Unless you have been living under a rock, you are most likely familiar with the iPhone, the iconic device that Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, claims has “never been more indispensable than it is now. ” He is not wrong. According to 9To5Mac, based on previous trends, close to a billion iPhones were active across the globe by the end of January 2020, and it is safe to say the number has increased since.

Every year, a new model (or models) of the iPhone enters the spotlight. Last autumn, Apple released the incredibly popular iPhone 11, which Tim Cook confirms “has been the most popular smartphone in the world,” and this spring the iPhone SE 2, a major upgrade from its first generation. As with every fall, this year another new iPhone has risen to the stage: the iPhone 12. With new capabilities and minor tweaks to the design, the iPhone 12 seems a respectable upgrade from its previous competitor. Four models of the new design have been introduced: the iPhone 12, the iPhone 12 Pro, the iPhone 12 Pro Max, and the much awaited iPhone 12 Mini.

The iPhone 12 Mini is the latest release to the iPhone 12 lineup. Its first taste of true glory came when it was finally released for preorder, alongside the iPhone 12 Pro Max, on November 6th, 2020. It does not get its own feature page on Apple’s website but is mentioned on the iPhone 12’s page, which makes sense; it is really just a smaller version of the iPhone 12. It has the exact same display, straight edges, protection, A14 Bionic chip, camera, and overall capabilities as the normal iPhone 12 packed into a smaller body. In terms of appearance, it is the embodiment of what everyone was hoping for in the SE 2, and many are sure it will not disappoint. However, while the Mini’s newly-launched aesthetic is garnering praise, its technical features may be its biggest downfall.

The Mini’s main problem is, unsurprisingly, the battery life, due to the newest addition of 5G. While not very common, 5G has been around well before the iPhone 12. In a basic sense, 5G, or fifth generation, allows more data to travel at a much faster pace than any previous network technology. According to T-Mobile, “that means stronger network reliability, faster downloads, and support for more connected devices than ever before.”

5G has three different modes: low-band, mid-band, and high-band. Apple, and every other network company soon after, made the biggest deal out of high-band 5G. This is the kind of 5G that supposedly transmits data incredibly fast, resulting in the high- quality streams and ultra-quick downloads many companies claim happen in mere seconds on-the-go.

However, there is a catch. YouTuber Quinn Nelson of Snazzy Labs explains in his video, “Don’t Buy iPhone 12 Pro,” that “[High-band] is only available, right now, in a couple of major U.S. cities.” While this news alone is discouraging, Nelson adds that “because the technology is different (it is not the kind of cellular wave that penetrates buildings very well), your download speed would drastically vary based on where you are relative to the 5G antenna.”

So not only is high-band 5G hardly available across the U.S., but it is also not nearly as advanced as most would expect. In fact, the only version of 5G that phone users may possibly benefit from is mid-band. It is the perfect balance between high-band and low-band; the download speed is definitely faster (not as fast as high-band, but in comparison to 4G fairly decent) and can phase through buildings far better. While 5G antennas are not globally available right now, and the technology is not fully developed just yet, 5G phones are sure to get their glory in years to come.

However, does this technology really enhance the new Mini? As with all the iPhone 12 models, the iPhone 12 Mini has 5G capabilities. While this feature is certainly advanced, it comes with the issue of low battery life. The iPhone 12 Mini is, as YouTuber Marques Brownlee put it in his review of the new phone, “kinda comically small.” As one would guess, a smaller phone means smaller battery, and smaller battery tends to mean shorter battery life.

While the battery alone is relatively small, it actually becomes even smaller thanks to the new 5G abilities. If you have ever owned or even seen an iPhone 12 model, you have probably noticed a strange, out-of-place strip on its left side. This is the 5G antenna. This little piece of technology is what allows the iPhone to access 5G.

However, inside the device, problems arise. “The logic board for the 5G chip has to be bigger. The 5G modem is large,” Nelson later says in his review. The 5G chip, the part inside the iPhone that makes up the antenna, takes up more space, sacrificing space for the battery. As a result, the battery’s size has decreased from previous generations. But that is not all. 5G is rather intensive, so it takes up a lot of power in order to function. This means that, when one uses 5G, the phone will suck up more battery.

On top of that, it is very hard to conserve battery power without disabling the “5G auto” feature. This feature allows the phone to detect and switch to the 5G network when appropriate. Otherwise, it defaults to 4G/LTE. However, the function tends to make the switch needlessly and frequently, resulting in a dramatic battery drop. “5G auto” is obviously not ideal for a device that depends on one of the smallest batteries out of all the generations of iPhone to date.