There Is No iPhone 15 Mini: Here's Why

[MacRumors]

The iPhone 15 lineup noticeably lacks a model with a display size below six inches, just two years after Apple extolled the virtues of a 5.4-inch device. 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 the device came to a seemingly premature end upon the release of the iPhone 14 lineup in 2022. Upon the release of the iPhone 15 lineup, Apple retired the last remaining device with the "mini" form factor.

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 opted to replace the "mini" device with an all-new "Plus" device that matched the 6.7-inch display size of its high-end "Pro Max" models. In some respects, the "Plus" mirrors the "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 "Pro Max" customers have been used to for over five years, now at a price of $1,199 – but at a much more accessible $899 price point.

Less than a week after the launch of the iPhone 14, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that demand for the two devices was "lackluster," with worse pre-order results than the third-generation iPhone SE and the iPhone 13 mini. He went as far as to claim that "Apple's product segmentation strategy for standard models fails this year" and Apple was believed to have shelved plans to increase production of the two devices. Display analyst Ross Young said panel orders for the ‌iPhone 14‌ were down 38 percent versus the ‌iPhone 13‌ at the same time last year, while in the resale market, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus lost their value twice as fast as the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 from the previous year.

Other reports from the likes of DigiTimes overwhelmingly presented the same picture of low iPhone 14 Plus sales, to the extent that Apple was forced to slash production, suggesting that the low sales of the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini may not have been caused by the device's size after all. Whether the iPhone 15 Plus will fare better is yet to be seen.

There are no plans to revive the iPhone's "mini" form factor in Apple's pipeline, according to rumors. The smallest iPhones in the works, such as next year's iPhone 16 and the fourth-generation iPhone SE, are expected to feature 6.1-inch displays. On the contrary, some future devices, such as the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pr... Click here to read rest of article

Article Link: There Is No iPhone 15 Mini: Here's Why

 

[gpat]

iPhone 15 Pro is effectively the new Mini.
Most people are buying the Max instead of it.
Apple could probably get away with making only the 15 regular and 15 Pro Max.

 

[Kiro]

iPhone 12 _pro_ mini would have sold millions….

 

[dduraznito]

Now they changed it but when the 15 launched, the iPhone 13 section still had the logo with the 2 sizes. I thought they had kept it another year, but they only kept the regular size 13.

 

[jdavid_rp]

I suppose it’s a phone for a market of people that don’t really focus on having the best specs, just a compact size, so as long as the device works and it’s being supported there is no need to buy a new one.

I have the 12 Mini and not feeling like upgrading anytime soon and if I do I will go to the 13 Mini or whatever small iPhone shows up in the future.

 

[vertsix]

I briefly had the 12 mini. I am a huge fan of the mini phones, I think they were great - but I ended up opting for the Pros for better specs, particularly ProMotion.

I'd be using a mini today if it was uncompromising in features to the Pro models, even with an expected hit in battery life.

But, sadly, Apple believed that the niche market of mini enjoyers (ourselves) would be OK with these compromises, and that the majority of people would give up larger screens for smaller ones.

Make a 16 Pro mini!

 

[gpat]

Now they changed it but when the 15 launched, the iPhone 13 section still had the logo with the 2 sizes. I thought they had kept it another year, but they only kept the regular size 13.

With the 13 at $599, 13 mini at $499 would've been too good as an entry-level product.
They would rather sell the crippled SE at $429.

 

[Isamilis]

I hope the Plus line won’t be eliminated like the mini.

 

[Arctic Moose]

iPhone 12 _pro_ mini would have sold millions….

I’d easily pay $2000 for an iPhone 15 Pro mini.

 

[krspkbl]

Nobody wants them. Or at least not enough people for Apple to bother. Most people are happy with normal sized phones at 6-7"

 

[marklcfc]

I just wish they'd sort the screens out. I've owned every SE model, and recently bought the SE3 for a second time, returning the 13 mini simply due to the screen. I'd happily get a more up to date iPhone if the screens were as easy on the eyes as the SE models have been.

 

[waquzy]

I’d easily pay $2000 for an iPhone 15 Pro mini.

I wouldn't pay that much, but I wouldn't mind paying Pro prices for Pro Mini that's for sure.

 

[007p]

I will always buy the best smallest iphone there is. In that order.

So that’s the smallest iphone pro. Had there been an iphone pro mini, then I would be buying that, but there isn’t.

 

[The.Outsider]

In all fairness, when we debate such outcomes, it is incredibly important to understand Apple's involvement in this. While Apple did what 'we wished for', it didn't nurture the mini line up at all. From covers to promotion to price, it was never what it was meant to be. Covers were hard to find by Apple, they didn't promote it well enough and they didn't give the mini a chance to exist in the lineup. Look at the iPhone 13 era and the line up Apple had, it was a mess. Today it's evident that if you want the VERY best and up to date upgrades it's the Pro MAX. Others fall short of basic things from USB C speeds to some features. So here's the issue, Apple never wanted to have the Mini succeed, because that meant too many screen investments and productions would differ from each model. That's costing more than they wanted in vest in. The Mini should have been the SE line. They needed to keep a flagship model to perform well, but you make that happen only when the options are fewer in the line up. MOST people would buy a cheaper iPhone, the SE shouldn't exist anymore, it makes no sense, and in stead it should just be called the Mini Line up keeping the form factor and that's that. But it's a fine balance at Apple to control price, income, prestige and absolute control over their market. The mini wasn't a priority... and when Apple didn't care about it, it was hard to keep it going despite the 12 mini selling so well when launched. Numbers internally showed a very different performance. So it's not that it wasn't popular, it was that it had the potential to become more popular than their pro max models and that wouldn't look good for Apple...

 

[waquzy]

I will always buy the best smallest iphone there is. In that order.

So that’s the smallest iphone pro. Had there been an iphone pro mini, then I would be buying that, but there isn’t.

Well said, I wish the Pro would have stayed at the iPhone X size.

 

[MNGR]

I briefly had the 12 mini. I am a huge fan of the mini phones, I think they were great - but I ended up opting for the Pros for better specs, particularly ProMotion.

I'd be using a mini today if it was uncompromising in features to the Pro models, even with an expected hit in battery life.

But, sadly, Apple believed that the niche market of mini enjoyers (ourselves) would be OK with these compromises, and that the majority of people would give up larger screens for smaller ones.

Make a 16 Pro mini!

My wife only wants the mini-size. It is certainly good enough for what she wants. So we will be keeping that until it is no longer supported.

 

[SW3029]

The iPhone mini failed because the people on MacRumors' forums are a poor representational sample of the larger consumer population.

 

[techfirth]

For a company with its finger on the pulse in so many ways, the glaring error they made with the mini is pretty unforgivable.

It needed a pro offering, or at least a telephoto lens in the camera stack. The 0.5x lens is worthless to most people and the 1.0x is O.K. - now they’ve released the iPhone 15 with a 2x telephoto, which is _exactly_ what the mini needed.

I’m a long time upgrader and iPhone only photographer, and despite my frustrations at having been pushed out of the pro camera range, I don’t see myself moving on from the 13 mini for a long time because of Apple’s obsession with the idea that someone who wants a smaller device can’t possibly be interested in pro features. It’s maddening.

 

[Channan]

On the contrary, some future devices, such as the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro Max, are expected to grow even larger, increasing to 6.3- and 6.9-inches, respectively.

This is ridiculous if true. A few more years and the smallest iPhone you can buy will be as big as or bigger than the original Max.

 

[autistic-savant]

I wonder whether I’m alone here in noticing that the next iPhone SE might well be a 12/13 mini with a newer chip?

 

[SW3029]

I wonder whether I’m alone here in noticing that the next iPhone SE might well be a 12 mini with a newer chip?

You aren't. I think the 2025 iPhone SE will be a repackaged mini, too.

 

[contacos]

May also be the last year of „Plus“ since it’s still available for pick up on launch day (I ordered one lol) unless they REALLY do not even expect it to sell and simply offer it for upselling (to the Pro) purposes

 

[Runaway Train]

iPhone 15 Pro is effectively the new Mini.
Most people are buying the Max instead of it.
Apple could probably get away with making only the 15 regular and 15 Pro Max.

More or less. After several years with an 11 Pro Max - I’ll gladly move to the standard 15 Pro. Max is just too bulky, too awkward, doesn’t fit well in the pocket. Yes battery life, big screen - I’ll chalk those up to little sacrifices.

 

[japanime]

In Japan, Apple just raised the prices for battery replacement on the 12 mini and 13 mini, which adds insult to injury. I'll still do the battery replacement when I finally feel I need it, either through Apple or a third-party service. But the discontinuation of the mini really does hurt those of us who love small phones.

 

[pappl]

Bad news for me, iPhone is too large for my hands.