Yea, it is the need to type RUN"game that is a bit of a deal breaker...
But I just realized.... we kind of already have a CPC mini actually: The GX4000 + C4CPC
Sure, it's a bit bigger than those other mini models, but it's still somewhat small compared to other consoles, and it offers the important parts: A menu to start games from, no need to type anything, thanks to all the patched games we have for the C4CPC.
The only downside is there's no HDMI, so you need a TV with SCART, and then the framerates doesn't match. The 50 hz signal will be shown on your 60 hz TV... which is somewhat annoying.
Unless of course you also hook up a Framemeister, but then we definitely can't call it a mini anymore...
The image quality on the C64 mini is absolutely stunning.
But apart from that, I actually think the GX4000 kinda qualifies... which kinda makes Amstrad the first to make a mini model.

So... to avoid typing on an emulator, we'll just need one that runs cartridge files.