Should I buy iPhone 12 Pro or Mini for dad

[maverick786us]

I recently bought iPhone 12 Max Pro for myself. Love my device

Now it’s time to get dad something, he owns an iPhone 7 classic. So I was thinking of getting him an upgrade. So I am stuck with iPhone 12 Pro (not max) and mini.

My dad is an old man. Though he will prefer small form factor. But there are somethings that I am considering.

1. He does web browsing off course I am not looking for a complete replacement to his crappy Lenovo notebook which has got a lot of bloat-wares, but if some of the regular browsing and other internet stuffs he can do in his smartphone and doesn’t have to open his notebook. So I was thinking it 6’1 inch screen size of Pro will matter over 4.7 inch of mini?

2. Just like me, dad takes care of his devices though in my case it too much so the durability of stainless steel chassis over aluminum will it make any difference, he will no doubt use a tempered glass protection and a case

3. He is a civil engineer so I was wondering if LiADR sensor might be useful in making a 3D map of the house. Though this is something he will use only once in a while. The extra lens, zooming capabilities and excellent night mode and night time portrait of Pro he would least care.

4. Mega safe: Now this is where things get bit completed, he does a lot of google, Microsoft meetings / conferences with his clients. He said iPhone 7 screen is too small makes it less user friendly and holding the smartphone on the hand in the middle of a meeting. With his laptop he has to connect with external speakers with amplifier, Marshal Acton 2 are excellent speakers for listening to music and movies but he finds this whole setup complicated and says the sound quality during the middle isn’t the way he expected it to be. So I was wondering a 6.1 inch screen mounted on a mega safe with an AirPod pro will it overcome these limitations and make his meeting more handy?

Unlike me l, dad doesn’t upgrade his smart phone every 3 years he plan to keep his iPhones for 4-6 years.

Mini no doubt looks beautiful and tempting, super sleek, with beautiful glossy finish. But I read on internet that it’s battery life is worst, lack of mega safe and 4.7 inch screen I am not sure if it will help in fulfilling his needs that I mentioned in the above 3 points.

I am looking for a way to balance between form factor and usability. I know he will not like Pro Max version because of its weight and oversize.

I know iPhone 13 will soon come, dad doesn't care about 120Hz screen refresh rate. For him budget matters. I will buy him once 13 is launched that will reduce the price of 12

 

[FFR]

I would go for the pro over the mini, but why don’t you ask him?

 

[maverick786us]

He isn’t a tech Greek. He doesn’t know, the difference between regular iPhone phone 12, mini, pro and pro max. I help him and have to understand his needs. I am the only one who can analyze his needs and get him the right thing.

 

[FFR]

If he was complaining about the display size and will use the device for 4-6 years than the pro would serve him best. He would also benefit form the larger battery.

 

[maverick786us]

He didn’t get his hands on either of these devices. But he owns iPhone 7 which has 4.7 inch screen so he finds it too small for most of the operations. With mini having nearly the same screen size, but small form factor I am not sure how it will help him with the usability.

For dad budget is also a constraint, I need to justify him the 300$ premium that I am paying for Pro is worth.

I am looking for a perfect balance between compact form factor, usability, budget that’s best in fulfilling all the needs that I mentioned in the original post

 

[FFR]

Sounds like he wants a phone with a larger display, it’s a no brainer.

Bigger battery, bigger and brighter display, stainless steel construction, LiDAR Scanner, 5g, extra lens seems like a decent upgrade over both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 12 mini (has 5g, but would kill the battery).

The 300 dollar premium amortized over 6 years is 50 dollars extra. Doesn’t really sound like much.

 

[Annie_M]

If he wants a larger screen then I would definitely go worh the 12 Pro, or just the iPhone 12, which you haven’t mentioned!

 

[maverick786us]

@FFR, He is still fine with the way things are and not looking for an upgrade. It’s me who can see the difficulties that he is facing and want to make things easy and handy for him.

When I talk about perfect balance between compact form factor, usability and ease and budget yes I feel the bigger screen will make the difference but not too big like Pro Max.

Yes budget is important and after getting used to feather weight iPhone 7 I hope he doesn’t feel 12 Pro Extra weight. I am not saying that the weight is a big deal, budget might be. My dad is an old man, unlike me he isn’t tech gadget enthusiast.
@Annie_M yes I made a mistake I should have mentioned regular iPhone 12 I am open to buy that too

 

[gnirkatto]

I can't address all of your topics, but some:

• the 12 mini does in fact have MagSafe (=mega safe)
• the 12 Mini has a 5.4" screen, not 4.7". So a decent upgrade from the 7 with 4.7".
• yes, the battery of the 12 mini is not as good as the 12/12 pro's - depending on the usage he might have to recharge during the day. I don't have to, once per day is enough. However, the battery is significantly better than the on of the 7.
• the aluminum edges of the 12 will last as long as the stainless steel edges of the pro models. No phone will fall apart because of aluminum, at least not within 6 years.
• the 12 is lighter than the 12 pro (~25 grams). Of course the mini is even lighter.
• IF the LIDAR sensor is capable of generating maps of houses (I guess so), then in conjunction with specialized software only. It might be tricky to find the right one for him, and then to figure out how it works and how it will fit his workflow, and whether or not it improves it. This is something that only he will be able to figure out for himself.

 

[maverick786us]

Thanks man you give me a perfect reason to consider classic iPhone 12 instead of Pro.

Talking about LiADR sensor I myself haven’t explored it much. I just saw this video

https://youtu.be/NUU8nMs8mtQ

And felt that second and third app might be useful for him. But I think classic IPhone 12 or mini might be the right choice for him

 

[gnirkatto]

just FYI, the 1st (length measurement) and the 2nd (IKEA) are not depending on LIDAR. They work quite well on my 12 mini/12 (non-pro).

 

[theKHMERboy]

For me if I was to pick up a phone for one of my parents. If their eyesight is not the greatest I suggest getting the iPhone 12 Pro just so it can be easier for them to see