Similarly, it includes Apple’s new “ceramic shield” technology, which the company claims makes the phone four times more drop-resistant than the iPhone 11. Rounding out the phone’s protection is IP68 water and dust resistance. Like all the other iPhone 12 models Apple announced today, the mini also comes with 5G connectivity. US variants of the handset will ship with mmWave antenna modules, allowing them to take advantage of Verizon’s Ultra Wideband network.
The iPhone 12 mini will start at $699, and will be available in five colors: blue, green, black, white and (Product) Red. Pre-orders open on Friday, November 6th, with general availability beginning on November 13th.
It’s been a while since Apple has gone out of its way to offer a small phone to its customers. Since the iPhone 6 in 2014, the company’s devices, like that of most of its competitors, have gotten bigger and bigger. The 2016 iPhone SE, which was based on the 4-inch iPhone 5s, was a notable exception, but since the iPhone X generation, the company has mostly kept with industry trends. When it introduced the iPhone 12 mini, Apple even spoke to that fact, saying only a company like Apple would release a phone like the mini.