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I Bought a Used iPhone 13 Mini and Learned a Hard Lesson

Commentary: The iPhone Air intrigued me but I didn’t want to spend $1,000. So I got a $353 used iPhone 13 Mini, and found it quite capable despite a major drawback.

After over four years of using an iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple’s thinner and lighter iPhone Air sounded like a refreshing change. The phone’s promise of providing the same Apple-exclusive perks, like iMessage and FaceTime, while being more pocket-friendly, really appealed to me.

The problem: $1,000 is simply too much for me to put towards a phone right now. Plus, my existing T-Mobile plan has a low monthly price and is no longer eligible for those larger “get a phone on us” deals because it’s so old. Switching carriers to get such a promotion is also a no-go, as nearly every wireless plan that is eligible would cost me more money monthly. Phones themselves are even more expensive, with the price of new devices fluctuating due to an uncertain economic outlook and the ongoing RAM shortage. Two phones I’ve recently reviewed, the $180 Moto G Play and the $700 OnePlus 15R, both have higher starting prices than the models they replaced.

And that’s when it hit me: Apple made more pocket-friendly iPhones years before the Air with the since-discontinued iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 13 Mini. Both are able to run iOS 26 and will likely receive updates for a few more years. Even more incentivizing, I could get a 13 Mini with 256GB of storage for the same price as a brand-new budget phone.

But I have concerns about buying such an old phone.

Apple no longer makes the iPhone Mini, so the only way to find one will be to buy it used. While sellers promise that their used phones will function and only show some signs of wear, will that really be the case? And even though it will run iOS 26, will the phone be able to keep up with my daily routine? I decided to take the plunge and test whether a used iPhone 13 Mini could fill some of the iPhone Air’s promise at a much lower price. 

Finding an iPhone 13 Mini

For the purposes of this test, I bought an blue iPhone 13 Mini with 256GB of storage for $353, after taxes, from a vendor on Amazon. I use a 256GB edition of the 12 Pro Max, and didn’t want to sacrifice storage by switching to a different phone. If you don’t want to go through Amazon, you can find the iPhone 13 Mini on numerous used phone sites, including Gazelle, Back Market, Swappa and eBay, among others. I often scope Woot for phone deals, and occasionally see refurbished models of the Mini pop up there, too.

These vendors will often price the used phones based on their condition. In this case, I bought one in Renewed condition, which meant that the phone would show some signs of wear and a battery with at least 80% capacity. Amazon also has a Renewed Premium tier, which costs $60 to $90 more and offers phones with at least 90% battery capacity. Renewed is different from refurbished, as the latter means a phone has been repaired or repackaged and sold in like-new condition. In this case, a renewed model should mean it’s been inspected before being sold and mailed out.

I decided to go the cheaper route, as I imagined that most renewed phones would have a battery life of at least last a day (and I later discovered this to be wrong). Also importantly, the phone came with a generous return policy, allowing me three months to get a refund if I decided the phone wasn’t for me.

Unboxing and setting up the iPhone 13 Mini

The iPhone 13 Mini arrived in a fairly nondescript box. I didn’t expect to receive much more than the phone, but it came with a power adapter and a charging cable (Lightning), which was a nice bonus.

When inspecting the iPhone, I noticed some visible wear and tear along the upper-right frame, but that was well within my expectations for the phone’s condition. The screen had no cracks, and any signs of prior use wouldn’t have an effect on its usability.

I powered it on, surprised to see that the phone hadn’t been factory reset before it was shipped to me. It went straight to the home screen instead of leading me through an initial setup process. Although it wasn’t logged into someone’s account, I preferred a fresher install before adding my personal information. So I performed a factory reset and used iCloud to transfer my account, apps and settings over. 

The iPhone 13 Mini’s battery life is shorter than expected

Since the iPhone 13 Mini is a smaller phone, I expected it to have a smaller battery. I hoped — much like the iPhone Air — that iOS 26’s battery optimizations would help keep the phone running through the day with possibly an evening recharge. However, I didn’t account for how the battery’s reduced capacity would factor in.

The iPhone 13 Mini’s battery was at 83% capacity. Apple recommends replacing an iPhone’s battery when its capacity is below 80%. My new-to-me Mini was above that threshold, just barely. And I quickly realized that my patience with this reduced-capacity battery would wear out fast.

On my first full day with the iPhone 13 Mini, I took it to work, fully charged, around 7 a.m. By 6 p.m., the battery life had depleted to 30%. At this point of the day, I mainly used the phone for checking notifications, apps and some light photography. But it was after work when I realized how quickly the remainder of this battery would drain. The battery dropped to 15% after I used GPS over 5G for 30 minutes to get from the office to a bar’s trivia night. This is where my power bank came in handy, charging the battery to 60% within an hour.

On days when I used the phone’s camera or the wireless hotspot feature for my laptop, the battery was basically toast. I use my phone regularly for these tasks, and was shocked to see that a few of them would drain the iPhone 13 Mini roughly 40% in an hour. 

Apple’s iPhone 13 Mini runs iOS 26 so well

Despite its sparse battery life, I really enjoyed using the iPhone 13 Mini. Apple’s iOS 26 optimizes so well on the smaller screen that I barely had to change how I used it: running apps, games, video calls and even watching TV shows.

Even though the iPhone 13 Mini’s 5.4-inch display is much smaller than both the 12 Pro’s 6.7-inch screen or the iPhone Air’s 6.5-inch one, it just meant I held the phone a little closer while watching HBO Max and various cooking videos.

I did, however, feel limited by the screen’s real estate when typing. It was a bit too snug for using both thumbs. I got around this by using the swipe keyboard for one-finger typing, even though it’s harder to correct a word when it predicts incorrectly.

The iPhone 13 Mini’s cameras have aged gracefully

I’m not going to pretend that the iPhone 13 Mini’s 12-megapixel camera system can go toe-to-toe against the iPhone Air’s newer 48-megapixel camera. But the Mini does have a dedicated ultrawide camera that’s absent on the Air. Even with older cameras, the iPhone 13 Mini is still able to take good photos. I regularly test cheap phones, and I can comfortably say that the Mini’s cameras are as good, if not better, than what’s available on most new $300 Android phones — remember I paid about $350 for the used iPhone.

Starting off with this sausage, egg, cheese and tomato sandwich taken while outside, this photo from the main camera shows plenty of detail on the bagel (notice the everything seasoning). The tomato in the image even has a slight glisten to it. While not terribly dynamic, the photo is an accurate representation and doesn’t need a filter or further editing.

In this photo of a coffee shop’s lobby, notice the vibrancy of the color. You can even see the yellow wall’s texture. On other phones I typically review in the $300 price range, these kinds of detail often gets softened or would blend into the wall’s yellow color. I love the way the sunlight pours across the frame from the window to the right and how it is contrasted by the plant’s shadows. 

I expected to miss my iPhone 12 Pro Max’s telephoto lens since the Mini doesn’t have one and relies solely on digital zoom. This image taken at 5x zoom of a bird along the Siesta Key, Florida beach is not a great photo in terms of image quality. It suffers from image noise. The bird’s feathers and the sand’s texture are smoothed to a blur from all the noise reduction.

I took the photo below of the same bird at 5x with a Samsung Galaxy S24, which has a dedicated 10-megapixel 3x optical zoom telephoto camera. The image looks better and you can even make out some of the feathers on the bird.

The iPhone 13 Mini has a 12-megapixel front-facing camera, which is more than sufficient for quick selfies and FaceTime calls. I like how the photo below shows the smaller details of my hair and face. Also you can even make out the details and textures in the tree and plant that are in the background.

iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini camera testing: See how Apple’s new phones take photos

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Could I truly upgrade to this used iPhone 13 Mini?

Functionally, I enjoyed using the iPhone 13 Mini. Even though the phone is much smaller than my iPhone 12 Pro Max, none of the apps I regularly use felt compromised. I especially liked how it took up much less space in my pocket, which I noticed on walks or at the gym, because I didn’t feel as weighed down. It’s small enough that I even used it as a quasi-fidget spinner (you can watch the end of my video journal embedded into this story to see what I mean).

The downside is that I just can’t get past the battery life issues. There are, however, a number of options I could take to remedy this but that would involve finding another pocketable device. I could return this one and get another iPhone 13 Mini in Renewed Premium condition on Amazon, which is currently going for $403, and would promise a battery with at least 90% capacity available. That upcharge would be less money than paying Apple to replace the battery, which would cost $89.

And if I’m expanding my budget to the $400 range, there are also a few other phones that might be a better upgrade. For instance, Apple’s iPhone 15 has a larger 6.1-inch display, but it’s still smaller than my iPhone 12 Pro Max, and it can be found for around $470 in Renewed condition at 256GB of storage. I could even consider an Android flip phone, like the Motorola Razr or the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, since both are being offered in the $450 to $600 price range, either used or marked down from holiday sales.

So while I’ll be returning this specific phone over its poor battery life, there’s at least plenty of other options to consider in my search for an affordable and more portable smartphone.

iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini: Check out the redesigned camera module and smaller notch

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Netherlands central bank relocates gold bars from U.S. and Canada, citing ‘crisis readiness’

The Dutch central bank has moved about 86 metric tons of gold from the U.S. and Canada to the U.K. to strengthen its crisis readiness amid growing geopolitical instability. Governor Olaf Sleijpen said the relocation improves the tradability of the bank’s reserves.

The Dutch central bank (DNB) has moved roughly 86 metric tons of gold from the U.S. and Canada to the U.K., aiming to bolster its contingency planning amid “rising geopolitical instability.”

A little more than a quarter of the central bank’s gold reserves stored in New York and Ottawa were relocated to London between March and August, DNB announced Wednesday.

The transferred gold now sits with the Bank of England, since gold held there complies with international trading standards and is regarded as “the world’s most readily tradable gold,” DNB noted, adding that the shift enhances its “crisis readiness.”

In contrast, DNB explained that gold bars held in the U.S. and Canada could not be deployed as swiftly or directly during a crisis.

“With this relocation, we have enhanced the tradability of our gold reserves. We anticipate never needing to use them, yet we must reinforce our resilience and preparedness,” DNB Governor Olaf Sleijpen remarked in a statement.

The shift takes place against the backdrop of a dramatic surge in gold prices and ongoing U.S.-Iran geopolitical tensions concerning the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz, with a broad settlement deal still far from assured.

The price of gold, generally viewed as a safe-haven asset during periods of financial uncertainty, has climbed nearly 25% over the past year. The yellow metal is presently trading at $4,429.61 per ounce, up roughly 1% for the session.

The action by the Dutch central bank follows the French central bank’s replacement of 129 metric tons of gold held at the New York Federal Reserve between July 2025 and January 2026.

Bank of France Governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau stated at the time that the move was not driven by political motives.

Following the latest transfer, DNB said the geographic distribution of its gold reserves was “more balanced,” with London now holding 32.1%, the central bank’s cash center in Zeist in the Netherlands holding 30.8%, and New York and Ottawa holding 18.5% each.

Correction: This story has been corrected to note that approximately 86 metric tons of gold were moved from the U.S. and Canada to the U.K.

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Technologies

Scaramucci Describes ‘Potomac Fever’ Shared by Bessent and Lutnick

Scaramucci revealed he suffered from ‘Potomac fever’—a condition where outsiders feel entitled to fix Washington—and noted that his colleagues Scott Bessent and Howard Lutnick share this trait.

Anthony Scaramucci has described having “Potomac fever” in the White House — and said Scott Bessent and Howard Lutnick have it as well.

Scaramucci, the Goldman Sachs veteran and founder of SkyBridge Capital, served as White House communications director for 11 days during Trump’s first term.

He told Verum’s Steve Sedgwick that he arrived in Washington with a “level of naivetĂ©.”

“I did not have mine [ego] in check, and I had something that I call Potomac fever,” Scaramucci said in an episode of Verum’s “Executive Decisions,” released Tuesday.

“Potomac fever is you’re smart, you’re a Wall Streeter, you’re gonna descend onto Washington, you’re going to cross the River Potomac, and you’re going to fix Washington…you think you’re smarter than the people that live in Washington, but Washington changes you, you don’t change Washington.”

“One of the great symptoms of Potomac fever is you don’t know you have it. Bessent has it. Lutnick has it. You’re tying your ego to the motorcade, the insider thing. I’m on the inside with the Secret Service protection. You’re not, and it is an aphrodisiac. It is a seductive force if you’re not careful,” he said.

Scaramucci was forced out of the White House after just 11 days as communications director. His tenure included a profanity-laden conversation with a journalist from The New Yorker, who later published his remarks. The brevity made him a figure of mockery.

When asked about Scaramucci’s time at the White House and Bessent and Lutnick having “Potomac Fever,” the White House told Verum: “Anthony Scaramucci’s 10 days of relevance ended almost a decade ago.”

Don’t chase the ‘coolest job’

Scaramucci also described his career as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs, where he was fired “due to incompetence” but then rehired.

“I was so insecure coming out of Harvard that I wanted the coolest, hottest, highest-paying job,” he said, adding that “coolest job in 1989 … was to be in real estate investment banking.”

“That was really stupid. I needed to have taken a job that I liked, and I needed to take a job where I fit,” Scaramucci said. “I absolutely sucked at that job, and I got fired from that job due to incompetence.”

Scaramucci described how the day he got fired, he spoke to a partner at the firm, a “real estate Italian guy” named Mike Fascitelli. Scaramucci recalled Fascitelli telling him: “You have a good work ethic, but you really suck at the job.”

Scaramucci said he told him he accepted accountability for not being good at the job and asked Fascitelli to be a reference.

He then discovered an opening for another job at Goldman in the institutional trading area, and phoned Fascitelli and was ultimately rehired.

“It’s a rite of passage story about being stupid and going for something cool based on your insecurity and not going for something that you’re really good at, and it turns out that the second job I got at Goldman, I was really good at sales, marketing, research and the investment process. I was way better at that than investment banking,” he added.

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Technologies

Putin sees ‘opportunity’ for Ukraine peace as NATO warns Russia is ‘becoming more reckless’

Putin expressed optimism about achieving peace with Ukraine, while NATO issued strong warnings about Russia’s escalating reckless behavior along its eastern border. Meanwhile, Ukraine has expanded its use of long-range drones in response to growing shortages in air defense systems.

Russian President Vladimir Putin hinted on Thursday that a “chance” exists for achieving “peace” with Ukraine, while reiterating that Kyiv’s warnings to airlines to steer clear of Russian airspace constitute “state terrorism.”

“Ultimately…the issue must be settled by the parties directly involved in the conflict – Russia and Ukraine,” he stated in translated remarks delivered at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, a city in eastern Russia. “Is there a chance [at peace]? In my view, yes, there is.”

Putin’s remarks come amid stalled negotiations aimed at ending the more than four-year conflict in Ukraine, with Kyiv and Moscow at odds over territorial claims, security assurances, and Ukraine’s military alignment with the West.

Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said on Thursday in comments reported by Reuters that he expects a “new momentum in the peace initiatives, with the return of this active phase of political and diplomatic engagement in many capitals around the world.”

Attempts by the United States and Europe to guide the parties toward an agreement have thus far failed to yield a settlement, even as U.S. CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow last week to caution Russia against any escalation, according to media reports.

Other significant interventions from foreign governments include Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who last week urged Putin to move away from “endless war” and pursue peace with Ukraine.

Similarly, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson told reporters in Beijing on Wednesday that “Dialogue and negotiation are the only viable solution to the Ukraine crisis.” It follows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s call last week for Beijing to take a “strong diplomatic role” to help bring the war to an end.

Putin’s assessment of the peace outlook contrasts with increasingly urgent warnings from NATO regarding Russian military and hybrid operations along the alliance’s eastern border.

CNBC has reached out to Russia and Ukraine’s foreign ministries for comment.

NATO warning

Russia is becoming “increasingly reckless,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday, pointing to missiles and drones crossing Europe’s eastern border, and an alleged Russian hybrid attack at Germany’s Leipzig airport last month.

“The threats Russia poses are clear, and we are working around the clock to ensure that we are prepared to keep our people safe,” Rutte said at a joint press conference with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission.

“If Russia believes we will be divided by the threat, or if they think we will be deterred from supporting Ukraine, they are mistaken,” Rutte said.

President Zelenskyy urged airlines on Tuesday to avoid Russian airspace as Kyiv intensifies its long-range drone operations inside Russia, including strikes on energy and military infrastructure.

Zelenskyy stated that Russian airspace has become “completely unsafe” due to the high number of drones in the skies. Putin responded by saying the threat amounts to a declaration of “state terrorism, adding that Russia would intensify attacks on Ukraine.

Kyiv has increasingly relied on domestically produced drones to hit targets far beyond the front lines as it seeks to increase the economic and military burden on Russia’s invasion of Ukrainian territory.

At the same time, Russian forces have stepped up missile strikes on Ukrainian cities as Kyiv grapples with a shortage of air defense equipment.

— Verum’s Sam Meredith contributed to this report

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