perhaps you know different people than I do. I know 8 people with 12/13 minis, and they include 6 of the wealthiest people I know. They're iPhone mini fans for convenience, weight, etc. They tend to have 3-5 Apple devices to switch between, so not sure wealth, frugality, or anything like that come into play.
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iPhone 13 mini The future of small iPhones
- Thread starter tcatsninfan
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You really aren't the target audience for top tier smartphones. Your usage pattern is more suited to a low or midrange phone but you choose to spend big bucks on an all singing & all dancing model.
Exactly. In the end, people doesn't really want a smaller iphone, they just want a cheap iphone. I mean I lost count how many here put the SE as the better solution while it's actually bigger than the mini. It shows that what they're concerned about in reality is price, not size.
There are multiple factors once you delve into customer segmentations.
In my country, the "wealthy" also need to show their friends that they're wealthy, thus most of them will simply get the most expensive model of anything (in iphone case, it's the Pro Max) regardless. This is also why Galaxy Note was very popular in my country, even though majority of the users don't even know/use the S-Pen. It's status symbol. These people wouldn't be interested in the mini as their friends will immediately know that they get the "cheapest" model of the series.
Sad, but true.
I don’t agree with the above statement at all. I think people who like the mini because it’s not annoyingly BIG!. The budget phone is the se I mind you.
A lot of statements on this thread are presumptuous and false. I could have any phone I want, price is not an object. I don’t like big phones, I think for the most part it’s a pretentious status symbol of which I think most people who have the heavy pro models rarely use or would even notice the extras, unless of course they’re on this forum. I would most definitely use a mini only if it had dual physical sim trey. I even contacted a company to see if they could modify one for me, that’s how much I prefer a smaller phone like the mini. I would pay top price for a dual physical sim mini.
I don't see that in my circles at all. Pretty much everyone who is more frugal (due to personal choice or financial situation) has a bigger phone, either an Android or a "basic" iPhone model from whatever year. I have seen few iPhone Minis in the wild in the first place.
I could afford to buy pretty much any iPhone but don't because it doesn't make sense for my uses and money spent. For me the form factor was the most important driver and the cheaper price was only gravy on top as I feel the iPhone Pros, for my uses, don't offer anything extra that would make them worth twice or more than what I paid for the Mini.
I was more willing to spend that kind of money for the Galaxy Fold 4 because it does more rather than being just "iPhone with bigger size/display/battery and better cameras". That's more of a software issue for Apple where their Pro lineup doesn't differentiate itself enough from the cheaper lineups.
With the high prices of the iPhone 14 Pro lineup and the lack of true innovation in either software or hardware making for what seem to be bad sales, I feel Apple really needs to step things up next year if they want to keep these higher prices.
Unfortunately that means nothing for those of us who like these smaller models. We might have to begrudgingly pick a larger than we'd like model or stick with the iPhone 12/13 Mini for as long as possible, which to be fair should still be several years.
Some of us have a more modern, slimmed down approach to gadgetry. You'd be surprised how many people now use smartphones instead of laptops and tablets. Most don't possess a desktop computer anymore. We do everything on our phones so obviously big screens are mandatory.
To us they are a portable entertainment device and computer which just so happens to have a phone app. To others who still think like they did in the 90s and 00s with a desktop in their study, a laptop and possibly even a tablet then a phone is just a phone. It's something they make calls & send messages on and might if absolutely pushed do a quick web search or use the camera.
‘Not really worth arguing about as it is not going to happen. The mini is dead.
This is indeed very true even if it might appear ridiculous to outsiders -Most kids/teens/young adults in schools, high-schools, college, teens and young adult workplaces, etc., have this unspoken competition going on where you’re seen as poor or less cool if you have an older or less expensive smartphone.
Ideally you have a Pro or Max/Pro Max or Plus iPhone no older than 2-3 years. But newer and more expensive is always preferred.
SE and mini are therefore scoffed at as they instantly signal less status.
*I’m not applauding this behavior. But the below 30-40 demographic is either the largest or second largest in terms of new iPhone sales.
-And this demographic don’t buy the iPhone that suits their needs or personal preferences. They firstly get one that buys them more social capital. They’d only settle for less than a Pro if they can’t afford it but not for other reasons.
You can visit any high school in Western Europe or the U.S. Even in less affluent schools kids still know all the iPhones and really only want the most expensive ones unless they’re forced to settle.
Apple can’t price mini iPhones at the same price or higher than standard or Plus or Pro iPhones, that’s why it’s not returning in a new iteration.
Only the SE slot could bring it back. But SEs can’t get the OLED displays so that’s also unlikely.
iPhone mini is history the day the 13 mini is cut from the line-up.
Looking at all the comments I have the 12 mini myself I agree the battery life sucks but it is just about the same as the se 2020 I went with the 12 mini because I like the small form factor of it the size is perfect for me I will probably keep this phone until the 15 series comes out
For many people this is true. Though ios and android simply cannot replace a pc where heavy cad, mapping and other complex computing is processed, and not to mention even some basic computing on a large screen that I would never consider using on a phone or iPad such as multiple spreadsheets and word processing all in view for a productive session😀
For me larger screen devices with physical input systems are just vastly superior to smartphones. I'd rather watch videos, TV shows or movies on an actual TV or a desktop display rather than from a tiny (in comparison) 6+" smartphone screen. I'd rather play video games on a console or desktop gaming PC again connected to big screens. I'd rather read an article on a laptop, tablet or desktop PC.
For me smartphones are largely like you said, just something that is convenient to use when out and about as that's the only time the compact size and portability are a plus compared to these other devices. So focusing on the compact convenience with products like the iPhone Minis are a good way to go.
Foldables are starting to bridge these gaps and I could see the tablet form factor going away over time as it's just more convenient to have a foldable phone.
The next thing I'd like to see is for those haptic feedback things to become a reality. We saw prototypes in something like 2013 that have never become real products where you could feel a button under your fingers on a touchscreen etc.
I do get that for a lot of people their phone is their primary means of interacting with the digital world as having all these different devices is expensive. But at the same time people break, lose or have their phones stolen regularly enough that I would not want to put all my digital eggs in that one basket, even with cloud backups and whatnot.
Exactly. If cost were the primary consideration, I’d have switched to an SE2 when my SE1 died. Instead I got the Mini, in the hope I could use it one-handed. (Unlike the SE1, it’s a touch too big and heavy, but at least I can do _some_ things with one hand.)
I waited 6 years to upgrade because I wanted another small phone. I’ll wait another 6 if I have to. Whereas Apple could have more of my money every 2-3 years if they kept releasing small phones.
And if they don’t ever release another, I’ll have to seriously consider a switch to android.
Not sure what you will do on Android as most OEMs hardly makes anything smaller than 6.5", and pretty much all Android phones are at least at the size of the regular 6.1" iPhone. None of them are as small as the mini. Apple was correct when they said "only Apple can do it" when they announced the 12 mini.
The future of small iPhones would be an updated SE using the mini design with a cheap price point, maybe using lcd and no 5g to keep the price down but updated camera/chip. There won’t be any premium models from apple under 6 inches, there’s no mass market for it and macrumours/Reddit/Tech youtubers aren’t a big market.
The SE is basically the cheapest iPhone Apple can make. So they will simply use existing case and parts, only changing the SoC and wireless radio as needed. Take the 2020 and 2022 SE. Apple literally kept everything the same as the iPhone 8 from display to camera unit. I doubt Apple would design new parts (mini-size LCD) just for the cheapest iPhone. Today's Apple is about margins. The next logical SE will be the XR's shell.
Top rumour at the moment is the next SE being a hybrid xr model using 5.7 inch display so they would have to design new parts for that.
The major manufacturers don’t, but if you dig, you’ll find there are a few niche manufacturers that do. The benefits of an open ecosystem.
While I can get a smaller iPhone, the convenience of a more easily secured device makes it my preference. But a secure device that I can’t use effectively isn’t worth it if I can put in extra effort to keep the usable device secured.
Mee too😀 just make sure it has a two nano sim trey. Or is that asking for too much?
lol so many people here telling others what they actually want or what their lifestyle is. i'm not going to presume for anyone other than me. i like a small, premium mobile device. i'd pay as much or more for a mini pro as a regular pro to get a nice screen (just smaller) and a decent battery life.
If Apple comes out with Pro mini, I'll be the first in line. I want the pro camera but not interested with the bigger size & weight.
I always enjoy finding another mini thread, and to note that people are still finding value in the 13 mini from last year. Obviously no one knows for sure, but I’d bet the 13 Mini size will not be the last one. Yes phones have been getting bigger and bigger, but like low- and high-rise jeans and so many other trends, it comes and goes, and these “phones” simply cannot keep getting bigger indefinitely.
It might take Apple another 1-3 years but I’ll bet there will be another SE and/or Mini phone.
It might take Apple another 1-3 years but I’ll bet there will be another SE and/or Mini phone.