Bigger Displays Rumored for Next Year's iPhone Models

[AssassuN]

It's because the sales figures for the minis didn't meet Apple's profit goals. They were profitable, but not profitable enough for Apple, compared to the profits from the greater demand for its larger iPhones. The minis definitely weren't loss leaders, but we know Apple really likes big profit margins.

The last iPhone mini, the 13, accounted for less than 5% of total iPhone 13 model sales for the year after its release in Sept 2021. As a percentage of all iPhones sold that year, which includes sales of earlier models Apple still sold, it was only about 2-3% of that year's sales. Sales for the larger iPhones were much higher. The base iPhone 13 accounted for about 28%, the 13 Pro was about 9%, and the 13 Pro Max was about 14-15%. Apple kept selling the 13 mini for about another year as a discounted model (they lowered its US starting price from $699 to $599), for the Sept 2022-Sept 2023 period, but during that year its sales still didn't pick up.

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Well I’m not interested in the mini iPhone anyway.

I just mean why does Apple keep increasing the size of the base iPhone? If the 13 and 13 Pro accounted for 34% of sales at 6.1”, why did they decide to increase the size further? Just to add some novelty?

 

[johnsawyercjs]

What are you basing your "profitable" and "not profitable enough" and "profit margin" comments on re: the Mini?

Curious if you have some numbers you could please share? 🙏

I don't have the specific dollar figures (Apple doesn’t provide them), but Apple seems to consider the viability of their profits for each year’s iPhone models relative to each other, across the entire lineup, rather than just looking at the figures for each model individually. The sales percentage numbers for the two-year time period that encompassed the sales lifespan for the 13 mini are in my earlier comment. Sure this is inference rather than exact figures, but the inference seems logical.

In other words, even if the profit margin on minis was comparable to the margins for the other iPhone models, which would have made them profitable on their own, Apple seems to put more emphasis on comparing the sales percentages of all models together, for a given release year, in making the decision whether to discontinue a model. The money Apple made from making the minis shouldn’t be looked at in a vacuum, or just siloed to the mini figures alone. It’s a relative yield calculation. Some estimates are that Apple sold about 6 million of the 13 minis, which was/is about half of Google’s entire annual Pixel lineup combined, but we’re talking Apple’s way of seeing its overall numbers and its use of resources, including its assembly lines.

The possible exception, at least for now, is the Air. It currently accounts for “only” about 6% of total worldwide iPhone sales, which includes the other models released in 2025, but even though Apple reduced the number of Airs they make in accordance with that figure, I doubt if Apple will discontinue the Air, at least until maybe after its third generation, or until one or more of the other iPhone models rivals it for thinness. Also, 6% of overall sales is twice that of the 3% for the 13 mini at the end of its production, so that may be above Apple’s threshold for keeping a model. And Apple sells the base Air for $999 (at last count) compared to the base 13 mini at a discount of $599 during the end of its sales cycle, so Apple is making more from the Air than from the mini.

Also, Apple may still consider the thinness of the Air as a “halo engineering” standout effort for the time being, useful not just for the public prestige factor (at least with some people), but also because it has higher strategic value for Apple than the mini, since that thinness has been serving as a test bed for miniaturization for future products in ways that the mini wasn’t (though at least linguistically that may seem contradictory). But now that this has helped Apple make the foldable iPhone and might have also contributed to the rumored thinner design for the 20th Anniversary model (and maybe a lower-end iPhone as well), maybe Apple will soon consider the Air no longer necessary.

 

[johnsawyercjs]

Can't wait for my phone to fall face-down on its screen. How useless would a case for this iPhone be to access the curved edges on the sides?

You'd buy a case with at least partially open sides (that is, if you wanted to see the sides of the display) and takes your chances. I'm skeptical whether Apple will put any actual content on the sides of the display.

 

[johnsawyercjs]

I just mean why does Apple keep increasing the size of the base iPhone? If the 13 and 13 Pro accounted for 34% of sales at 6.1”, why did they decide to increase the size further? Just to add some novelty?

Yeah, the height of the base iPhone 13 is 146.7mm high, and the base 17 is 149.6mm high, which is a noticeable increase of about 3mm, but at least the width of both of these is the same, at 71.5mm each. But as far as the size of the displays for the 20th Anniversary iPhone goes, it's only the rumored Pro Max version that might be noticeably bigger than prior iPhones, increasing from the current maximum of 6.9 inches to 7.0 inches.

iPhone width figures are interesting since the widths of most comparable iPhone models (base model to base model, Pro to Pro, etc.) haven’t changed much from the 11 series onward (except with the Air, but it’s in its own category). For instance, the width of the 17 Pro is 71.9mm, compared to the 11 Pro's 71.4mm, and the 13 Pro's 71.5mm, making all of these feel essentially identical for hand span. It's true though that the heights have increased by several millimeters. Also, at least some of the advertised increase in display diagonal has been by shrinking the black bezel around the active portion of the display, rather than due to just the increase in height.

Apple had to increase the height and depth over time to accommodate larger batteries to run faster chips and brighter displays, and for the larger camera modules and their sensors, particularly the telephoto in the Pro and Pro Max, and to achieve better thermal management.

Slightly (though that’s a relative perception) larger displays also accommodate buyers who want their iPhone to approach a mini tablet, which has been shown to be a desire by many people by virtue of the greater sales of the Pro and Pro Max models compared to the smaller models, despite the greater prices for the Pros.

 

[AssassuN]

Yeah, the height of the base iPhone 13 is 146.7mm high, and the base 17 is 149.6mm high, which is a noticeable increase of about 3mm, but at least the width of both of these is the same, at 71.5mm each. But as far as the size of the displays for the 20th Anniversary iPhone goes, it's only the rumored Pro Max version that might be noticeably bigger than prior iPhones, increasing from the current maximum of 6.9 inches to 7.0 inches.

iPhone width figures are interesting since the widths of most comparable iPhone models (base model to base model, Pro to Pro, etc.) haven’t changed much from the 11 series onward (except with the Air, but it’s in its own category). For instance, the width of the 17 Pro is 71.9mm, compared to the 11 Pro's 71.4mm, and the 13 Pro's 71.5mm, making all of these feel essentially identical for hand span. It's true though that the heights have increased by several millimeters. Also, at least some of the advertised increase in display diagonal has been by shrinking the black bezel around the active portion of the display, rather than due to just the increase in height.

Apple had to increase the height and depth over time to accommodate larger batteries to run faster chips and brighter displays, and for the larger camera modules and their sensors, particularly the telephoto in the Pro and Pro Max, and to achieve better thermal management.

Slightly (though that’s a relative perception) larger displays also accommodate buyers who want their iPhone to approach a mini tablet, which has been shown to be a desire by many people by virtue of the greater sales of the Pro and Pro Max models compared to the smaller models, despite the greater prices for the Pros.

i think the non-max version should never approach mini-tablet size. 6.3" is already pushing it imo. surely at some point they just design better thermal management than simply increasing the size of the device.

 

[staypuftforums]

I’m sorry my eyesight isn’t as good as it used to be. Those big screens that offend you make the phone easier for me to use.

Glasses would work better.

 

[Luftkopf]

Glasses would work better.

You’re clearly not my optometrist. You want to prescribe me new multifocals? I think I’d prefer to go back to contacts if I could be bothered.

I never liked the phablet trend either, but now I’m finding the larger phones easier to use. If you have a problem with that, it’s on you.

 

[staypuftforums]

You’re clearly not my optometrist. You want to prescribe me new multifocals? I think I’d prefer to go back to contacts if I could be bothered.

I never liked the phablet trend either, but now I’m finding the larger phones easier to use. If you have a problem with that, it’s on you.

Your eyesight issues are very much a you problem. And there’s never been any shortage of giant phones to choose from.

At a certain point, may as well just carry around your laptop. Or buy an iPad with cellular connectivity.

 

[Luftkopf]

Your eyesight issues are very much a you problem. And there’s never been any shortage of giant phones to choose from.

At a certain point, may as well just carry around your laptop. Or buy an iPad with cellular connectivity.

Come on man, I support Apple making another mini, I think they shouldn't shy away from filling niches if they're worthwhile. So let me have my larger iPhone in peace! I am allowed to like them even if you don't!