Just two years after Apple extolled the virtues of a 5.4-inch device, the iPhone 15 lineup lacks a model with a screen diagonal of less than six inches. Why has Apple discontinued the “small” device that some iPhone customers like?
Apple introduced the iPhone 12 mini in 2020 after “iPhone” fans clamored for the company to introduce a smaller-screen device with the latest features. When Apple did this, it assumed that the small form factor would last for several years, but with the release of the iPhone 14 lineup in 2022, the device appeared to be retired. When the “iPhone 15” series came out, Apple discontinued it. The last remaining device with a “mini” form factor.
According to data compiled by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), concerns first arose when the “iPhone 12 mini” apparently wasn’t selling as well as Apple had hoped, accounting for just six percent of iPhone 12 sales in October and November 2020. In the United States. . Counterpoint Research reported that the iPhone 12 mini accounted for just 5 percent of all iPhone 12′ sales in the US in the first half of January 2021.
Morgan Stanley believes that Apple has decided to cut production of the iPhone 12 mini by 2 million units to create more production capacity for the more popular iPhone 12 Pro. This was reflected in a Taiwanese report that cited supply chain sources as saying that in China
More interesting is JPMorgan Chase’s claim that Apple has completely stopped production of the “iPhone 12 mini” in the second quarter of 2021. While sales reports for the iPhone 12 mini did not bode well for the iPhone 13 mini, Apple is planning its iPhone manufacturing and supply chain operations. Long before the launch, the “iPhone 13” mini was already in production when the “iPhone 12 mini” sales problems became apparent.
In April 2022, CIRP released additional data showing that the “iPhone 13” mini accounted for only 3 percent of “iPhone 13” sales – half of “iPhone 12 mini” sales. These continued poor sales numbers are probably the main reason for the demise of the “mini” form factor “iPhone”.
For the “iPhone 14” range, Apple has decided to replace the “Mini” device with an all-new “Plus” device that matches the 6.7-inch screen size of the upgraded “Pro Max” model. In some ways, the “Plus” mirrors the “Mini,” offering the latest “iPhone” features in a different display form factor. Instead of a small, lightweight screen option, customers can now opt for a larger battery and a 6.7-inch screen — the same size “Pro Max” customers have been accustomed to for more than five years, now priced at $1,199 — but at a more affordable price of $899.
Less than a week after the ‘iPhone 14′ launch, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said demand for the two devices was “weak” and pre-order results were worse than the third-generation iPhone SE and iPhone 13’ mini. He even claimed that “Apple’s product retail strategy for standard models has failed this year” and believes that Apple has put plans to increase production of the two devices on hold. Supply analyst Ross Young said iPhone 14 panel orders fell 38 percent over the same period last year, while the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus lost twice as fast in resale market value as the iPhone 13. Mini and the iPhone 13 from last year.
Like other reports Digi Times This was essentially the same picture as the decline in sales of the iPhone 14 mini, where Apple had to reduce production, suggesting that the decline in sales of the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini may not be the cause. “iPhone 12 mini” and “iPhone 13” are mini devices after all. Whether the iPhone 15′ Plus will perform better is still unclear.
According to rumors, Apple has no plans to revive the iPhone’s “mini” form factor in its product line. The smallest iPhones in the works, like next year’s iPhone 16 and the fourth-generation iPhone SE, are expected to have 6.1-inch displays. Conversely, some future devices, such as the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, could be larger, expected to grow to 6.3 and 6.9 inches, respectively.
