46h
148. Nubia RedMagic 6 Pro
46h
153. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Exynos)
44h
156. Vivo X80 Pro (Snapdragon)
43h
158. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
43h
159. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4
42h
161. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
41h
163. Apple iPhone 13 mini
41h
164. Apple iPhone 12 mini
40h
166. Samsung Galaxy S22+ (Exynos)
40h
167. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Snapdragon)
39h
170. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon)
38h
173. Apple iPhone SE (2022)
37h
175. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Exynos)
35h
Position in Premium Ranking
Battery Life (moderate)
33
rd
16. Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon)
51h
18. Vivo X60 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
51h
20. Samsung Galaxy S21 5G (Snapdragon)
50h
25. Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
48h
27. Samsung Galaxy S21 5G (Exynos)
46h
35. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Snapdragon)
39h
37. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon)
38h
40. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Exynos)
35h
Stationary
Vivo Y72 5G
Best: Vivo Y72 5G (104)
A robot housed in a Faraday cage performs a set of touch-based user actions during what we call our “typical usage scenario” (TUS) — making calls, video streaming, etc. — 4 hours of active use over the course of a 16-hour period, plus 8 hours of “sleep.” The robot repeats this set of actions every day until the device runs out of power.
Thanks in part to good night management (losing only 1.5%), the iPhone 13 mini lasted 45 hours 33 minutes during our TUS test. That’s 2 hours better than the 12 mini, but about 12 hours less than the OnePlus and the Samsung.
Typical Usage Scenario discharge curves
On the go
Samsung Galaxy M51
Best: Samsung Galaxy M51 (96)
Using a smartphone on the go takes a toll on autonomy because of extra “hidden” demands, such as the continuous signaling associated with cellphone network selection, for example. DXOMARK Battery experts take the phone outside and perform a precisely defined set of activities while following the same three-hour travel itinerary for each device.
The iPhone 13 mini’s performance in camera and social apps was disappointing. It came in ahead of the 12 mini for GPS and calling, but remained behind the OnePlus and Samsung in almost all tests.
Autonomy for on the go use cases (full charge)
Calibrated
Samsung Galaxy M51
Best: Samsung Galaxy M51 (100)
For this series of tests, the smartphone returns to the Faraday cage and our robots repeatedly perform actions linked to one specific use case (such as gaming, video streaming, etc.) at a time. Starting from an 80% charge, all devices are tested until they have expended at least 5% of their battery power.
Though slightly better than the 12 mini, the iPhone 13 mini put in a below-average performance in our calibrated tests.
Autonomy for calibrated use cases (full charge)
Charging (72)
The DXOMARK Battery charging score is composed of two sub-scores, Full charge and Quick boost. Full charge tests assess the reliability of the battery power gauge; measure how long it takes to charge a battery from zero to 80% capacity and from 80 to 100%; and measure how long and how much power the battery takes to go from an indicated 100% to an actual full charge. With the phone at different charge levels (20%, 40%, 60%, 80%), Quick boost tests measure the amount of charge the battery receives after being plugged in for 5 minutes.
Unsurprisingly, the Apple iPhone 13 mini and its 20W charger could not keep up with the OnePlus (65W) and the Samsung (25W). However, it offers a decent wireless charging experience.
Full charge
Black Shark 5 Pro
Best: Black Shark 5 Pro (121)
Power consumption and battery level during full charge
Power consumption and battery level during wireless full charge
It took the Apple iPhone 13 mini 57 minutes 18 seconds to go from empty to an 80% charge, and 1 hour 54 minutes to achieve a full charge. That’s slightly longer than the 12 mini, which has a smaller battery. The OnePlus 9 and its massive 65W charger takes only 38 minutes 40 seconds to fill its much larger battery.
The iPhone 13 mini took only 1 hour 12 minutes to wirelessly charge up to 80%, while the OnePlus and the Samsung took 1 hour 28 minutes and 1 hour 51 minutes, respectively.
Position in Global Ranking
Charging Time 0-80%
129
th
1. Realme GT Neo 5 (240W)
0h08
22. Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
0h22
29. Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G
0h24
30. Vivo X80 Pro (Snapdragon)
0h24
53. Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G
0h31
57. Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G
0h33
63. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (Snapdragon)
0h37
64. Samsung Galaxy S22+ (Exynos)
0h37
66. Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus (Snapdragon)
0h37
68. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
0h38
69. Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
0h38
72. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Snapdragon)
0h39
73. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Exynos)
0h40
74. Vivo X60 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
0h40
81. Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 5G
0h44
86. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
0h46
87. Honor Magic6 Lite (5300 mAh)
0h47
91. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5
0h48
92. Samsung Galaxy S21 5G (Exynos)
0h48
93. Samsung Galaxy S21 5G (Snapdragon)
0h49
97. Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
0h49
99. Samsung Galaxy A23 5G
0h49
102. Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon)
0h50
102. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Snapdragon)
0h50
104. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5
0h51
105. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Exynos)
0h51
107. Apple iPhone SE (2022)
0h51
107. Samsung Galaxy A34 5G
0h51
109. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
0h51
110. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S
0h52
111. Apple iPhone 12 mini
0h52
112. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
0h52
114. Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
0h52
116. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon)
0h53
119. Samsung Galaxy A33 5G
0h54
119. Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5G
0h54
121. Apple iPhone 15 Plus
0h54
122. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
0h55
123. Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
0h56
124. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4
0h56
125. Honor Magic6 Lite (5800 mAh)
0h56
127. Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
0h57
128. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4
0h57
129. Apple iPhone 13 mini
0h57
130. Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
0h57
131. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
0h57
137. Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
1h01
141. Apple iPhone 14 Plus
1h03
147. Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
1h06
154. Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
1h15
159. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G
1h22
161. Xiaomi Redmi 10 2022
1h25
164. Motorola Moto G62 5G
1h26
165. Samsung Galaxy A14 5G
1h28
166. Samsung Galaxy A13 5G
1h30
173. Motorola Moto G9 Power
1h53
Position in Premium Ranking
Charging Time 0-80%
35
th
10. Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
0h22
21. Vivo X60 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
0h40
26. Samsung Galaxy S21 5G (Exynos)
0h48
27. Samsung Galaxy S21 5G (Snapdragon)
0h49
29. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Snapdragon)
0h50
29. Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon)
0h50
31. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Exynos)
0h51
33. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon)
0h53
Quick boost
Realme GT Neo 3
Best: Realme GT Neo 3 (111)
Users can expect almost 3 hours of autonomy after charging the iPhone 13 mini for 5 minutes, which is better than both the iPhone 12 mini and the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G (Snapdragon), but far behind the OnePlus 9’s 8 hours 26 minutes when charging with 20% power remaining.
|
| Apple iPhone 13 mini | Apple iPhone 12 mini | OnePlus 9 | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G (Snapdragon) |
Autonomy boost (hh:mm) | 20% | 3:12 | 2:43 | 8:26 | 2:38 |
40% | 3:01 | 2:31 | 5:59 | 2:45 |
60% | 2:07 | 1:53 | 5:28 | 2:09 |
80% | 1:02 | 1:20 | 4:02 | 1:57 |
Percentage boost | 20% | 10 % | 9.5 % | 23 % | 7.4 % |
40% | 9.5 % | 8.8 % | 16.3 % | 7.7 % |
60% | 6.7 % | 6.6 % | 14.9 % | 6 % |
80% | 3.2 % | 4.7 % | 11 % | 5.5 % |
Energy consumed | 20% | 1391 mWh | 1205 mWh | 4923 mWh | 1466 mWh |
40% | 1315 mWh | 1119 mWh | 3491 mWh | 1528 mWh |
60% | 925 mWh | 838 mWh | 3188 mWh | 1195 mWh |
80% | 452 mWh | 591 mWh | 2354 mWh | 1088 mWh |
Efficiency (99)
The DXOMARK power efficiency score consists of two sub-scores, Charge up and Discharge rate, both of which combine data obtained during robot-based typical usage scenario testing, outdoor mobility testing, charging evaluation, and power measurements, and then take into consideration the device’s battery capacity.
Thanks to its optimized software and hardware, the two iPhone minis beat both the OnePlus and the Samsung in overall efficiency by a good margin.
Charge up
Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro
Best: Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro (105)
Although its adapter is quite efficient, the iPhone 13 mini puts in a poor performance for charge-up efficiency.
Discharge
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Best: Apple iPhone 13 Pro (121)
In contrast to charge up efficiency, the iPhone 13 mini and the iPhone 12 mini are among the very best devices for discharge efficiency in our entire database.
Conclusion
Because of its very small battery and 20W charger, the iPhone 13 Mini cannot offer much in the way of autonomy and charging. However, the device is well optimized and has excellent discharge efficiency.
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