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There Is No iPhone 14 Mini: Here's Why [Updated]
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Tricky, as next SE is rumoured for spring 2023 and 13 mini will still be sold until September 2023. Besides, 12-13 minis must be quite expensive to make.
Maybe Apple should go all-in on small size and create a new "iPhone nano" that's about the same size as an AirPods case. Imagine a little block of plastic that has no screen at all, just antenna and battery and basic phone bits, with the idea that it connects to your AppleWatch, iPad, or Mac to provide phone service on any/all of those devices.
In the meantime, I'll be holding on to my 13 mini for as long as I can.
In the meantime, I'll be holding on to my 13 mini for as long as I can.
It's a shame because the mini fits in the hand beautifully and every time I hold one I look at my fat iPhone Pro in disgust. No idea why anyone pics the Plus, it's ridiculous to carry around.
I love my mini and hope for the SE to become the next mini
Hate to agree, but yeah that’s a really good point about why the mini didn’t sell as well.
5% was still 5 million phones or so. That is the problem with those large companies. Google and Facebook also get rid of features that only 2% or so of people use, even if that is still millions of people.
Yeah, people are here in denial. People, for the most part, want bigger phones and the mini clearly has not sold that well to merit a new model. Regardless of how much money Apple has, it's not going to play fast and lose with it. It's not complicated.
Watch out, it’s Dark Mini 🤣“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…”
You guys are seriously adventurous today!iPhone 14 Plus, in fact, is entirely opposite of mini, being bigger, heavier and more expensive.
I think that it’s both the reason the mini didn’t sell as well and also what the mini form factor will eventually become. When SE goes to FaceID and ditches home button form factor, I think it’ll be the mini form factor. It’ll hold out on the notch long after the digital island is on all new iPhone models, same as home button model is right now during FaceID
Years ago, I had both a 6S and a 6S Plus at the same time. The first being personal and the second work.
I loved the bigger screen size of the Plus. It's physical size in my hand was fine. But it was just too big to fit my pockets, and to place somewhere sensible in my car.
Eventually I went for a 12 Pro - bigger screen but shorter and narrower overall. Probably the largest I'd ever want.
But what I might accept, even leap at, is a small phone (like a 13 mini) which worked in close cooperation with an iPad - even a 6". The phone being used more literally for its phone attributes and the iPad for things that benefit from the larger display.
I loved the bigger screen size of the Plus. It's physical size in my hand was fine. But it was just too big to fit my pockets, and to place somewhere sensible in my car.
Eventually I went for a 12 Pro - bigger screen but shorter and narrower overall. Probably the largest I'd ever want.
But what I might accept, even leap at, is a small phone (like a 13 mini) which worked in close cooperation with an iPad - even a 6". The phone being used more literally for its phone attributes and the iPad for things that benefit from the larger display.
Another consideration is that the 13 mini next year would be $499.
The SE right now is $429. It’s feasible that Apple would increase the price of the SE to $499 next year, and have no $429 device.
5.4” is mini in name only. My niece who has iPhone 12 and tried my 12 mini: “oh, it’s not really mini”.
I think it should be 5.6” and not called mini. There should be a 6.2” called Plus and a 6.8” called Max. Mini should be 5”. I’ll keep using my SE1. I’m buying a spare soon.
I think it should be 5.6” and not called mini. There should be a 6.2” called Plus and a 6.8” called Max. Mini should be 5”. I’ll keep using my SE1. I’m buying a spare soon.
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People seem to be confusing mini and budget, the reason I like the mini is because of its size, it is the number one concern for me.
I speak to loads of SE users who buy it because it’s small and cheap. So hopefully in the future the SE can just use the Mini chassis instead of the iPhone 6 chassis.
I speak to loads of SE users who buy it because it’s small and cheap. So hopefully in the future the SE can just use the Mini chassis instead of the iPhone 6 chassis.
Is it a 12 mini? I noticed rapid battery degradation with my regular iPhone 12 within the first several months of ownership. Luckily my 13 mini seems to be holding up much better thus far, but I have AppleCare at the ready if anything should start going south.
Since struggling with a 64gb X for awhile I really cut down my phone use and apps.
I got a 12PM when it came out but hated the size and I mostly had nothing on my phone despite having 256gb.
I bought a 13 mini a few months ago and absolutely love it. I was so over the max the mini is amazing. Even after a week my wife’s normal sized 12 felt like a huge phone. I’m keeping this thing as long as I can. Unless Apple gives me something the same size.
I got a 12PM when it came out but hated the size and I mostly had nothing on my phone despite having 256gb.
I bought a 13 mini a few months ago and absolutely love it. I was so over the max the mini is amazing. Even after a week my wife’s normal sized 12 felt like a huge phone. I’m keeping this thing as long as I can. Unless Apple gives me something the same size.
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The mini is/was a fantastic feeling device to hold in the hand. I loved it, though I didn't personally use one myself. I do get the sense that many people feel that way, and I guess it wasn't enough to keep sales strong, unfortunately.
My one gripe with it, was these UIs seem to be evolving for larger displays, and the mini (along with iPad mini for that matter), have what seems like a scaled down UI - smaller touch targets, widgets not as native looking (for lack of a better description). I do think it would be nice for them to keep a mini in the lineup, even if it isn't refreshed every year.
And in fairness, the 13 mini, which is still available, isn't much different from what the new 14 has.
My one gripe with it, was these UIs seem to be evolving for larger displays, and the mini (along with iPad mini for that matter), have what seems like a scaled down UI - smaller touch targets, widgets not as native looking (for lack of a better description). I do think it would be nice for them to keep a mini in the lineup, even if it isn't refreshed every year.
And in fairness, the 13 mini, which is still available, isn't much different from what the new 14 has.
Apple would not be making much then. Mini’s sharp OLED screen, good cameras, etc., plus quite a complex assembly, must all cost quite a bit. Besides, this new SE should be coming in the spring 2023. If Apple stops selling 13 mini at 599$ then and just starts selling it for 499$, this will be quite odd, I reckon. 🤷🏻♂️
So Apple sold in 2020 230 Million iPhones, the article says around 6% are iPhone 12 mini, that’s stlll around 13 million iPhone 12 minis .
13 million iPhone customers wanted a smaller iPhone in 2020. With the money Apple has is it really that hard to keep 1 mini size in the lineup and keep it up to date?
My iPhone mini 12 is still going strong , so cannot justify upgrading it yet, but will likely get a mini 13 in the next 12 months before they disappear.
13 million iPhone customers wanted a smaller iPhone in 2020. With the money Apple has is it really that hard to keep 1 mini size in the lineup and keep it up to date?
My iPhone mini 12 is still going strong , so cannot justify upgrading it yet, but will likely get a mini 13 in the next 12 months before they disappear.
How iPhone mini sales turned out made it clear, that MacRumors readers don't represent the larger Apple audience.
I was on the mini bandwagon, and went to a store to buy one when it came out, after using it for a bit it became clear its just too small.
Believe it or not bigger screen are a selling point, if you're gonna stare at something most of your day, might as well be big. I'm eyeing a plus model for the next upgrade, oh and the battery life is a plus.
I was on the mini bandwagon, and went to a store to buy one when it came out, after using it for a bit it became clear its just too small.
Believe it or not bigger screen are a selling point, if you're gonna stare at something most of your day, might as well be big. I'm eyeing a plus model for the next upgrade, oh and the battery life is a plus.
I don’t care about the screen size. As long as autocorrect is broken in iOS, I don’t care if I mistype on a tiny or a huge screen.
“the market share is low so it must die”
Then what justifies the existence of niche products like the Mac Pro, or even the new Apple Watch Ultra.
Also it’s easy to scoff when you see numbers like 5% or 3%, but considering how many iPhones are sold in total, that’s still millions of people that bought iPhone minis.
Then what justifies the existence of niche products like the Mac Pro, or even the new Apple Watch Ultra.
Also it’s easy to scoff when you see numbers like 5% or 3%, but considering how many iPhones are sold in total, that’s still millions of people that bought iPhone minis.
Most companies strive for sales numbers that are 3-6% of iPhones (one of the best selling products ever). It’s not like they lost money on it (most of the r&d is the same as the other phones). I don’t think there is any reason why Apple won’t offer it other than silly things like product line simplicity and their inability to focus on too many things at once. As ATP put it, the product line is mature; at this point there is opportunities to address smaller niches like mini fans, and instead they only focus on what they think will be blockbusters.
So, they should have called the Mini the Dark Max. 🤣
But really, they should have called it Compact, like Sony did with the Xperia. Coming from the SE1, it’s not mini at all, but it’s compact all right.
Absolutely not. The appeal of the Mini is the size. It didn’t fail because it lacked anything. It failed because it’s a niche device and it was too close in price to the iPhone 12/13. A Pro Mini is an even more niche device.