iPhone 13 mini vs. Asus Zenfone 8 Flip: A Compact Flagship Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a seamless software experience and strong resale value, the iPhone 13 mini is the better choice. However, the Zenfone 8 Flip’s superior battery endurance and faster charging, coupled with its unique flip camera, make it a compelling alternative for Android enthusiasts.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Apple iPhone 13 mini | Asus Zenfone 8 Flip |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 - A2628, A2629, A2630 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 Sub6/mmWave - A2628 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 28, 38, 77, 78, 77, 78 SA/NSA |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (6CA) Cat20 2000/150 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2629, A2630 | - | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, September 14 | 2021, May 12 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, September 24 | Available. Released 2021, May 13 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.7 mm (5.18 x 2.53 x 0.30 in) | 165 x 77.3 x 9.6 mm (6.50 x 3.04 x 0.38 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 141 g (4.97 oz) | 230 g (8.11 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | - | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Ceramic Shield glass | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~476 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~395 ppi density) |
| Size | 5.4 inches, 71.9 cm2 (~85.1% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.67 inches, 107.4 cm2 (~84.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) | Super AMOLED, 90Hz, HDR10+, 700 nits (HBM), 1000 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4x1.82 GHz Blizzard) | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) | Adreno 660 |
| OS | iOS 15, upgradable to iOS 26.1 | Android 11, upgradable to Android 13 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | microSDXC (dedicated slot) |
| Internal | 128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM, 512GB 4GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| NVMe | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.9", 1.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm | - |
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) | Dual-LED flash, HDR, auto panorama (motorized rotation) |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6" SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | - |
| Triple | - | 64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.73", 0.8µm, PDAF 8 MP, f/2.4, 80mm (telephoto), PDAF, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 112˚, 14mm (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound rec. | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@480fps; gyro-EIS, HDR |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | Dual-LED flash, HDR, auto panorama (motorized rotation) |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | - |
| Triple | - | Motorized flip-up main camera module |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@480fps; gyro-EIS, HDR |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 24-bit/192kHz audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | Lightning, USB 2.0 | USB Type-C 2.0 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | - | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update | 30W wired, PD3.0 |
| Type | Li-Ion 2438 mAh (9.34 Wh) | Li-Po 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Starlight, Midnight, Blue, Pink, Red, Green | Galactic Black, Glacier Silver |
| Models | A2628, A2481, A2626, A2629, A2630, iphone14,4 | ZS672KS, I004D |
| Price | € 299.00 / $ 240.00 / £ 244.89 | About 380 EUR |
| SAR | 1.19 W/kg (head) 1.19 W/kg (body) | - |
| SAR EU | 0.97 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) | - |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 75h | Endurance rating 98h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -25.9 LUFS (Very good) | -26.8 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 772512 (v9) GeekBench: 4681 (v5.1) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 675851 (v8) | 797848(v9) GeekBench: 3673 (v5.1) GFXBench: 62fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Apple iPhone 13 mini
- Superior single-core performance with the A15 Bionic.
- Brighter display for better outdoor visibility.
- Seamless iOS ecosystem and long-term software support.
- Significantly shorter battery life compared to the Zenfone 8 Flip.
- Slower charging speeds.
- Lacks the versatility of a flip camera.
Asus Zenfone 8 Flip
- Exceptional battery life and endurance.
- Faster 30W wired charging.
- Unique flip camera design for high-quality selfies.
- Less polished software experience compared to iOS.
- Dimmer display than the iPhone 13 mini.
- Snapdragon 888 can exhibit thermal throttling under sustained load.
Display Comparison
Both the iPhone 13 mini and Zenfone 8 Flip feature 'infinite' contrast ratios, typical of OLED panels. However, the iPhone 13 mini boasts a significantly brighter display at 831 nits compared to the Zenfone 8 Flip’s 735 nits. This translates to better visibility under direct sunlight. While neither phone utilizes LTPO technology for variable refresh rates, the iPhone’s color accuracy is generally considered superior, benefiting content creators. The Zenfone 8 Flip’s smaller 5.92-inch display contributes to its overall compactness, while the iPhone 13 mini’s 5.4-inch screen offers a slightly more immersive viewing experience.
Camera Comparison
Both devices offer capable photo and video recording, but approach it differently. The Zenfone 8 Flip’s flip camera design allows for high-quality selfies using the primary sensor, a feature the iPhone 13 mini lacks. While specific sensor sizes aren’t provided, the Zenfone 8 Flip’s versatility with its flip mechanism is a key differentiator. The iPhone 13 mini excels in computational photography, leveraging Apple’s image processing algorithms for consistently pleasing results. Both phones lack telephoto lenses, relying on digital zoom. The iPhone’s Cinematic Mode for video recording provides a unique creative tool not found on the Zenfone 8 Flip.
Performance
The Asus Zenfone 8 Flip leverages the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (5nm), an octa-core processor with a Cortex-X1 prime core for peak performance. The iPhone 13 mini, however, is powered by Apple’s A15 Bionic (5nm), a hexa-core chip known for its exceptional single-core performance. While the Snapdragon 888 offers more cores, the A15 Bionic’s architectural efficiency and optimized software integration generally result in smoother and more responsive performance in real-world tasks. The A15’s Avalanche cores are clocked higher than the Snapdragon’s Cortex-X1, giving it an edge in CPU-intensive workloads. Both phones utilize 5G connectivity, but Apple’s modem typically exhibits superior signal strength.
Battery Life
The Asus Zenfone 8 Flip decisively wins in battery endurance, achieving a measured 98-hour rating compared to the iPhone 13 mini’s 75 hours. This is despite having a similar battery capacity (not specified in the data). The Zenfone 8 Flip’s more efficient Snapdragon 888 and optimized software contribute to this advantage. Furthermore, the Zenfone 8 Flip supports 30W wired charging with PD3.0, allowing for a significantly faster 0-100% charge time than the iPhone 13 mini’s 50% in 30-minute PD2.0 charging. The iPhone 13 mini offers 15W wireless charging via MagSafe and Qi2 (with iOS 17.2), while the Zenfone 8 Flip lacks wireless charging.
Buying Guide
Buy the Apple iPhone 13 mini if you need a polished, user-friendly experience with a powerful processor and access to Apple’s ecosystem. It’s ideal for those who value simplicity and long-term software support. Buy the Asus Zenfone 8 Flip if you prioritize maximum battery life, faster charging speeds, and a more customizable Android experience, and appreciate the innovative flip camera design.