I bought a used iPhone 13 mini and learned a hard lesson

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After using one for four years iPhone 12 Pro MaxApple’s thin and light iPhone Air Sounds like a refreshing change. The phone’s promise of offering the same Apple-exclusive benefits as iMessage and FaceTime, albeit more pocket-friendly, really appealed to me.

Problem: $1,000 is too much for me to put toward the phone right now. Plus, mine exists T-Mobile Plans Low monthly price and no longer eligible for great deals on “get us a phone” because it’s so outdated Carrier switching Getting such a promotion is a no-go, as is almost everyone wireless plan That deserves to cost me more money monthly. The phones themselves are more expensive with the uncertain economic outlook and ongoing price “used iPhone 13” fluctuations of new devices Lack of RAM. I recently reviewed two phones, $180 Moto G Play And $700 OnePlus 15RBoth have higher starting prices than the models they replace.

And that’s when it hit me: Apple makes it more pocket-friendly iPhone With Air closed years ago iPhone 12 mini And iPhone 13 mini. Both are able to run iOS 26 And will probably get updates for a few more years. Even more encouraging, I can get a 13 mini with 256GB storage for the same price as a brand new budget phone.

But I have concerns about buying such an old phone.

Apple no longer makes the iPhone Mini, so the only way to find one is to buy it used. Although sellers promise that their used phones will work and only show some signs of wear, is that really the case? And even though it will run iOS 26, will the phone “used iPhone 13” keep up with my daily routine? I decided to test if a used iPhone 13 Mini could live up to some of the promise of the iPhone Air at a much lower price.

Looking for an iPhone 13 mini

For the purpose of this test, I purchased a blue iPhone 13 Mini with 256GB of storage for $353 after tax from a seller on Amazon. I use the 256GB version of the 12 Pro Max and don’t want to sacrifice storage by switching to another phone. If you don’t want to go through Amazon, you can find the iPhone 13 Mini on numerous used phone sites, including Gazelle, Back Market, Swappa, and eBay. I often scope Woot for phone deals, and occasionally see the mini pop ups on there with revamped models.

These sellers often price used phones based on their condition. In this case, I bought one in renewed condition, which means the phone will show some signs of wear and a battery with at least 80% capacity. Amazon has a Renewed Premium tier, which costs $60 to $90 more and offers phones with at least 90% battery capacity. Refurbishment is different from “used iPhone 13” Refurbishment, as the latter means that a phone has been repaired or repackaged and sold in like-new condition. In this case, a refurbished model means it has been inspected before being sold and mailed out

I decided to go the cheap route, since I imagined that the battery life of most refurbished phones would last at least a day (and I later discovered that was wrong). Also importantly, the phone came with a generous return policy, allowing me three months to get a refund if I decided the phone wasn’t for me.

iPhone 13 mini unboxing and set up

The iPhone 13 Mini comes in a fairly nondescript box. I wasn’t expecting much more than the phone, but it came with a power adapter and a charging cable (Lightning), which was a nice bonus.

While inspecting the iPhone, I noticed some visible wear and tear along the top-right frame, but that was within my expectations for the phone’s condition. The screen had no cracks and no signs of previous use that would affect its usability.

I turned it on, surprised to see that the phone had not been factory reset before it was shipped to me. It went straight to the home screen “used iPhone 13” instead of leading me through an initial setup process. Although it wasn’t logged into anyone’s account, I preferred a fresh install before adding my personal information. So I did a factory reset and used iCloud to transfer my accounts, apps and settings.

iPhone 13 Mini’s battery life is less than expected

Since the iPhone 13 Mini is a small phone, I expected it to have a small battery. I expected — much like the iPhone Air — that iOS 26’s battery optimizations would help the phone last all day, perhaps with an evening recharge. However, I didn’t account for how the reduced capacity of the battery would factor in.

iPhone 13 Mini’s battery was at 83% capacity. Apple recommends replacing an iPhone’s battery when its capacity is below 80%. My new-to-mini was above that threshold, just barely. And I quickly realized that my patience with these reduced-capacity batteries would quickly wear out.

On my first full day with the iPhone 13 Mini, I put it to work, fully charged, by 7 a.m. By 6 p.m., the battery life had dropped to 30%. At this point in the day, I mainly use the phone for notifications, apps and some light photography testing. But after work when I realized how fast “used iPhone 13” this battery will drain the rest. Battery dropped to 15% after using GPS over 5G for 30 minutes to get from the office to a bar trivia night. This is where I am Power bank It worked, charging the battery to 60% within an hour.

In the days when I used the phone’s camera or wireless hotspot feature for my laptop, the battery was basically toast. I use my phone regularly for these tasks, and was shocked to see that some of them would drain the iPhone 13 Mini to about 40% in an hour.

Apple’s iPhone 13 Mini runs iOS 26 very well

Despite its poor battery life, I really enjoyed using the iPhone 13 mini. Apple’s iOS 26 optimizes the small screen so well that I rarely had to change how I used it: apps, games, video calls, and even watching TV shows.

While the iPhone 13 Mini’s 5.4-inch display is much smaller than either the 12 Pro’s 6.7-inch screen or the iPhone Air’s 6.5-inch, it meant I held the phone a little closer while watching HBO Max and various cooking videos.

I did, however, feel constrained by screen real estate while typing. It was a bit too snug to use both thumbs. I got it by using the swipe keyboard to type with one finger, though it’s hard to correct if a word is mispredicted.

The iPhone 13 mini’s cameras have aged beautifully

I’m not going to pretend that the iPhone 13 Mini’s 12-megapixel camera system can go toe-to-toe against the iPhone Air’s new 48-megapixel camera. But the Mini has a dedicated ultrawide camera that the Air lacks. Even with older cameras, the iPhone 13 Mini is still capable of taking good pictures. I regularly test cheap phones, and I can comfortably “used iPhone 13” say that the Mini’s cameras are as good as, if not better than, the newest ones available. $300 Android phone — Note that I paid about $350 for a used iPhone.

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Starting with this sausage, egg, cheese, and tomato sandwich while out, this photo from the original camera shows a lot of detail on the bagel (notice the spices on everything). The tomato in the picture even has a little shine to it. While not terribly dynamic, the photo is an accurate representation and does not require filters or further editing

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In this photo of a coffee shop lobby, notice the vibrancy of color You can even see the yellow wall texture. On other phones I review, usually in the $300 price range, such details are often softened or blended into the yellow color of the wall. I love the way the sunlight from the “used iPhone 13” window to the right pours across the frame and how it contrasts with the shadows of the trees.

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I bought a used iPhone 13 mini

I expect to miss the telephoto lens on my iPhone 12 Pro Max as the Mini doesn’t have one and relies solely on digital zoom. This 5x zoom photo of a bird along the Siesta Key, Florida beach is not a great image quality. It suffers from image noise. Bird feathers and sand textures become a blur from all noise reduction.

I took the photo below of the same bird at 5x Samsung Galaxy S24which has a dedicated 10-megapixel 3x optical zoom telephoto camera. The picture looks better and you can also make some feathers of the bird.

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The iPhone 13 Mini has a 12-megapixel front-facing camera, which is good enough for quick selfies and FaceTime calls. I love that the photo below shows the small details of my hair and face. You can also create details and textures of trees and plants in the background.

Can I really upgrade to this used iPhone 13 mini?

In fact, I enjoyed using the iPhone 13 mini. Although the phone is much smaller than my iPhone 12 Pro Max, none of the apps I use regularly are compromised. I especially liked how it took up a lot less space in my pocket, which I noticed “used iPhone 13” when walking or at the gym, because I didn’t feel weighed down. It’s small enough that I’ve also used it as a quasi-fidget spinner (you can watch the end of my video journal embedded in this story to see what I mean).

The downside is that I can’t overcome the battery life issues. However, there are a number of options I can take to remedy this, all of which involve finding another pocketable device. I can return it and get another iPhone 13 mini in refurbished premium condition on Amazon, which Currently going for $403And will promise a battery with at least 90% capacity. That upcharge would be less than paying Apple to replace the battery, which would cost $89

And if I stretch my budget to the $400 range, there are a few other phones that might be better upgrades. For example, Apple’s iPhone 15 has a larger 6.1-inch display, but it’s still smaller than my iPhone 12 Pro Max and can be had for approx. 256GB of storage for $470 in refurbished condition. I might even consider an Android flip phone, eg Motorola Razr or Samsung “used iPhone 13” Galaxy Z Flip 6Since both are being offered in the $450 to $600 price range, either used or marked down from holiday sales.

So while I would return this particular phone for its poor battery life, there are at least plenty of other options to consider in my search for an affordable and more portable smartphone.