Best iPhone 13 Mini Deals In July 2022

Fancy the miniature version of Apple’s latest iPhone? Here’s everything you need to know about the iPhone 13 mini and the best deals up for grabs right now.

Latest iPhone 13 mini Deals

iPhone 13 mini – specs and features

The latest miniature version of Apple’s flagship smartphone packs all the same technology and features as its bigger brothers into a device that’s easier for smaller hands to manage.

Form factor is basically unchanged from the iPhone 12 mini, save for the odd millimetre here and gram or two there, so it feels very familiar in the hand.

A lot else has been changed, however, starting with the processor. Despite being smaller than the rest of the iPhone 13 range, the mini still features the new A15 Bionic processor – Apple’s latest piece of mobile computing wizardry.

The chip set comprises a six-core CPU and a four-core GPU that Apple says is 50% faster than the next nearest competition, with 30% faster graphics. The upgrade from the A14 chipset improves battery life via better optimisation. The new iPhone mini’s battery will last 1.5 hours longer than its predecessor’s from a single charge.

In terms of memory, there’s no longer a 64GB version of the handset, with 128GB now the minimum. But Apple hasn’t increased prices for the upgrade – in fact quite the opposite, but more on that later.

Other improvements made possible thanks to the new chip include a screen that’s 28% brighter than the iPhone 12 mini. Once again, however, the display is a 5.4” Super Retina XDR display with a resolution of 2,340 x 1,080 and a pixel density of 476 pixels per inch (PPI).

The notch that houses the phone’s front-facing camera is smaller than it was on the iPhone 12 mini, having been reduced by about 20%. 

As for the camera itself, the iPhone 13 mini has a new Cinematic Mode that gives your videos a Hollywood feel by switching focus between subjects and objects in the background and foreground automatically.

Returning features from the iPhone 12 mini include 5G connectivity, Ceramic Shield and oleophobic coating to resist scratches and fingerprint smudges, plus an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, meaning it’ll still work after being dunked in up to 1.5 metres of water for up to 30 minutes.

Ways To Pay For The iPhone 13 mini

The iPhone 13 mini is cheaper than the iPhone 12 mini was at launch. Buy a 128GB model directly from Apple and you’ll pay £679, compared to the £699 you had to pay for its predecessor.

If you don’t have the cash to spend or would prefer to pay in instalments, you have two options: either use a 0% credit card and pay the balance off over time within the interest-free period, or sign up to a pay-monthly contract with a mobile network operator.

If you decide to go down the credit card route, there are 0% deals that last for as long as 20 months, meaning you could pay as little as £33.95 per month. You’ll have to make sure you make timely repayments of at least the minimum required, however, or your card could lose its interest-free status and you could be charged interest of around 20%, making the handset far more expensive.

Also, if you buy the iPhone 13 mini from Apple, you’ll have to get a SIM-only plan to use it. As an example, iD Mobile will give you unlimited calls and texts plus a 50GB monthly data allowance for £12 – bringing your overall total for phone and SIM to around £46 a month.

Alternatively, you can go down the pay-monthly route. Check out the table at the beginning of this article to see which network is offering the most competitive price for the kind of deal you’re looking for.

Protecting Your iPhone 13 mini

Whether you buy it upfront or sign up for a contract, losing your iPhone 13 or damaging it beyond repair will land you with a big bill to replace it. Luckily, there are insurance policies that, for a monthly fee, will replace your new phone.

AppleCare+ is an option. It protects your iPhone for up to two years from the date of purchase, including up to two incidents of accidental damage protection every 12 months (subject to an excess of £25 for screen damage or £79 for anything else – the excess amount is deducted from any claim payment you receive). Prices depend on the device you want to cover, but could be as much as £199. 

Otherwise, there are lots of mobile phone insurance companies that will protect your iPhone 13 mini from around £5 or £6 per month. 

Coverage varies from one provider to the next though, so it’s best to check exactly what protection each policy gives you. For more information, read our ranking of the best mobile phone insurance providers.

Home insurance and bank account perks

Some bank accounts come with mobile phone insurance, and some home insurance policies will cover you if you break your phone, but it’s really important not to assume you’re covered. It’s best to look carefully at the protection they offer to see if it’s sufficient.

While home contents insurance will automatically cover your phone(s) in certain situations, these kinds of policies do have their limits. For example, if your iPhone 13 mini were stolen in a break-in, you’d probably be covered. However, if you dropped it down the stairs and smashed the screen, your claim would be rejected if your policy didn’t have accidental damage cover included.

It’s also unlikely that your home insurance policy will protect your phone when you’re not at home, unless it includes personal possessions or ‘all risks’ cover. 

Finally, there’s an excess to pay before you can make a claim (as there is with standalone mobile phone insurance) and you’ll lose your no claims discount, if you have one, which could make your policy more expensive come renewal time.

While your bank account may offer mobile phone insurance, be sure to check the sum insured is high enough to pay for a replacement and remember that you have to register your new phone with your bank when you buy it or else they won’t pay out when you come to make a claim.

Also cast a beady eye over the exclusions as the cover may not be as extensive as you’d prefer.