Nokia Lumia 635 vs. iPhone 12 mini: A Clash of Generations
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The iPhone 12 mini is the clear winner, offering vastly superior performance, camera quality, and a modern iOS experience. However, the Lumia 635's incredible battery life and low price point might appeal to users on a very tight budget seeking basic functionality.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Nokia Lumia 635 | Apple iPhone 12 mini |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100 - RM-974 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 3, 7, 20 - RM-974 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - A2176 |
| 5G bands | - | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 260, 261 Sub6/mmWave - A2176 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat3 100/50 Mbps | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 2, 4, 5, 7, 17 - RM-975 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78, 79 Sub6 - A2398, A2399, A2400 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2014, April. Released 2014, June | 2020, October 13 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2020, November 13 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 129.5 x 66.7 x 9.2 mm, 78.5 cc (5.10 x 2.63 x 0.36 in) | 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.4 mm (5.18 x 2.53 x 0.29 in) |
| SIM | Micro-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 134 g (4.73 oz) | 135 g (4.76 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 480 x 854 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~221 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~476 ppi density) |
| Size | 4.5 inches, 54.3 cm2 (~62.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 5.4 inches, 71.9 cm2 (~85.1% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | IPS LCD | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 625 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| ClearBlack display | - | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7 | Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (28 nm) | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 305 | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
| OS | Microsoft Windows Phone 8.1 | iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (dedicated slot) | No |
| Internal | 8GB 512MB 8GB 1GB RAM | 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM |
| eMMC 4.5 | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.6" |
| Features | Panorama | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Single | 5 MP, 1/4.0", AF | - |
| Video | 720p@30fps | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 30fps), stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | - | HDR |
| Single | - | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | - | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
| No | - | |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 4.0, A2DP, LE/ aptX after WP8 Denim update | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | No | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | FM radio | No |
| USB | microUSB 2.0 | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Accelerometer, sensor core | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | - | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.4 update |
| Music play | Up to 58 h | - |
| Stand-by | Up to 648 h | - |
| Talk time | Up to 12 h (2G) / Up to 14 h (3G) | - |
| Type | Li-Ion 1830 mAh, removable (BL-5H) | Li-Ion 2227 mAh (8.57 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Bright Orange, bright green, bright yellow, white, black | Black, White, Red, Green, Blue, Purple |
| Models | - | A2399, A2176, A2398, A2400, A2399, iPhone13,1 |
| Price | About 110 EUR | $ 165.79 / C$ 268.99 / £ 155.00 / € 178.00 |
| SAR | 0.97 W/kg (head) 0.77 W/kg (body) | - |
| SAR EU | 0.75 W/kg (head) 0.79 W/kg (body) | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 66h | Endurance rating 69h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: 771:1 (nominal), 2.056 (sunlight) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | Voice 68dB / Noise 65dB / Ring 75dB | -24.6 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 589616 (v8) GeekBench: 4174 (v5.1) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Nokia Lumia 635
- Exceptional battery life
- Very affordable
- Compact size
- Decent sunlight readability
- Outdated processor
- Limited app availability
- Low-resolution display
- No longer receiving software updates
Apple iPhone 12 mini
- Powerful A14 Bionic chip
- Excellent camera system
- Bright and vibrant display
- Premium design and build quality
- Access to iOS ecosystem
- Relatively expensive
- Smaller battery capacity compared to some competitors
- Lightning port instead of USB-C
Display Comparison
The iPhone 12 mini boasts a significantly brighter display (627 nits) and an 'infinite' contrast ratio, providing vibrant colors and excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. The Lumia 635's display, while decent with a 771:1 contrast ratio, lacks the brightness and overall visual pop of the iPhone. Sunlight readability is good (2.056), but not exceptional.
Camera Comparison
The iPhone 12 mini's camera system is a major advantage. It captures detailed photos and videos with excellent dynamic range and color accuracy. The Lumia 635's camera is adequate for basic snapshots, but lacks the features and image quality of the iPhone.
Performance
The A14 Bionic chip in the iPhone 12 mini utterly dominates the Snapdragon 400 in the Lumia 635. Expect lightning-fast app loading, smooth multitasking, and effortless gaming on the iPhone. The Lumia 635 will struggle with demanding apps and may exhibit noticeable lag.
Battery Life
Both phones offer a similar endurance rating (66-69h), demonstrating impressive battery life. However, the iPhone 12 mini achieves this with a smaller battery capacity due to its more efficient processor.
Buying Guide
The Nokia Lumia 635 is for users who prioritize extreme battery life and affordability above all else, and are comfortable with the Windows Phone ecosystem (though support is limited). The iPhone 12 mini is for those seeking a premium, compact smartphone with excellent performance, a great camera, and access to the vast iOS app ecosystem.