If you never used the Lumin hard wired then it’s not a fair comparison. And as far as the phone is concerned, any app will look and perform better on a larger platform. I love using an iPad to control my music. I don’t wander around the house, I sit in the listening chair and it’s perfect for that.
Sorry it didn’t work out for you, but I think the U1 mini is a great value when you look at all it does. I came from a Node, an Allo Digi One before that, SB Touch before that. It certainly sounds better than all of those. Look on the bright side, you just saved yourself 2k.
Oz