The iPhone 12 mini has the same camera as the regular iPhone 12, and it’s just plain great. It’s still not better than a regular camera, but it might just be the only camera you’ll ever use.
iPhone 12 Mini Review :: A Photographer's Perspective
Comparing the iPhone 12’s camera to the iPhone XS’s camera is generally more useful than a year-over-year comparison, since most people don’t buy a new pocket computer every year. The 12 beats the XS in low light, makes a good argument for not needing an add-on telephoto lens, and its video is in a different class. But the XS still has a great camera, capable of taking great photos.
This is the big change, and one where the XS fails miserably. Night mode arrived on the iPhone 11. It takes several-second-long exposures, using the iPhone’s motion sensors to cancel out the camera shake that would normally ruin a photo.
It then uses the computer to process that image into an incredibly detailed nighttime photo. Unlike the Night mode on Google's Pixel phones, the iPhone's still looks like it was taken at night.
