There Is No iPhone 15 Mini: Here's Why

[ackmondual]

iPhone 12 _pro_ mini would have sold millions….

That's the rub though... to Apple, when you factor in setting up the factories, logistics, timetables, and everything else needed to mass produce their phones... the profits may end up as a "the juice isn't worth the squeeze" type deal.

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

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

I feel there are "mismatched expectations"... consumers want to have a mini that's somewhat cheaper, but just in a small size. Apple doesn't want to sell these cheaper phones b/c they want to push people to the Pro phones (where there are greater profits), and gimped/omitted features from the Mini line to further push pepole towards that.

 

[Quackington]

I love my 13 mini, the size is just right for me. The only issue is the battery life, other than that, I’m really happy with it. Shame there won’t be any more minis. I was planning to upgrade this year solely due to the battery life issues I’m having, but I’ll try to to hold out another year.

 

[cgs1xx]

Just bring out a 7.5/8 inch iPhone already!

 

[El Szomorito]

What happened here is that the more tech-savvy crowd has always had an oversized voice in online tech forums, but this should not be confused as being representative of Apple's user base in general. I would wager the 14 plus sold at least as well as, if not better than the 13 mini, plus it would likely have better margins by virtue of its higher selling price.

Nobody forced Apple to sell the mini cheaper than the normal iphone. And the mini filled a niche, it's existence meant I spent on a new phone instead of battery replacement. While the Plus just cannibalizes other models, especially the pro max, which I guess has even better margins.

 

[El Szomorito]

You're an SE customer, not a Mini Pro customer

Yeah, kinda the point of my comment 😀 I honestly don't know what makes the pro pro besides looking more lame with even more useless cameras. However, I bought a mini, not an SE2. I'd consider a pro mini if it would offer anything meaningful for me, but I just don't see what extra feature a phone could have to make me do it.

 

[speechmaker]

One reason Apple should have still kept 13 mini in their lineup even if they didn’t update the internals is that small phones still convert Android users over to the Apple ecosystem. My first iPhone was the SE 2016 for which my most important criteria was the size and the reason I changed over from using Androids for 15 years.

Then I kept thinking I would have to switch to Androids as Apple shifted to bigger phones but then the 12 mini got announced to keep me from checking out the likes of S10 etc.
After seeing my phone, two friends immediately converted and bought the 13mini which had launched. So the small size is something not found in another manufacturer here. (The asus zenphone is not available in the country here.)

Even if the profitability is not as much as the other phones, as long as it was not loss-makin, Apple should have at least kept it selling as something no one else makes available here.

Personally, will wait till the iPhone17 and if a similar <6.1” size is not announced till then, then I am going over back to Android.

 

[Expos of 1969]

Personally, will wait till the iPhone17 and if a similar <6.1” size is not announced till then, then I am going over back to Android.

Hopefully Cook will be gone by then and a CEO with more common sense, an interest in the products Apple sells and an interest in his customers will be running the show.

 

[Deihmos]

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.

I doubt that. I’m sure most people buy the 6.1” phone.

 

[webkit]

Apple needs a CEO with the confidence, guts, balls and customer focussed attitude to boldly state "Yes, the company could avoid some costs by not making a good modern small phone, but Apple actually cares about ALL its customers and their needs so we WILL make this phone. The company will still be extremely successful and improve its image, so shareholders and Wall Street, think a bit and realize this is the future of the NEW Apple post bean counter Cook"

Apple has a CEO with confidence, guts, balls and a customer focused attitude which is why products like the Apple Watch, Vision Pro, Pro level iPhones, emergency satellite services, etc. exist. It's also why there was an iPhone mini but not enough customers wanted it so there was no point in continuing to sell it. There were many products Steve Jobs discontinued for similar reasons during his reign at Apple too.

 

[webkit]

People keep missing that the 14 Plus sold worse than the 12/13 mini

Even less people bought the 14 Plus :^)

What are you basing this on? Although Plus sales may have been lower than expected, various Plus versus mini articles (including at least one here on MacRumors linked below) seems to conclude that the Plus sold better. If accurate, the Plus sold better even though it cost more.

Report Suggests iPhone 14 Plus More Popular Than iPhone 13 Mini​

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/report-suggests-iphone-14-plus-more-popular-than-iphone-13-mini.2384302

 

[pikkpoiss]

Mini is just hard to do right with current tech - I always wanted one but the battery life was a concer so I went with the regular iPhone 14 and the battery life is very good for my use. It think with the mini there’s always this slight doubt… will the battery last, will the screen be enough. With the Plus it’s so close to pro pricing that I really must need the bigger screen to choose it. Again doubts about if it will fit in pocket etc

 

[Dionte]

I pray my 13 mini last for many years alongside my 15 pro max

 

[Winthorpethethird]

I don’t get this at all. The battery life on my 13 mini is awesome. I get through a whole day easily, and if for some reason I want to watch like 2 films on it (why?!) it charges SO quickly with a USB C fast charger this just is not an issue. It’s nonsense. There have been a bunch of videos in the last year from tech YouTubers saying they switched from 14 PM to 13 mini, initially because of the various software issues with the PM, but they loved it and realised it’s not all about a gigantic phablet for well over a grand. Go figure.

I was really really hoping they updated the port to USB C and kept it for sale. Wishful thinking I know. A missed opportunity IMO.

They should have pushed it more with advertising and given it more time for non tech lovers to realise it’s the best iPhone they’ve ever made.

Humans need guidance sometimes not unfettered ‘yes your highness more cheese more sugar more screen more battery’.

/rant over

 

[garettap]

Give me MINI or give me DEATH

 

[haleyp]

The sad part is it isn't even miniature. It's about the size of an iPhone 6 which was huge when released.

 

[garettap]

Yup and Jobs said "this is the biggest a phone should be, there is no reason to ever go larger." And look at the insanity we've reached now. Had to develop a feature just so small handed people could reach different parts of the screen. Oy vay.

 

[webkit]

Yup and Jobs said "this is the biggest a phone should be, there is no reason to ever go larger." And look at the insanity we've reached now. Had to develop a feature just so small handed people could reach different parts of the screen. Oy vay.

Jobs turned out to be wrong (when he made that statement in 2010?) which is why Apple went on to introduce larger and larger phones.

The confidential internal slides that show why Apple is making a bigger iPhone 6​

https://9to5mac.com/2014/04/06/why-...ones-in-its-own-confidential-internal-slides/


Moving forward from there, the trend/desire for even larger phones continued. Apple produced the larger and larger phones the market wanted, and still wants.

 

[Biro]

My 13 mini was great till my eyes crapped out, my next phone will be pro max size

That’s why I’ll consider a Plus next time - if it’s still available.

 

[Sebalto]

Jobs turned out to be wrong (when he made that statement in 2010?) which is why Apple went on to introduce larger and larger phones.

The confidential internal slides that show why Apple is making a bigger iPhone 6​

https://9to5mac.com/2014/04/06/why-...ones-in-its-own-confidential-internal-slides/


Moving forward from there, the trend/desire for even larger phones continued. Apple produced the larger and larger phones the market wanted, and still wants.

Correct. Also, people on average use their phones differently nowadays not sure why some find this so hard to grasp.

 

[wallaby]

Something that goes under-reported: all the MagSafe accessories are perfectly sized for the mini. I have a wallet and battery pack and they both align perfectly with the mini. Which is great, because there’s no way I can travel with the mini without a battery pack 😅

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

Hopefully Cook will be gone by then and a CEO with more common sense, an interest in the products Apple sells and an interest in his customers will be running the show.

Why insist on Tim Cook failing at his job when you can just look at what 16-34 year-old Americans spend most of their waking hours doing?

-The vast bulk of iPhone users are glued to screens all day and don’t care how ridiculous their phablets look or feel in their pockets or purses.

These are the people Apple is most likely to land a sale with for a new iPhone.

The average consumer in 2023 want as much display area, mAhs, and high definition as possible pr. dollar.

iPhones mini can in no configuration compete with the >6.1” iPhones. Not with current tech limitations or market demands.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

There is no mini because for all the crying about it, none of them spent money and bought it. Apple isn’t in the business of making products for you to gaze longingly at

That’s exactly it.

16-34 year olds, aka half of all iPhone owners, wanted phablet sized batteries and displays and thus didn’t buy a lot of iPhones mini.

After two years, Apple listened and stopped selling iPhones mini.

End of story.

 

[Sebalto]

Why insist on Tim Cook failing at his job when you can just look at what 16-34 year-old Americans spend most of their waking hours doing?

-The vast bulk of iPhone users are glued to screens all day and don’t care how ridiculous their phablets look or feel in their pockets or purses.

These are the people Apple is most likely to land a sale with for a new iPhone.

The average consumer in 2023 want as much display area, mAhs, and high definition as possible pr. dollar.

iPhones mini can in no configuration compete with the >6.1” iPhones. Not with current tech limitations or market demands.

Bingo

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

One reason Apple should have still kept 13 mini in their lineup even if they didn’t update the internals is that small phones still convert Android users over to the Apple ecosystem. My first iPhone was the SE 2016 for which my most important criteria was the size and the reason I changed over from using Androids for 15 years.

Then I kept thinking I would have to switch to Androids as Apple shifted to bigger phones but then the 12 mini got announced to keep me from checking out the likes of S10 etc.
After seeing my phone, two friends immediately converted and bought the 13mini which had launched. So the small size is something not found in another manufacturer here. (The asus zenphone is not available in the country here.)

Even if the profitability is not as much as the other phones, as long as it was not loss-makin, Apple should have at least kept it selling as something no one else makes available here.

Personally, will wait till the iPhone17 and if a similar <6.1” size is not announced till then, then I am going over back to Android.

That’s anecdotal and unfounded:

Apple has only ever succeeded with converting Android users selling smaller iPhones because those smaller iPhones have lower price tags than Apple’s over-priced midrange offerings, but also decently attractive compared to the budget phones of other brands.

Apple would have converted many more Android users if the mid-tier and full-sized iPhones like 6S, 11, 12 and 13 where priced in the $399-699 range at their respective launches.

You’re claiming that the smaller form factor was the main element in getting Android users over to iOS with SEs and minis, as if consumers wouldn’t have picked a 4.7” 6S over a 1st Gen. SE were they both $399, or have opted for a mini or an 2020/2022 SE over a 6.1” 11, 12 or 13 if those were all price similarly.

The truth is that SEs and minis would not have sold altogether if they were priced similarly to the respective mid-ranges that were in the respective line-ups.

SEs and minis wear out faster because of their much smaller batteries, and don’t retain as high a resell value because of their generally weaker specs by comparison to more expensive options.

 

[Expos of 1969]

Why insist on Tim Cook failing at his job when you can just look at what 16-34 year-old Americans spend most of their waking hours doing?

-The vast bulk of iPhone users are glued to screens all day and don’t care how ridiculous their phablets look or feel in their pockets or purses.

These are the people Apple is most likely to land a sale with for a new iPhone.

The average consumer in 2023 want as much display area, mAhs, and high definition as possible pr. dollar.

iPhones mini can in no configuration compete with the >6.1” iPhones. Not with current tech limitations or market demands.

You still owe me a source of your statistics you posted yesterday.