iPhone Base Models Remain Best-Sellers Despite Pro Max Appeal

[19callum93]

I don’t care. BRING BACK THE mini!

 

[goodthymes]

I don’t care. BRING BACK THE mini!

Won't happen. But also Apple won't be getting a phone upgrate out of me for a long long time.

 

[svish]

Not surprised. The base models are very good. This combined with the lower price tag, it will be selling in good numbers.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

"Max Appeal"? What's appealing about the max?

 

[Abazigal]

I don’t care. BRING BACK THE mini!

I would be very surprised if the iPhone mini came back as the SE...

 

[StanleyOmar]

Why should anyone be surprised by this? Is it because we have reached Smartphone innovation and everything now are pretty much incremental upgrades or that the base models are generations better than what they are currently using? Could it be that the consumer is cash strapped and are buying the cheapest they could get by with? It's no different in our current economic environment where shoppers are buying more store and generic brands vs the national brands.

But if you're that cash-strapped, you're probably not buying an iPhone, and if you can afford an iPhone, $100-$200 isn't that big a difference. It looks more like people are either deciding that the Pro isn't different enough from the base model to warrant the step up unless you also get a larger screen and are getting either the Max/Plus or just sticking with the base.

As you mentioned, changes between generations are now increasingly incremental, and most will be happy with any of the camera configurations, so I'm guessing the screen is the biggest factor when choosing between the three options. Since the article isn't comparing the iPhone to any other phones, I don't think you can say this is just shoppers worried about finances.

 

[dampfnudel]

The mini is never coming back, is it? 😞


I went with the 14 Pro coming from a 12 mini. It’s my first Pro phone if we’re not counting the iPhone X. I think I’d be perfectly happy with the base model again.

Well, I would never say never, but given that Apple doesn’t appreciate having an underperforming “niche” iPhone in their lineup with the Plus being scheduled for the chopping board next year, it’s highly unlikely that they would give the mini a second chance. It’s too bad, but that’s the way it is.

 

[Chuckeee]

It looks more like people are either deciding that the Pro isn't different enough from the base model to warrant the step up unless you also get a larger screen and are getting either the Max/Plus or just sticking with the base.

For me, I was just looking for the lightest iPhone. If the Pro was lighter I would have gotten that instead. But since I only get a new phone every 5 years, I wanted a new model that would continue to get updates for a longer time, so it had to be some flavor of iPhone 16.

 

[switz]

Get your Apple gear before 20 January.....

The new guy is talking tariffs that could price most Apple electronics beyond affordability.

My wife and I both now have new M4 Max MacBook Pro laptops and iPhone 16 Pro Max cell phones. I plan on getting another Studio Display, loaded Mac mini M4 Pro and a printer for our summer place in December. Also. get all your preferred accessories....

 

[turbineseaplane]

Psst...
"They're all too big and too expensive"

 

[StanleyOmar]

For me, I was just looking for the lightest iPhone. If the Pro was lighter I would have gotten that instead. But since I only get a new phone every 5 years, I wanted a new model that would continue to get updates for a longer time, so it had to be some flavor of iPhone 16.

I have a plan where, every two years when the plan ends, I need to either return the heavily discounted phone for an upgrade or pay the discount to buy it out, keep it, and just continue with the service portion of the plan. I'll be due for an upgrade next September, so I'll have to see how different the 16 base is from the Pro, or if a jump to the 17 is worth it. The Max always seems huge to me when I hold it, and I don't really care about the camera, so I could probably go either way.

If money was an issue, though, I would probably just keep my current 14 Pro and ride it out like you until the battery or lack of updates made it unusable.