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According to reports, Mini phones’ long-term prospects are uncertain after Apple’s iPhone 12 Mini failed to gain traction.
The iPhone 12 Mini isn’t selling well and reports suggest that the iPhone Mini 13 might be the last.
Apple will launch a mini iPhone 13 Mini this month as part of its iPhone 13 line. Don’t be too excited about the future Mini models. After disappointing sales of iPhone 12 Mini, reports suggest that the iPhone 13 Mini may be Apple’s last flagship iPhone.
CNET’s Patrick Holland praises the iPhone 12 Mini’s pocket-friendly design and top-notch 5G cameras. All this for $100 less than the iPhone 12. What’s the problem? The iPhone 12 Mini is a bit lost among Apple’s iPhone line-up. It’s not a budget phone at $700, even though Apple has other affordable options such as the iPhone SE or iPhone 11. After years of using larger smartphones, the small-sized iPhone is no longer relevant.
iPhone 13 Mini could be Apple’s last premium, smaller iPhone
According to Nikkei Asia Review’s July report, Apple doesn’t plan to launch an iPhone 14 Mini next year. Ming-Chi Kuo, an industry analyst, suggested in April that Apple’s 2022 iPhone lineup wouldn’t include a sequel for the Mini. This was also confirmed by MacRumors.
It would be easy to remove the iPhone Mini from Apple’s flagship line. Recent reports have shown that the iPhone Mini is not being purchased by many people. According to a Nikkei Asia Review report, Apple cut orders for the iPhone 12 Mini during the first half 2021 due to weak demand. Counterpoint Research also reported similar findings earlier in the year. They found that the iPhone 12 Mini accounted for only 5% of US iPhone 12 sales in the first half January.
Why would Apple release the iPhone 13 Mini if the iPhone 12 Mini isn’t selling well? According to Ben Stanton (a Canalys research manager), the lead time for smartphone production is over a year. Apple probably didn’t have enough time to incorporate sales data from the iPhone 12 Mini into the development cycle of the iPhone 13 generation.
Apple doesn’t often make significant changes to its product line-up so quickly. Apple kept the controversial butterfly keyboard on its MacBook laptops for five years before switching to the Magic Keyboard. This was despite many years of customer complaints. The Touch Bar on the MacBook Pro is not loved by everyone, but it’s still present in Apple’s top-end laptops five years later.
Why there won’t be an iPhone Mini 2
Two simple reasons could be the reason why the iPhone 12 Mini is struggling. Apple is facing a lot competition within its iPhone line.
The iPhone 11 is a great example. It costs $100 less than the iPhone 12 Mini. The iPhone 11 is almost two years old and still offers incredible value at $600. Apple’s 2019 iPhone features a 6.1 inch screen, solid battery life and excellent cameras. It also runs on the most recent A13 Bionic processor. Although it does not have 5G connectivity, MagSafe support, or Apple’s more durable Ceramic Shield coating (here are the main differences between iPhone 11 and iPhone 12), it offers many of the same features as the iPhone 12.
The iPhone SE is the best option for those looking to get the lowest possible iPhone without making huge performance sacrifices. It costs $399. The iPhone SE is compact in design, similar to the iPhone 8. It lacks Apple’s modern bezel-free design and Face ID. It’s the only iPhone currently with Touch ID and packs plenty of power considering its size and price.
The Mini is not available in Apple’s iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 lineups. The Mini is not affordable enough to be a budget smartphone like the iPhone SE and it doesn’t have enough features that make it stand out from the Phone 11.
Another obstacle to the iPhone 12 Mini’s success was that people prefer larger screens. Flurry and Consumer Intelligence Research Partners reports also showed that the iPhone 12 Pro Max, a 6.7-inch model with larger screens, was Apple’s most popular 2020 Phone model.
Patrick wrote in his iPhone 12 Mini review that the smaller screen may not be as practical for reading, writing and viewing documents. These are all critical tasks that many people use phones for every day. A smaller screen means a shorter battery life and a smaller battery. This is a compromise that I don’t think many people would be willing to make for a smaller screen or a slightly lower price.
The iPhone 12 Mini’s small size may have been less attractive in a year where many people spent their time at home. Why would you care about a phone that is more portable if you aren’t going anywhere?
My morning commute is the only time I struggle to use my phone without one hand. I am usually holding onto the subway pole. A phone with a screen of 6.1 inches or more is manageable. A larger screen and a longer battery life are also important to me, especially considering how much time we spent video calling throughout 2020.
Finally, large-sized smartphones don’t seem to be new. This means that most Apple customers are likely to have adapted to larger screens. In 2014, a phone with a screen of 6.1 inches was considered large. But today that’s the norm. You may have felt a bit nervous in 2014, but you are now used to it and may want a bigger screen.
iPhone 13 and Beyond
Apple seems to be focusing its budget smartphone efforts on iPhone SE in the future. According to Nikkei Asian Review, Apple could release a new iPhone SE 3 model that supports 5G, with a 4.7-inch LCD display.
Apple won’t be reducing its iPhone lineup any time soon, but that doesn’t mean it will never do so. According to Nikkei Asia Review and Kuo, Apple’s 2022 iPhone lineup, which is likely to be called iPhone 14, will still include four iPhones. Apple is expected to replace the Mini with a 6.7-inch version, which will mean that there will be two iPhone 14 Pro Max versions.
We expect the 2021 iPhone 13 lineup will include the same size 5.4-inch and 6.1 inch standard models as last year’s iPhone 12 line-up.
The iPhone 13 will likely feature the same design as the iPhone 12, but with a smaller notch. According to Bloomberg and Kuo, satellite connectivity will be a major draw. This allows for remote connections and offers new photo and video capabilities. Apple typically equips every new iPhone with an upgraded version of its mobile processor. So we can expect some performance improvements in the iPhone 13 Mini as well as the rest of Apple’s lineup.
Apple is likely to unveil the iPhone 13 (and iPhone 13 Mini), in September, as it has done in previous years. We expect to hear more soon. This is what we expect to see at the September Apple event.
