iPhone 12 mini The iPhone Mini Failed (And That's Okay)

[blairh]

The fact that Ming-Chi is saying that the iPhone Mini will be gone by 2022 means it's an abject failure for Apple. In no universe did Apple want this to happen. They wanted the Mini to be a sales success and a category that could remain for many years to come in the lineup. That clearly has not happened.

Two things happened.

1. Consumers have shown us that they don't want to spend $700 and up for a tiny iPhone. For $100 more you could get an iPhone 12 which provides a larger screen and more battery life. The only reason to get the Mini in that comparison would be for the size alone.

2. The iPhone SE. Updated in early 2020, this device isn't that much larger than the iPhone Mini and costs nearly half the price. It also may have been some random good luck for the SE that it offered Touch ID in a period of time when we were all wearing masks.

Here's what I believe will happen. We are getting a new iPhone Mini in 2021. In 2022 the 2021 iPhone Mini will remain in the lineup however there will be no 'new' Mini model that year. In 2023 Apple will discontinue the SE and replace it with the 2021 iPhone Mini. At that point Apple can sell it in the $400-$500 price range where it will both act as the cheapest iPhone in the lineup and a great option for people that want a compact iPhone. I also think it makes a ton of sense to have the smallest iPhone in the lineup be the cheapest too.

Yes I believe there is still a strong market for a compact iPhone moving forward. Just not at $700 and up.

 

[Phone Junky]

For $100 more you could get an iPhone 12 which is superior in every way.

Um, no it's not. Take away battery and screen size and there is no difference.

 

[blairh]

Um, no it's not. Take away battery and screen size and there is no difference.

I should have worded my point better. I'm trying to say the only reason one would opt for the Mini over the 6.1" iPhone 12 is the smaller size. I'll edit that part.

 

[Feyl]

If the 12 mini had adequate price, better battery and telephoto lens instead of the ultra wide, it could be a hit. I would buy it in a heartbeat. Honestly, I'd buy even smaller iPhone.

 

[braddick]

Compared to other phones on the market: It's a hit!
Compared to other iPhones on the market: It's not, so much!

 

[JPack]

What is the purpose of the iPhone 12 mini?

• A compact phone? Or
• A relatively low-cost 5G iPhone?

There are a lot of indicators the iPhone 12 mini served as the $699 entry point to 5G. Today, Xiaomi sells a 5G phone for under $200 around the world. By 2023, 5G will be the bare standard. An iPhone mini would only serve the niche market of compact phone buyers.

Kuo says the 2022 SE will be 4.7" and feature 5G.

The overwhelming majority of iPhone users around the world today carry a 6.1" iPhone XR or 11. That is similar to the situation a few years ago when the overwhelming majority of iPhone owners had 4.7" devices. It makes sense the 2023 SE would be a 6.1" device. Not only is the tooling available, but it appeals to a much larger audience.

 

[Bodhitree]

The iPhone 12 Mini still sold comparatively a lot of units, and helped Apple beat Samsung to the number 1 spot among smartphone makers for total phones sold last year. That’s not bad, and I wouldn’t be surprised that they keep it as a permanent addition to the lineup.

But I rather agree that a couple of years old Mini is probably set to become the new SE, eventually.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I really don't want a larger iPhone.

 

[Ixon2001]

7 to 8 years ago the iPhone Mini would have been classed as a large phone & to big for most people, funny how times have changed.

 

[Bodhitree]

7 to 8 years ago the iPhone Mini would have been classed as a large phone & to big for most people, funny how times have changed.

Certainly true, and for me there’s an interesting decision coming up because my current phone, a 7, I can still use one handed and I do a lot of the time. I’ve played around a bit with an 11 and i reckon that is no longer the case. So that’s definitely appoint in favour of the mini.

 

[blairh]

What is the purpose of the iPhone 12 mini?

• A compact phone? Or
• A relatively low-cost 5G iPhone?

There are a lot of indicators the iPhone 12 mini served as the $699 entry point to 5G. Today, Xiaomi sells a 5G phone for under $200 around the world. By 2023, 5G will be the bare standard. An iPhone mini would only serve the niche market of compact phone buyers.

Kuo says the 2022 SE will be 4.7" and feature 5G.

The overwhelming majority of iPhone users around the world today carry a 6.1" iPhone XR or 11. That is similar to the situation a few years ago when the overwhelming majority of iPhone owners had 4.7" devices. It makes sense the 2023 SE would be a 6.1" device. Not only is the tooling available, but it appeals to a much larger audience.

I disagree. I believe there will be an iPhone Mini in 2023 and the SE will be gone by that point. A 6.1" SE makes no sense when you have a 6.1" iPhone 15 in the lineup too.

 

[JPack]

I disagree. I believe there will be an iPhone Mini in 2023 and the SE will be gone by that point. A 6.1" SE makes no sense when you have a 6.1" iPhone 15 in the lineup too.

The current line up already tells you Apple doesn't mind selling four 6.1" devices concurrently. Unlike iPhone X or Xs, Apple hasn't removed iPhone 11 or XR.

iPhone SE serves the emerging markets and I don't see Apple putting brakes on that in 2023. To get it down to that $399 or even $499 price, Apple needs to remove OLED and Face ID. Emerging markets want dual-SIM and that feature was added to SE2 but not mini. If you put all that together, will Apple revive and Frankenstein an iPhone 12 mini for 2023? Probably not. It's much easier to take an XR/11, delete Face ID, and call it an SE.

 

[blairh]

The current line up already tells you Apple doesn't mind selling four 6.1" devices concurrently. Unlike iPhone X or Xs, Apple hasn't removed iPhone 11 or XR.

iPhone SE serves the emerging markets and I don't see Apple putting brakes on that in 2023. To get it down to that $399 or even $499 price, Apple needs to remove OLED and Face ID. Emerging markets want dual-SIM and that feature was added to SE2 but not mini. If you put all that together, will Apple revive and Frankenstein an iPhone 12 mini for 2023? Probably not. It's much easier to take an XR/11, delete Face ID, and call it an SE.

The XR has Face ID and starts at $499. Just because the Mini has an OLED panel it can't be sold for $399 or $499 in the fall of 2023? Come on.

It's entirely possible the SE 2022 remains in the lineup for 2023 and so does the 2021 Mini at a far cheaper price than $699 to start.

 

[JPack]

The XR has Face ID and starts at $499. Just because the Mini has an OLED panel it can't be sold for $399 or $499 in the fall of 2023? Come on.

It's entirely possible the SE 2022 remains in the lineup for 2023 and so does the 2021 Mini at a far cheaper price than $699 to start.

The XR is single camera with LCD. The mini has all three premium features, dual-camera, OLED, plus Face ID. Can the mini be sold for $399 or $499? Yes. Will high-margin Apple Inc. do that? I don't think so. The SE 2020 is based on a form factor from 2017, or more realistically, 2014.

In 2023, the iPhone 12 flat edge design will likely still be at the top. I don't see Apple chopping its own legs by discounting that form factor so soon. However, the iPhone X form factor, which carries to iPhone XR/11 is on table.

 

[EM2013]

I can see the mini being the new se when they start doing a notch less iPhone.

Notch less iPhone will probably have new Face ID tech, so keep the old tech on it to keep it low cost.

 

[blairh]

The XR is single camera with LCD. The mini has all three premium features, dual-camera, OLED, plus Face ID. Can the mini be sold for $399 or $499? Yes. Will high-margin Apple Inc. do that? I don't think so. The SE 2020 is based on a form factor from 2017, or more realistically, 2014.

In 2023, the iPhone 12 flat edge design will likely still be at the top. I don't see Apple chopping its own legs by discounting that form factor so soon. However, the iPhone X form factor, which carries to iPhone XR/11 is on table.

So the XR can be sold for $499 now but the Mini can't be at that same price in 2023 because it has OLED and two cameras instead of one? Again, come on.

Flat edge design will look boring and dated in the fall of 2023. That's a ridiculous point.

 

[RiddlaBronc]

I hope they continue to produce it. Love mine, and money was not an issue. Got my wife the 12. While nice, its just too big for my use. Love the fit in the pocket and portability to take it out one handed and snap a quick picture and use it one handed.

The 12 is worth the 100 bucks for screen and battery alone. But, the portability prevailed in my case. I even got the 256 which is a 1k.

 

[Pugly]

It's hard to say what Apple expected out of this model. It did make the regular iPhone 12 $100 more expensive, that's got to be worth something to Apple.... it provides that important price anchor. And it's probably a kind of model they can keep around for the diehard small phone users, like the iPad mini, with minimal updates.

In the history of 'mini' Apple products how much do they sell compared to the regular one? The iPad mini is still around, the 11" MacBook Air stuck around in it's niche... and the Mac mini for that part. How much does the 21.5 inch iMac sell compared to the 27"?

There's probably some value to having a family of products with clearly defined roles, even if they all aren't the top sellers. And are they selling more iPhones because of the mini, or are they just selling fewer of other models?

The mini just doesn't fill it's role very well. I think it's great that the mini has all the same features as the regular 12 and most of what's on the Pros. But really it's a phone for people who don't want to use their phone that much... it doesn't need the latest and greatest to serve it's function. When the small one was the SE, it fulfilled it's role much easier.

As much as I love extremely capable small electronics, the time for electronics being smaller as a selling feature is over I think.

 

[Runs For Fun]

I don’t see Apple replacing the SE with the Mini. The Mini is still a flagship device. The point of the SE is to be the budget device and to be a budget device at that price point features have to be left out and comprises have to be made. They’re not going to just slash the price of the Mini that drastically just to replace the SE.

 

[SenorWhyMe]

can you please stop using titles with this " (And That's Okay)" its pretty cringe almost CNN like

 

[blairh]

can you please stop using titles with this " (And That's Okay)" its pretty cringe almost CNN like

No I can't. (And that's okay.)

I don’t see Apple replacing the SE with the Mini. The Mini is still a flagship device. The point of the SE is to be the budget device and to be a budget device at that price point features have to be left out and comprises have to be made. They’re not going to just slash the price of the Mini that drastically just to replace the SE.

They won't be slashing anything. By the fall of 2023 they can offer the Mini at a reduced price.

 

[DaveP]

The mini is positioned as the phone of choice where a smaller form factor is the dominating factor. You want better camera, battery life, etc., move up for only slightly more cost. If you want to save money, get the SE or a previous year model. The value proposition was pretty much entirely size. So it's not too surprising it wasn't that successful.

Apple has a lot of options of how they can move forward. I don't see it turning into an SE 3 as most buyers want larger screens. However, it would be great if it was still available for a couple years at reduced prices. And if likely buyers are mostly concerned with size, it could continue to sell reasonably well even without the latest and greatest hardware.

 

[JPack]

So the XR can be sold for $499 now but the Mini can't be at that same price in 2023 because it has OLED and two cameras instead of one? Again, come on.

Flat edge design will look boring and dated in the fall of 2023. That's a ridiculous point.

Apple's entire strategy this year and last year relies on display and camera differences. That same strategy will be used this year and next.

Basically, you're proposing Apple skip the iPhone X form factor and jump directly to discounting the iPhone 12 form factor. I don't see that happening at all.

 

[JPack]

They won't be slashing anything. By the fall of 2023 they can offer the Mini at a reduced price.

Apple positions only one device per price bracket. They can put one device at $499. Why would Apple choose the iPhone mini, which has proven to be a weak seller, over the SE2 Plus?

 

[Bruninho]

The Mini did not fail. I was going to buy one when the pandemic came. In fact if the next iPhone lineup does not have a mini, I’m gonna buy the 12 mini.