It comes from the often repeated refrain that if only someone would make a smaller phone, it would outsell all others but no one will make it. And then when it is made, and doesn’t outsell all others (as should be obvious to anyone who has tracked historical iPhone sales), there are constant excuses for why. Here alone there are those that say it cost too much, those that say it wasn’t pro enough (which would heavily raised the price) and those that say it would have sold if it wasn’t for the pandemic (even though the other sizes weren’t as affected, and if there is one time a smaller phone would be more usable, it’s when you stay at home most of the time using your big screen devices).
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iPhone 12 Mini Missing From Top 5 Best Selling Smartphone List of January 2021
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FYI: It's possible to like the iPhone 12 Mini and hope that it doesn't get discontinued while still admitting that it's kind of a commercial flop. No need to do mental gymnastics and even attack journalists for reporting sales data because you like small phones and can't accept the reality that it didn't do as well as people predicted.
No. If you want a small iPhone, then you need it to sell well, or you will be like those holding onto the 1g SE waiting for a replacement that will probably never come.
Not it doesn't the market clearly wants larger devices. The question is, how bit is the market for smaller devices? It's apparently smaller than Apple originally thought it would be. It doesn't mean it's nonexistent, it's not an attack on those that want smaller devices, it just means Apple will have to reevaluate how to meet the needs of these customers.
Yes and we all know how apple always do what the vocal minority wants right?
Never research anything, right?
They still sold almost the same as samsung's best seller with the mini.
so yes i think they will do a 13 mini.
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To say that Apple listened to those wanting a small iPhone and granted the wish is laughable. Apple doesn't closely monitor MR forums and then base production on what some forum members here want, much less any other forum. That is an empty talking point with no legs to stand. It makes for a logical fallacy retort and that is all.
Trash posting about the Mini is MacRumors favour new hobby. Just waiting for them to rebrand from MacRumors to iPhone Mini Sucks
“iPhone Mini outsells iPhone SE in January despite higher price”...
Because it generates so many comments, perhaps? Mini seems like a success in any other light!
I’ll add my 2 cents as a proud member of the “mini cult”...
I have been part of the vocal minority loudly agitating for a return to smaller phones for quite a while, and even so I was tempted by the camera features in the 12 Pro. I ended up getting the mini at launch and think I made the right decision, but there have been a few times where I’ve wished for the better camera. Hoping some of these features show up in the 13mini.
I do love my 12 mini and love that it’s a no-compromise “small” phone with feature parity with its bigger sibling... I’m always disappointed to hear mini isn’t selling well, and I hope they continue with the same no-compromise approach to the form factor. Can they continue to spend resources on this form factor with these sales numbers?
The glimmer of hope I see from this report is that the mini still out-sold the cheaper 2020 SE.
I have been part of the vocal minority loudly agitating for a return to smaller phones for quite a while, and even so I was tempted by the camera features in the 12 Pro. I ended up getting the mini at launch and think I made the right decision, but there have been a few times where I’ve wished for the better camera. Hoping some of these features show up in the 13mini.
I do love my 12 mini and love that it’s a no-compromise “small” phone with feature parity with its bigger sibling... I’m always disappointed to hear mini isn’t selling well, and I hope they continue with the same no-compromise approach to the form factor. Can they continue to spend resources on this form factor with these sales numbers?
The glimmer of hope I see from this report is that the mini still out-sold the cheaper 2020 SE.
The Mini price isn’t a barrier in my opinion. I think the overall majority of people prefer larger displays for content consumption. Understandable. But after playing around with a 12 Mini I was surprised with how nice the display size was, and it was perfect size.
Why? The amount of money in my pocket isn’t related to the size of my hands.
Did anyone expect for the mini to be a best seller?
I thought it was made only to cater to the specific community interested in small phones...
This is not surprising at all.
I thought it was made only to cater to the specific community interested in small phones...
This is not surprising at all.
I still don’t see how the Mini is a “failure”. Objectively, Apple sold a LOT of iPhone 12 Minis. A lot. Apple has already invested so much in the Mini form factor for this generation of design. It would make no sense to NOT continue making them, recouping their costs, and then continue revising them to be sold as the next “SE”.
They’d be ceding a lot of that segment to another brand, even though it would cost them nothing to continue makingI know it’s only 1% of all phone sales, but their bestsellers only have 4-6% of the market.
I bought the Mini for my wife. She loves it.
However............I really want ProRAW, and the 12 Pro has this, so I’m actually flipping between the 12 Mini and 12 Pro. I’m leaning towards the Mini though.
There’s no way we’re going to get a 13 Pro Mini. Sales are (relatively) low, and Apple isn’t going to investing in tooling to create a brand new Mini phone. It would obviously be different if the Mini was their bestseller, but it isn’t.
They’d be ceding a lot of that segment to another brand, even though it would cost them nothing to continue makingI know it’s only 1% of all phone sales, but their bestsellers only have 4-6% of the market.
Me too.
I bought the Mini for my wife. She loves it.
However............I really want ProRAW, and the 12 Pro has this, so I’m actually flipping between the 12 Mini and 12 Pro. I’m leaning towards the Mini though.
There’s no way we’re going to get a 13 Pro Mini. Sales are (relatively) low, and Apple isn’t going to investing in tooling to create a brand new Mini phone. It would obviously be different if the Mini was their bestseller, but it isn’t.
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I bought a Mini and really like it but wish I'd gone bigger for one simple reason:- I didn't realise just how good the camera had become. I upgraded from an iPhone 6 and was immediately astonished by the quality of the photos and videos I could take with the Mini. Had I known it was this good I would have gone for a model with the telephoto lens. Even so, my DSLR is getting very little use. The phone is good enough for almost everything.
I'll probably sell the Mini when the next models come out but only because of the lack of a telephoto lens. I'm completely happy with the phone otherwise.
I'll probably sell the Mini when the next models come out but only because of the lack of a telephoto lens. I'm completely happy with the phone otherwise.
What I gather from this report is that Apple pretty much dominated the smart phone market in January. Even the 11 model ranked higher than the competition.
This hate for the 12 Mini just keeps on coming. I wonder, besides the person I’m quoting below, where in the industry this is coming from ?
First off how is a graph showing 4 different phone models at 1% have each bar representing each lower than the others at the same 1% value?! Lol
The 12 mini has everything the regular 12 does and just smaller so it’s THE same phone smaller size less materials by slightly less - this $100 cheaper. Nothing wrong there
the business case of making the 12 mini IS sound! Apples marketing and supply chain and engineers and bean counters would have NEVER made it if they thought narrowly as you’ve stated.
the issue affecting the mini’s sales is:
1. pandemic environment.
- too many people lost there jobs, savings due to repeated lockdowns in the world and well saw no need to make the purchase.
2. Compound this with many people a) wanting to upgrade did so with much cheaper iPhone 11, Xr, 8 and models. This was a terrible time due to this. Since Apple doesn’t discount iPhones (a dumb move in 2020 with too much stock left OS these models), their having to reduce storage as always to fire sell off existing stick piles.
b) many people still prefer the home button (specifically the vibration feedback of interaction). Regardless of assistive touch as an alternative. Then again circle back to point 1 above mask wearing doesn’t work with FaceID.
people complain here on the forums about the notch but never saying anything bout the chin or forehead of the 8 and SE and models in the same post lol funny how that is.
personally I think the iPhone 11, Xr, and 8 ALL should’ve been pushed for sale prior to iPhone 12 mini launch. Discontinue the SE or offer without the 256/128GB storage to sell it off emptying stock. Heck move the iPhone 11, Xr, 8 to refurbished market place.
that would’ve helped, along with any marketing, of the 12 mini sales.
First off how is a graph showing 4 different phone models at 1% have each bar representing each lower than the others at the same 1% value?! Lol
The 12 mini has everything the regular 12 does and just smaller so it’s THE same phone smaller size less materials by slightly less - this $100 cheaper. Nothing wrong there
the business case of making the 12 mini IS sound! Apples marketing and supply chain and engineers and bean counters would have NEVER made it if they thought narrowly as you’ve stated.
the issue affecting the mini’s sales is:
1. pandemic environment.
- too many people lost there jobs, savings due to repeated lockdowns in the world and well saw no need to make the purchase.
2. Compound this with many people a) wanting to upgrade did so with much cheaper iPhone 11, Xr, 8 and models. This was a terrible time due to this. Since Apple doesn’t discount iPhones (a dumb move in 2020 with too much stock left OS these models), their having to reduce storage as always to fire sell off existing stick piles.
b) many people still prefer the home button (specifically the vibration feedback of interaction). Regardless of assistive touch as an alternative. Then again circle back to point 1 above mask wearing doesn’t work with FaceID.
people complain here on the forums about the notch but never saying anything bout the chin or forehead of the 8 and SE and models in the same post lol funny how that is.
personally I think the iPhone 11, Xr, and 8 ALL should’ve been pushed for sale prior to iPhone 12 mini launch. Discontinue the SE or offer without the 256/128GB storage to sell it off emptying stock. Heck move the iPhone 11, Xr, 8 to refurbished market place.
that would’ve helped, along with any marketing, of the 12 mini sales.
What’s the difference, honestly I don’t know 🤷♂️ the 12 Mini is THe most advanced camera I’ve ever owned or used. I’m actually feeling apprehensive in using it (I have gone out much and noting much to really see that’s exciting for pictures in a lockdown gloomy and dreary spring).
That’ll be what the 12 mini will be retooled as for 2022: 1 camera, same form factor, LCD with a punch-hole for selfie cam.
Fully agreed.
lmao this made @NetMage all vexed lol.
Finally someone gets it! Level headed thinking.
love my 12 mini. Purchased it full retail top end here in Canada. I was heavily considering getting same model in different colour when switching to another provide but I’ll wait until fall to see what the 13 mini brings. Then my 12 mini will be a travel device or hand down to my son or keep in case of theft.
what I find odd is the PowerBook 12” got the exact same misconceptions / hate about it for a while. Yet the MBP 13” did not. In both cases no dedicated video card shipped in any model variant, both by design were “mini” to the bigger 15/16” models respectively and sold a LOT less. Still sold very well still people purchased and lived them. The only difference with comparison to this cycles iPhone sales is that both laptop lineups did NOt have any confusing models by the company to compete with sales or reasoning to choose what to buy.
I upgraded my OG SE to the 12 Mini and I’m so happy with it. It’s going to be a real shame if they stop making it. It’s my favorite phone ever. I hated how I used to have to buy a huge phone to have the dual lens stuff. That’s not the case now and it’s great. I will not buy a large phone ever. It’s not practical ever (to me.)