I honestly would be fine with an iPhone a bit bigger than 5.4” mini
not 6.1” though, otherwise I’d already have a new iphone
Whatever size the screen would be if its was the size of the mini 12/13 but with very thin bezels would be pretty nice
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iPhone 17 Base Model Rumored to Feature Larger Display
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I honestly would be fine with an iPhone a bit bigger than 5.4” mini
not 6.1” though, otherwise I’d already have a new iphone
Whatever size the screen would be if its was the size of the mini 12/13 but with very thin bezels would be pretty nice
There's nothing wrong with the Mini phones not selling in the numbers of the other ones.
They were selling .. and it's good to have product lines catering to niche cases on high and low ends (size and price wise).
Ultimately you want to keep a diverse group of customers in your ecosystem and appeal to a vast array of use cases and scenarios.
It's crazy to me that people denounce this concept.
Are folks on the payroll at Apple?
If you don't want a smaller iPhone, why does it bother you if they were to offer one?
This is just nuts to watch.
They were selling .. and it's good to have product lines catering to niche cases on high and low ends (size and price wise).
Ultimately you want to keep a diverse group of customers in your ecosystem and appeal to a vast array of use cases and scenarios.
It's crazy to me that people denounce this concept.
Are folks on the payroll at Apple?
If you don't want a smaller iPhone, why does it bother you if they were to offer one?
This is just nuts to watch.
Just 3% of U.S. iPhone Sales in March Quarter Were iPhone 13 Mini Models
The 5.4-inch iPhone 13 mini continues to be unpopular with customers, according to U.S. iPhone sales data for the March quarter that was shared by...www.macrumors.com
The 12 mini and 13 mini saw some of the worst sales numbers in iPhone history.
Still, Apple sold over 50 mil units combined. That’s not too bad given they has what, 5 other models to choose from?
I'd love to see how a renewed smaller iPhone effort would go when also not in the shadow of COVID (couldn't get to stores and try them as easily, or at all, when the 12/13 Mini were offered) as well as in this era where many are trying to reduce their screen time and tech exposure more to the essentials.
There's a market here that's interested in something appealing in this niche.
There's a market here that's interested in something appealing in this niche.
Something like 5.8" with thinner bezels than the 13 Mini seems like it would hit. It would be able to take a slightly larger battery and more camera tech, too.
Hear me out: iPhone 14 Pro premium build, 13 Mini size, edge to edge screen with no bezels and no notch/island, 16e camera, $899 without contract and no other models in their line-up (except for a larger Pro phone, loaded, priced for prosumers). It would sell like hot dogs during lunch time. The old Apple would and could do it, today’s Apple can barely pull off an exciting keynote let alone release an exciting product.
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More camera tech than the 13 mini would be going the wrong direction cost-wise. Apple took the more pragmatic approach here and gave consumers what they really want, which are modern features and a decent sized screen.
Actually before all the leaks came out, what I was expecting was a more expensive SE 4 with something like a 5.8" screen, 6 GB RAM, A17, and Face ID. Apple made it even better (for the masses) with a 6.1" screen, 8 GB RAM, A18 (with AI support), and Face ID, but unfortunately for $50 higher than I had hoped. For the next iPhone "e", they can keep the 6.1" size but reduce the bezels a bit more. And compared to the current 16 Pro Max, for the mainstream that 6.1" looks tiny in comparison.
For reference:
What is your graphic supposed to be showing us or what point is it making?
It doesn't include anything before the X
It's showing that by today's standards, 6.1" is a small phone at Apple. And the same is true for Android phones as well. The world has largely moved on from sub 6" phones.
Battery life was the biggest issue with the iPhone minis. The iPad mini is still big enough to get comparable battery life to the other members of the iPad family. whereas the iPhone mini lagged behind the bigger iPhones considerably. The concept of an iPhone mini was not the problem, it was just hard for the mass iPhone buyers to justify purchasing a iPhone that got such poor battery life compared to the larger models.
I think a lot of people really underestimate how important battery life is on a mobile phone and how instrumental that factor is in deciding which model to purchase.
Great post!
I find it weird how Apple make high end, niche, low volume products like the Mac Pro, studio, Hermes watch etc yet won’t make a low volume, niche, small phone in their best selling and most profitable market.
I’d love to hear Apple’s reasoning for this but of course doubt we ever will.
Fair comment. I use my 16 Pro Max for all of the above which is why I really adore large iPhones. I do at times miss the design and size of my iPhone 5 when it was more primarily used for messaging and calls like you commented but now it’s my go to device for many reasons.
The world has moved on only because they are the only size options we have a choice from. In other words we’re forced to move on to bigger phones.
I do have a couple which I primarily use for my PS5 Pro / and my daughter’s Switch 2 and of course movies but there is something about being able to pull out my 16 Pro max in the car and watch a movie or watch you-tube videos at any time with that large screen is a really nice thing. 😎
You’re spot on however I would say that for those that the mini’s sold to size was more important than battery life. For me it was anyway.
Maybe a good compromise (not that Apple are listening 🤣) would be for 5.8” mini like others have said. At least the battery would be bigger and I’d even have the phone 1mm thicker for even better capacity.
I am merely speculating that Apple felt that continuing to offer an iPhone mini in the future would see sharper sales declines mostly due to poor or (poorer) battery life.
I think that Apple got concerned that a small/mini phone was always going to be somewhat compromised by its poor battery life. This wasn't so much a factor in the past, but I think it would have been a glaring weakness for a current mini iPhone compared to the battery life of a larger phone these days.
I think again, just speculating here, that it's also possible that Apple saw an already small market for a mini, getting even smaller as time went on.
Yes the minis sold ok for a while, but Apple has always been sensitive to battery life of it's mobile products. It's been something that they have chased for a long time. It's why they are concerned that even the iPhone 17 Air that isn't even released yet might need a battery pack, because Apple knows that is exactly the kind of thing that could doom the 17 Air sales, much like it did the mini.
The world certainly didn’t move on, hands didn’t get bigger over the last 5 years.
I love the chart you posted earlier, I never realized how much bigger the 16 Pro Max was. That’s not even an iPhone anymore, what the hell?!
I just recalled I owned the Xs too, I loved that phone! Bezel-less XS sized iPhone without a notch wouldn’t be too bad!
They have, but wouldn't it then make a 5.8" phone an enticing option not only for Mini worshippers, but for Android users seeking a smaller phone who find themselves stuck in a 6"+ phone universe?
I don't have a horse in this race, just enjoying the thought exercise. I've had a pretty slow day at work lol.
How do you do carry that thing around? Backpack?
I have the iPhone 5 on iOS 6 on my desk, just to remind myself of the “good old days”.
That's backwards. The manufacturers moved on to larger sizes because that's what the customers wanted. As I've said before on Android, even the el cheapo phones have screens bigger than 6". People would rather get a slower SoC, less RAM, lower end camera, and a lower quality screen, rather than compromise on screen size. In fact, a lot of the budget $200 Android phones are actually 6.5", bigger than the 16 Pro.
The other issue is that Apple has been gradually changing the OS to better suit the bigger screen sizes. Older minis work fine in iOS, but IMO the interface is extremely cramped now, since it is designed with mainly 6"+ screens in mind. 5.4" screens are basically an afterthought now with iOS design, since Apple knows that the 5.4" screen size will no longer be supported in a couple of years.
Hands didn't get bigger, but usage patterns and consumer preferences have changed, and as discussed above, OSes are also changing in response.The world certainly didn’t move on, hands didn’t get bigger over the last 5 years.
I love the chart you posted earlier, I never realized how much bigger the 16 Pro Max was. That’s not even an iPhone anymore, what the hell?!
I just recalled I owned the Xs too, I loved that phone! Bezel-less XS sized iPhone without a notch wouldn’t be too bad!
As mentioned above, I was actually predicting a 5.8" iPhone SE 4 before the leaks came out. However, I think more consumers will be even more happy with a 6.1" iPhone than a 5.8". I think the main valid complaint here for a phone aimed at the lower budget masses is the price. Mind you I think ALL of the iPhone 16 series is overpriced, not just the 16e.
The world certainly didn’t move on, hands didn’t get bigger over the last 5 years.
I love the chart you posted earlier, I never realized how much bigger the 16 Pro Max was. That’s not even an iPhone anymore, what the hell?!
I just recalled I owned the Xs too, I loved that phone! Bezel-less XS sized iPhone without a notch wouldn’t be too bad!
Yeah the Pro Max is actually really pushing the line for me. I think the sweet spot in 6.3 or 6.5 inches. Honestly the battery life isn't that much better on the Pro Max compared to the regular Pro and you still got all the other features, i.e. cameras, pro motion, decent sound, mics and antennas.
I think I will stay in that realm for the foreseeable future.
Apple states the 16 Pro Max has approx. 22-32% longer battery life than the 16 Pro. That's a very big difference. The 16e is similar to the 16 Pro, and both are longer lasting than the 15 Pro. What's truly shocking though is the 16e's battery life is almost double that of the 12 mini according to Apple. Apple says the 16e lasts 73-110% longer than the 12 mini.
Oops sorry you are correct I was looking at the battery specs on my 16e as compared to the 16 Pro.