I was 100% on board with buying a Mini, then I realized I'm stuck working from home because of the pandemic, and don't use my phone as much as when I could go outside to... places. I use my iPad much more. So it did not make sense to buy a new phone. But maybe when we can go outside. Or iPhone Mini 13 if they bring back the Touch ID like we all wanted.
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Reports of Lackluster iPhone 12 Mini Sales Corroborated By Supply Chain Sources
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This what happens when Apple caters to the small and vocal minority of tech journalists.
MOST people don't want these tiny screens.
And MOST people aren't on Macrumors forums and don't write for The Verge, et al.
MOST people don't want these tiny screens.
And MOST people aren't on Macrumors forums and don't write for The Verge, et al.
Surely the mini will be a success—the “slow burner” description by djcerla seems apt. Especially as they are able to pack more technology into it with future iterations. My cousin ADORES the fact that she was able to go from a 6s Plus to a 12 mini and retain virtually the same screen real estate.
I will say though, my 12 Pro Max is finally getting here today, after months of waiting, and I am ELATED. It makes sense to me that many who want the 12 (non-mini) would opt for the 12 Pro, just for extra perks (the camera in particular comes to mind).
All around, I think Apple made a great move offering this sort of spectrum of 12 models, to appeal to many markets. Everyone has their “just-right” model. 😌
I will say though, my 12 Pro Max is finally getting here today, after months of waiting, and I am ELATED. It makes sense to me that many who want the 12 (non-mini) would opt for the 12 Pro, just for extra perks (the camera in particular comes to mind).
All around, I think Apple made a great move offering this sort of spectrum of 12 models, to appeal to many markets. Everyone has their “just-right” model. 😌
I got the 12 mini for ease of carrying, to be on the go. I got the 12 Pro Max to be my computer, entertainment center, and camera at home and on vacation.
With this pandemic and the freezing cold weather, I’ve just not had much use for an on-the-go phone. With kids out of school I also don’t need to carry my phone constantly. So the mini sits idle a lot more than my SE did when I had it at the start of lockdown and in warmer months. My Max is getting all the use.
It will be interesting to see what happens to demand for the mini when people want to be out active again and don’t want a half pound phone weighing them down.
It may still be the case they will prefer the lower cost SE
With this pandemic and the freezing cold weather, I’ve just not had much use for an on-the-go phone. With kids out of school I also don’t need to carry my phone constantly. So the mini sits idle a lot more than my SE did when I had it at the start of lockdown and in warmer months. My Max is getting all the use.
It will be interesting to see what happens to demand for the mini when people want to be out active again and don’t want a half pound phone weighing them down.
It may still be the case they will prefer the lower cost SE
Here is what I’d suggest if I Apple wanted to increase sales if the mini.
1. Get people to touch it.
2. Stop free 12 and 12 pro promotions.
3. Add pro features to mini.
4. Promote the device.
5. Don’t launch other devices a month before.
1. Get people to touch it.
2. Stop free 12 and 12 pro promotions.
3. Add pro features to mini.
4. Promote the device.
5. Don’t launch other devices a month before.
I think the low price of the mini has confused people into thinking it has less features than the 12. They would have been better off pricing them the same. Since they are giving the 12 for free anyway just lower the 12s price to be the same as the mini. (And then stop giving the 12 away for free.)
There are people that were hanging on to iPhone 7 and 8 until the SE 2 came out and upgraded then, only to upgrade again to the Mini when that came out six months later.
Where did all the people complaining about "big phones" and "if only Apple made a smaller phone, I'd buy it" vaporize to?
It's a niche group that would pick the Mini over the other options. The SE is just as easy to "one hand" as the Mini for almost half the price, plus it pulls in all the Touch ID lovers and people that don't like changing form factors. The 12 has an easier-to-read display (default text size is larger) and much better battery life for only $100 more; the 12 is also much closer to an "average" size smartphone that clearly most of the general population has come to accept. This puts the Mini in a position where it has to be someone that wants a few specific things:
- the smallest form factor possible with the most horsepower (edit: and that horsepower is meaningless to most of the general population since the experience is basically the same on the other devices)
- isn't concerned with battery life compared to the larger options
- is willing to pay more than the XR, 11, and SE options.
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It's clear that those who love it, love it. It's hard not to wonder how sales would've been had they released a Pro version. Regardless, even at "only 6% of iPhone sales" for the quarter - assuming that's accurate - is still *millions* of minis. That may make it somewhat of a disappointment against projections, but hardly a failure.
Love my mini for the one handed operation and the pocket-ability.
We'll know soon enough who is correct on this. It is going to be intriguing to watch. It's still early, but right now at least, there are reasonable arguments to be made for both scenarios.
The thing we do know for sure is that there will be an SE3 at some point, and that the phone is all but assured to target a low price point just like its predecessors. Something either based on the Mini or perhaps simply Mini-like would seem to be a good fit. So perhaps there is already a succession plan. Theoretically this could happen even if the form factor goes on hiatus in the interim, although that seems somewhat unlikely.
At any rate, given how close in sales the two are now - the Mini had 6% and the SE had about 8% in the months after the 12 launch according to graphic I linked to in my last post - its hard to imagine that a neo-SE with Mini-ish hardware and an SE-ish price tag wouldn't outperform the existing SE. It would certainly out-perform the Mini, obviously, and you have to believe that, with such a huge price cut, it would be by a non-insignificant margin.
I can only speak for myself, that is correct.
But the sales numbers speak louder and if reports can be believed, it is not selling well.
Apple doesn't provide sales figures anymore. But this info is supported by supply chain sources and has popped up multiple times in the last couple of weeks giving it more credit.
Its only the vocal minority on tech forums that shout the loudest. Theres nothing wrong with small phones but the level of delusion from some of you is quite tiring at times. There is no campaign good grief.
You're welcomed to buy it in EU and spend the extra 30-40% taxes on it and call it "low priced". No thanks
For this money of course people will prefer something else.
I think the idea there is a "conspiracy" or a "campaign" is a bridge too far.
Apple listens to the vocal minority on the tech sites, like this one.
Some people will love the Mini. But enough to justify the cost of producing one? I think not.
We'll know in a few years if the Mini is still in the product line.
Keep reading the comments section...they are here.
Per Kuo, SE 2 plus or SE 3 is coming in April. Hopefully a full screen SE with touch ID on the side.
When I heard Apple was ramping up production of the mini in the beginning, I thought 'Oh. Um. I think they misread the room'. The mini is a niche product. It's nice to have a small nearly fully featured iPhone, but I kinda doubted the hoped popularity of that model. 'Go big or go home' seems to be the mantra of owners, and I sometimes find the 11 Pro Max 'large', but I'd never go back to a smaller iPhone. If anything, I could see the 'Max' being slightly larger.
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