There Is No iPhone 14 Mini: Here's Why [Updated]

[Novius89]

They should drop the 8 form factor en make the mini the SE, as said multiple times before.

I bought my 12 mini exactly 1 year ago after the speaker of my 11 stopped working.
Since the moment I unpacked it, till this exact moment I am impressed and absolutely love the size.

I use my phone more as a personal computer than a phone and the mini is perfect for it.

Buying another new phone (13 mini) after only a year is not something I will do, so my hopes are on Apple the next coming 2 years.

The dynamic island is something that will not work on the mini size, so in my eyes it’s perfect for Apple.

Use the production line of the minis for the new SE, leftover parts etc and just keep it as the model with a notch. Maybe as a selling point and keep the old SE fans happy, Touch ID in the power button and we’re there.

The Touch ID button is hopelessly outdated and it genuinely feels old tech when I use my standard iPad.

 

[eatrains]

Wow, so if I'm holding my phone in one hand, it's a mobile device, but if I touch it with my other hand, it's no longer a mobile device? Fascinating! Never knew people lost the function of one hand when they're going mobile. /s

And as I've been explaining to iRockMan1, you can indeed use the larger phones one-handed if you want to.

It’s more uncomfortable, more cumbersome, requires more workarounds, more likely to slip out of your grip, on and on.

 

[usagora]

I love the mini form factor. For me it feels like a return to form after dealing with the slightly too large 6/7/8/SE202x form factor for the past 8 years or so.

Smaller than an SE physically, bigger screen. What’s not to like?

Screen's too small

It’s more uncomfortable, more cumbersome, requires more workarounds, more likely to slip out of your grip, on and on.

Again, I have medium sized hands and don't find any of those things to be true with my 13 PM let alone the standard sized iPhone (6.1"). I think some (not all, of course) people who say things like this about the non-Mini iPhones haven't actually used them at all or for an extended period of time (they use it a few minutes and immediately judge it because they're not used to it).

 

[iRockMan1]

Hardly. Sounds like you just need to practice. I literally just did it and it felt very natural and fast. Yes, obviously it's not 100% as fast/natural as simply moving your thumb, but it's pretty darn close and it's the best you're going to get an iPhone 14 and a great compromise for those who want/need a larger screen but still be able to use it one-handed when needed.

Nah, I've been using the feature for years. The thing about sub-optimal actions is that, when they are commonly repeated, the time loss adds up to something significant over time, and the friction they introduce degrades the whole user experience in a way that can be perceived. Your moment to moment user experience should be as fast and natural as reasonably possible.

That's not to mention the various issues where when you're trying to activate the feature you might accidentally trigger a UI item on the lower part of the screen (like "Calendars" at the bottom of the Calendars app), or how you might swipe your finger too horizontally, or how you might not swipe far down enough, or how annoying it is that you might activate it, tap something in the top right, then have to activate it again to tap another thing in the top right immediately after.

 

[eatrains]

Screen's too small



Again, I have medium sized hands and don't find any of those things to be true with my 13 PM let alone the standard sized iPhone (6.1"). I think some (not all, of course) people who say things like this about the non-Mini iPhones haven't actually used them at all or for an extended period of time (they use it a few minutes and immediately judge it because they're not used to it).

My mini is already difficult to use with one hand. Anything bigger will be nothing except worse.

 

[usagora]

My mini is already difficult to use with one hand. Anything bigger will be nothing except worse.

You must have very small hands or motor issues that effect your hands then. Not judging at all, because we can't help some things, but I just can't think of any other reasons why that small phone would be difficult for you to use. Even the 6.1" phones I can't see how. My 12 Pro felt miniature to me after using the 13PM for just a day.

 

[rileyes]

is Apple writing this flurry of PR articles on MacRumors?

 

[usagora]

Nah, I've been using the feature for years.

I completely disagree with you on the feature and I think you're way over-thinking it, but am I to understand after all this that you don't even own a 13 Mini based on the tense of the above sentence? If not, why not?

 

[driven01]

The iPhone 14 lineup is the first iPhone series to not include a display size below six inches, despite sticking with the 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch form factors of previous generations that included a 5.4-inch model. So why did Apple eliminate the "mini" device that some iPhone customers had come to love?

Apple debuted the iPhone 12 mini in 2020 following years of calls from iPhone fans for the company to offer a small-screen device with the latest features. When Apple did so, it was assumed that the small form factor would persist for several years – but it appears that the device has come to a premature end upon the release of the iPhone 14 lineup.

Concerns first arose when the iPhone 12 mini appeared to not be selling as well as Apple had hoped, making up just six percent of iPhone 12 sales in the U.S. in October and November 2020, according to data gathered by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP). Counterpoint Research reported that the iPhone 12 mini accounted for only five percent of all iPhone 12 sales in the U.S. in the first half of January 2021.

Morgan Stanley believed that Apple chose to cut production of the iPhone 12 mini by two million units to create more manufacturing capacity for the more popular iPhone 12 Pro. This was mirrored by a Taiwanese report, citing supply chain sources, which said that strong demand for ‌iPhone 12 Pro‌ models in China led Apple to increase its supply of the more expensive devices.

Most strikingly, JP Morgan Chase claimed that Apple outright halted iPhone 12 mini production in the second quarter of 2021. While the sales reports for the iPhone 12 mini did not bode well for the iPhone 13 mini, Apple plans its iPhone production and supply chain operations well in advance of launch, meaning that the iPhone 13 mini was already well on the way to production by the time the issues with the iPhone 12 mini's sales were clear.

In April 2022, CIRP released more data suggesting that the iPhone 13 mini accounted for just 3 percent of iPhone 13 sales – half that of the iPhone 12 mini. These continued poor sales were likely the main reason behind the demise of the "mini" form factor iPhone.

With the iPhone 14 lineup, Apple has opted to replace the "mini" device with an all-new "Plus" device. In some respects, the iPhone 14 Plus mirrors the iPhone 12 mini, offering the latest iPhone's features in a different display size. Instead of offering a lightweight small-screen option, customers can now choose an even bigger battery and 6.7-inch display – the same size that iPhone "Max" customers have been used to for four years now at a price of $1,099 – but at a lower, $899 price point.

Article Link: There Is No iPhone 14 Mini: Here's Why

Apple needs to make a Pro version of the mini. I think then that will sell. That was literally the only thing that kept me from buying one at the time.

 

[iRockMan1]

I completely disagree with you on the feature and I think you're way over-thinking it, but am I to understand after all this that you don't even own a 13 Mini based on the tense of the above sentence? If not, why not?

I do own a 13 mini.

I think the issue here is that sensitivity to friction in UX varies among people. Some people can't perceive or don't care that Electron apps like VS Code are less responsive than certain native apps like Sublime Text, for example. The other day I encountered someone on Hacker News who didn't think the original iPhone had a better UX than other phones on the market at the time. There are people who also don't have an issue with monitors with touch sensitive buttons that you can't see that you're required to use to adjust the brightness, and adjusting the brightness takes 8 seconds. There are people who think climate controls should be on a touch screen that you have to look at while driving on a winding road. And there are people who think what you think. I'm not judging you as a person: it's not your job to notice any of these things, and I'm sure your life is more enjoyable for it.

On the other end of the spectrum, I notice bad designs and implementations all the time, and am aware of how much better things could be, and it's frustrating.

 

[usagora]

On the other end of the spectrum, I notice bad designs and implementations all the time, and am aware of how much better things could be, and it's frustrating.

So do I, but we simply disagree that Reachability is a bad implementation, given the hardware. Obviously you would prefer to not need a software solution and instead have a smaller phone to begin with, but since that's not an option with iPhone 14, it becomes a moot point, and I don't see a better solution/compromise than Reachability. If you have one, then I'm all ears.

 

[iRockMan1]

So do I, but we simply disagree that Reachability is a bad implementation, given the hardware. Obviously you would prefer to not need a software solution and instead have a smaller phone to begin with, but since that's not an option with iPhone 14, it becomes a moot point, and I don't see a better solution/compromise than Reachability. If you have one, then I'm all ears.

Apple makes the hardware and software, so they have complete agency over the issue. I'm criticizing them for making their phones big and making one-handed use more difficult than it used to be, and contending that Reachability does not adequately solve the issue, and that nothing can solve the problem aside from offering a phone closer in size to the iPhone 5, which could comfortably, intuitively and quickly be used with one hand.

 

[tlab]

According to the latest rumours, the iPhone 13 Mini still provides adequate performance when playing wordle and candy crush, and it even runs the Facebook app. It’s amazing that such a tiny old model still has essential features that every pro needs in their smartphone.

 

[imdog]

You must have very small hands or motor issues that effect your hands then. Not judging at all, because we can't help some things, but I just can't think of any other reasons why that small phone would be difficult for you to use. Even the 6.1" phones I can't see how. My 12 Pro felt miniature to me after using the 13PM for just a day.

I have very large hands and am probably among the most dexterous people on the planet as I can type over 190WPM. But I say the iPhone mini is absolutely massive and no human on earth has a hand large enough to use it properly

 

[LV426]

I know what I said. I still have no idea what your issue is with what I said. Your previous reply went off on aircraft safety issues, which has nothing to do with what I said.

You clearly don’t know, or at least don‘t understand, what you said. I will repeat it again for you.

"I absolutely disagree that a company has a moral obligation to cater to anyone's needs".

This is patently wrong. Every company has a moral and legal obligation to cater for users’ needs.

As you need a little help in understanding this, I gave you a recent example of a company that took exactly the opposite view and fell foul of the law as a consequence.

No company has an obligation to pander to every customer’s whim, but that is not what you said. In short, do not use careless language. You will be picked up on it.

 

[svish]

iPhone mini did have its takers but not in the volume Apple would have expected. The 6.7" iPhone Plus should sell well. One need not spend more to just get a bigger screen.

 

[RickDEGH]

Would be interesting to see the iPhone model share in different markets. When I roughly estimate the share of models (12 and up) from where I live here in Germany, I would say it's like: 50% 12/13, 40% Mini 12/13 and 10% Pro ...and like 0,00001% Pro Max (almost never seen one in the wild)

You aren’t wrong. I’ve seen more Minis here in Germany than I’ve seen Pro Maxs.

 

[iZac]

Just bought a 13 mini yesterday, which will likely now be with me for four or five years until either a mini SE with a better chip comes out or I’m forced to give up and get a pocket slab like everyone else. Stay strong, mini friends!

 

[ghanwani]

The only reason the mini didn’t sell was because of the small screen. If the screen was bigger, it would have sold just fine.

 

[Poisednoise]

Just bought a 13 mini yesterday, which will likely now be with me for four or five years until either a mini SE with a better chip comes out or I’m forced to give up and get a pocket slab like everyone else. Stay strong, mini friends!

Ditto. Replacing an XS which was just a bit too big to fit in a jacket pocket. Really looking forward to not carrying my phone in my hand everywhere at work. I use my phone primarily to quickly read work emails, control music playback from Music or Spotify (I’m a music teacher), check my calendar ro see where I need to be next. For that I don’t need anything bigger.

 

[Dammit Cubs]

this plus no sim tray might make me skip.this year and enjoy my mini more

 

[Bento.Box]

I mean, the price was absolutely the issue. I could not disagree more with that statement. The fact that there wasn't any competition is irrelevant. People rejected the iPhone Mini. It's that simple. So Apple can either phase it out entirely in due time or give it another shot with another strategy.

It's not irrelevant. If your product is almost the only one on the market fitting certain use cases, you don't need to offer it at a discount. Those people who are interested in it, will buy it anyway.

What if I told you that the iPhone Mini was not appealing to many because it was too expensive?

Then you would need to show me proof or explain how that could remotely be the case.
We have the SE in the lineup which has the same format (roughly) and is way cheaper, with less features.
Yet in the wild, I see plenty of people with an iphone mini but almost nobody with an SE. Or is that a swiss thing and it's the other way around in the US?
And yes, most people have bigger phones and a number of them complain that it is too big - consumers have become "dumber" with their tech procurement decisions in the past 25 years.

If I were apple, I would continue to sell a high end mini (maybe every 2 or 3 years or whenever there is a bigger update) and probably discontinue the SE and just sell older phones with similar specs to an SE for cheap as "entry level" to have the production more streamlined. But that's just my opinion.

 

[usagora]

You clearly don’t know, or at least don‘t understand, what you said. I will repeat it again for you.

"I absolutely disagree that a company has a moral obligation to cater to anyone's needs".

This is patently wrong. Every company has a moral and legal obligation to cater for users’ needs.

As you need a little help in understanding this, I gave you a recent example of a company that took exactly the opposite view and fell foul of the law as a consequence.

No company has an obligation to pander to every customer’s whim, but that is not what you said. In short, do not use careless language. You will be picked up on it.

Have you ever heard of context before? Do you seriously think by "needs" in this context I meant the "need" to keep consumer's safe whilst using your product or service? No, it's quite obvious that we're talking about people's felt needs for specific products or features that they think are "cool" or otherwise desirable. Words have various shades of meaning depending on the context in which they are used. Surely you know this and are just trying to argue for the sake of arguing. Conversation over. Good day.

 

[usagora]

Apple makes the hardware and software, so they have complete agency over the issue. I'm criticizing them for making their phones big and making one-handed use more difficult than it used to be, and contending that Reachability does not adequately solve the issue, and that nothing can solve the problem aside from offering a phone closer in size to the iPhone 5, which could comfortably, intuitively and quickly be used with one hand.

Which they've apparently decided is not a viable option at this time from a business perspective due to the severe lack of demand, so my point was given THAT reality, Reachability is the best option for catering to the one-handed folks with a larger phone. I think we're done here. Going in circles now.

 

[Bento.Box]

So, like I asked the other guy (the one who's not speaking to me anymore, lol!), do you think the people at Apple are a bunch of morons?

I've talked to their customer support on several occasions and can confirm that a bunch of morons actually work for apple. But that's another topic.

They see an opportunity for profit, and are just like, "nah" Of course not! It's really simple: if they thought the market was viable at this time, there would be an iPhone 14 Mini.

That I can agree on. I think few people buy a mini. Those who want one, already have one. The iphone 14 is not a big upgrade, hence the upgrade potential is even lower.
And they continue to sell the mini 13 (which is almost as good as the 14) at a discount for those people who want a small phone.

What would be a huge mistake, however, is discontinueing the line in the future and not bringing out a new mini every now and then and/or stopping to sell the 13. Then they would loose customers.