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Think there will always be the same problem with a Mini for Apple:
- it must cost less than the regular model or people will feel scammed
- it will cannibalize some of the sales of the regular model
- it wouldn't sell very well probably
- many people just adapt and buy the regular model if they don't have a smaller alternative
- it costs money to develop and support. New parts, new factory lines and so on.
- this means Apple is basically spending money to build a model that may make them just lose money. Unlike an even bigger model like the Plus and Max

It's all about how many people just would never buy a phone unless it's Mini. How many hardcore 13 Mini / SE fans still exist that just wouldn't even upgrade if it's not another Mini? Making them happy is worth losing money with all the people who would also buy a regular model but who, given the option to pick a cheaper one would take it? So, it has to justify for it development costs with even smaller profits.
After these years with no Mini model, I think Apple has done the math about this...
Think you Mini lovers should give up, sincerely sorry for you.

I think it could be a massive hit. I remember when 6S and 6S Plus came out, hardly anyone was really buying the Plus and 70% of buyers went for the 6S. As you said, it's about positioning of the product - IMO main reason why 12 Mini and 13 Mini didn't sell that well were current offerings at the time and the price. People started spending more and more time glued to their screens, so of course more people prefer larger displays nowadays, but let's say they make a 13 Mini sized iPhone with edge to edge screen (and no notch or island) and if they gave people only two choices (either Mini sized or Plus sized), I think it wouldn't be as big of a difference in sales between the two as it was with 6S and 6S Plus, but worst case scenario would be 50/50. Their iPhone line up currently is a total mess, could use a clean up. Two models, one smaller one bigger, and maybe a third true "Pro" model for those who need gigantic phone with 5 gigantic lenses. Of course, majority will disagree with this because they're just happy with phablets and don't see why shouldn't anyone bother finding a way to make the "Mini" work.
 
If we listen to the usual breathless arguments here against Apple making another mini, then the rumors about the foldable iPhone must be pure fiction, because there would be too few people buying it to justify Apple's costs.
 
If we listen to the usual breathless arguments here against Apple making another mini, then the rumors about the foldable iPhone must be pure fiction, because there would be too few people buying it to justify Apple's costs.

I don't even know why costs should come into these discussions honestly.

Apple are taking a flamethrower to cash with AppleTV+ losing 1B per year, the wasted efforts on the Scuba Mask and the Car project ... among plenty of other failures and distractions over time.
 
I'm an adult male, 5'9", and I have a 16 Pro. I have to say the 6.3" Pro is almost too big for my hands and I'm missing the 6.1" size. These companies need to realize many people just don't have hands as big as they think we do. I hope we start to see 5.8" to 6.1" size phones again.

Hindsight is 20/20, I wish I had bought the 15 Pro last year instead of the 16 Pro this year just for the smaller size and lighter weight.

I love when people say "this is the new normal size in today's world" - I call that horse crap. Your hands didn't grow suddenly to the point where this brick of a phone feels comfortable.
 
I don't even know why costs should come into these discussions honestly.

Apple are taking a flamethrower to cash with AppleTV+ losing 1B per year, the wasted efforts on the Scuba Mask and the Car project ... among plenty of other failures and distractions over time.

With Apple getting 20 billion, per year, for free (sorry, by setting a default) from Google, that 1 billion doesn't seem like much.
 
Here we go again. An even larger phablet. Will Apple really never again make an actual iPhone? We need a "Mini" model.
Ever since the iPhone 6 Plus I never had a desire to return to a smaller phone. I like to have the proper screen size to watch movies, play games, etc and whenever I try going to my old iPhone 5 or even the 6 I can just never. I understand it’s your preference for getting a smaller model but unfortunately Apple tried doing that and it didn’t work out to well for them.
 
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With Apple getting 20 billion, per year, for free (sorry, by setting a default) from Google, that 1 billion doesn't seem like much.

Yes! You've made my point.
Cost shouldn't come into a smaller iPhone option being available.

Folks aren't even asking for something "top of the line" or released every year..

Literally just something that isn't huge and allows to stay relatively current.
 
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Ever since the iPhone 6 Plus I never had a desire to return to a smaller phone. I like to have the proper screen size to watch movies, play games, etc and whenever I try going to my old iPhone 5 or even the 6 I can just never. I understand it’s your preference for getting a smaller model but unfortunately Apple tried doing that and it didn’t work out to well for them.

You watch movies on a "phone"? I watch movies on a TV, or in a cinema, or on a laptop, or even projector. Never watched movies on a phone. Maybe a tablet at most, which is still more suited for that than a phablet. Whenever I have a longer flight I take a laptop with me. Play games? I play Slither.io on the loo, so I can't relate to gaming part, sorry, but the screen size of my SE 2016 is perfectly fine for a quick slither. You do you, I'm not trying to take it away from you and I try to understand some of the needs you have when choosing a larger phone, but then you were in the minority of buyers at the time, as over 70% of people bought the 6 and I think 77% bought the 6S.
 
With Apple getting 20 billion, per year, for free (sorry, by setting a default) from Google, that 1 billion doesn't seem like much.

How much is Apple losing on their yearly fines in EU? Does anyone have the numbers? :D

In all honesty, if Apple can afford to flush billions in down the drain for the flop of a product that Apple Vision Pro is/was, they can afford to at least break even after releasing another Mini-sized Pro iPhone (iPhone, not an iPhablet, an actual phone).
 
How much is Apple losing on their yearly fines in EU? Does anyone have the numbers? :D

Just getting going ...

The "flamethrower of cash" going out the door is only getting warmed up on that topic it would appear.

1751034715408.png
 
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People should spend their precious time getting over the long dead Mini and adjusting to the current offerings instead of complaining about it on every minor occasion. I am looking forward to the grown base 17.
At some point physics come into play. I for one, won't be buying anything that big and if there is no option from Apple, I will get something else. I don't need a huge screen on my phone. In fact, it is more uncomfortable than anything else. So I vote with my wallet and everyone should do precisely that, instead of "adapting" to a vision by some execs who think everyone should like a big screen.

And I used to upgrade yearly until they started to increase sizes. I would have had at least 3 generations if not 4 between iPhone X and iPhone 13 mini, but I skipped them all because it's uncomfortable. My physical comfort is far more important to me than anything else. Priorities.
 
This is just tiring, Apple pushing for bigger screens and those who love them thinking the only options should be big and bigger.

I think I should start selling MagSafe compatible backpacks for the ever growing iPhones. You guys who love the Pro Max Plus Ultra phablets from Apple, would you buy a backpack from me?

ChatGPT Image Jun 27, 2025, 03_32_30 PM.png


And for those who buy the E model (without Magsafe), I got you too:

ChatGPT Image Jun 27, 2025, 03_35_02 PM.png
 
They haven't made one in nearly 4 years!

It's impossible to know if a concept will sell if you don't offer it.

Are we going to be TEN years down the line and folks still saying "smaller phones don't sell"?

I get what you are saying. And I am not saying you're wrong. But I have to imagine Apple's bean counters have the ear of Cook these days. I am guessing that it has simply become more finically prudent for Apple to build larger iPhone, charge a much higher price for them, increase global market share (big phones are huge in China) and slowly move away from the budget sector altogether. It probably cost Apple about the same (relatively speaking of course) to make a mini iPhone versus a Pro size. Since they can rake in much higher margins on the bigger iPhones, my guess is that they have just decided to abandon the mini/budget platform altogether.

But maybe I am wrong and we will see a mini iPhone in the next year or so. But my fear is that even if we do, won't be the cheap/budget minded phone that people expect. It will be some special anniversary edition that will cost more than the regular version.
 
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I get what you are saying. And I am not saying you're wrong. But I have to imagine Apple's bean counters have the ear of Cook these days. I am guessing that it has simply become more finically prudent for Apple to build larger iPhone, charge a much higher price for them

This ^

I appreciate you highlighting this.

It's not really about what people might want or would buy ... it's simply about maximum bean counting.

At least we can be honest about that -- thank you
 
I think I should start selling MagSafe compatible backpacks for the ever growing iPhones. You guys who love the Pro Max Plus Ultra phablets from Apple, would you buy a backpack from me?

View attachment 2523725

And for those who buy the E model (without Magsafe), I got you too:

View attachment 2523726
I think you may have misunderstood my comment, I despise big phones.
 
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