There Is No iPhone 15 Mini: Here's Why

[theorist9]

The problem with mini series was more about pricing, but not form factor. They were too expensive for what it serves for, being just a standard small device.

I wish Apple may revive the iPhone Xs or 11 Pro with some new processor, and call it SE-4. Curvy form is more appealing than square edges.

I think it's the opposite. At least based on current sales figures, the Pro models are what most people want. Thus I thought what contributed to the demise of the Mini is that it was part of the base series rather than the Pro series. People who may have otherwise wanted something smaller weren't willing to give up the Pro advantages (more powerful GPU, Pro Motion, better camera, etc.). I.e., I think a Pro Mini would have sold better than a Mini.

iPhone 15 sales figures show the Pro models have become the default

And older iPhones are getting more popular

www.techradar.com

 

[turbineseaplane]

I think it's the opposite. At least based on current sales figures, the Pro models are what most people want. Thus I thought what contributed to the demise of the Mini is that it was part of the base series rather than the Pro series. People who may have otherwise wanted something smaller weren't willing to give up the Pro advantages (more powerful GPU, Pro Motion, better camera, etc.). I.e., I think a Pro Mini would have sold better than a Mini.

iPhone 15 sales figures show the Pro models have become the default

And older iPhones are getting more popular

www.techradar.com

I'm to the point of just wanting a thin, light, small iPhone that runs glorified WatchOS apps

I do the bare minimum with my iPhone and sort of reluctantly deal with the need to have a smartphone for much of modern society and interactions.

 

[theorist9]

I'm to the point of just wanting a thin, light, small iPhone that runs glorified WatchOS apps

I do the bare minimum with my iPhone and sort of reluctantly deal with the need to have a smartphone for much of modern society and interactions.

I'll do you one better: Until last year, I used a flip phone. I loved how wonderfully small, light, and non-distracting it was. Perfect for my trail running.

 

[throAU]

You said the "you can pick up the current SE, which is quite a bit smaller than you’d like."

That is incorrect - it's larger than the current 13 Mini

The "next SE" (supposed to be based upon the iPhone 14 body) is even larger

You're presenting options that aren't appealing to most Mini folks -- who want that size or smaller (it's why most of us have the Mini ... the "mini" part of it)

Worse, the current SE is larger than the mini but the screen is smaller. It has worse battery life, no Face ID, trash camera, worse screen (in terms of blacks) etc.

 

[TVreporter]

Found my 5s the other day - the perfect iPhone mini size! Fill it with whatever tech can fit.

 

[Biro]

You said the "you can pick up the current SE, which is quite a bit smaller than you’d like."

That is incorrect - it's larger than the current 13 Mini

The "next SE" (supposed to be based upon the iPhone 14 body) is even larger

You're presenting options that aren't appealing to most Mini folks -- who want that size or smaller (it's why most of us have the Mini ... the "mini" part of it)

The screen of the SE is smaller than the screen of the Mini. And I’ve already told you that you won’t like the options I’ve outlined - you’re not comprehending what I wrote. I also outlined a scenario in which the Mini might work with longer-lasting stacked battery cells. Please understand: I know Mini people want another Mini. I don’t blame them. But they are not likely to get it.

 

[splifingate]

I think a Pro Mini would have sold better than a Mini.

Natch.

 

[Wanted797]

The problem with mini series was more about pricing, but not form factor. They were too expensive for what it serves for, being just a standard small device.

I wish Apple may revive the iPhone Xs or 11 Pro with some new processor, and call it SE-4. Curvy form is more appealing than square edges.

I most hope they revive the X because it was a small phone by today’s standards.

(Width around 70mm or lower)

 

[webkit]

I most hope they revive the X because it was a small phone by today’s standards.

(Width around 70mm or lower)

The iPhone 14 and 15 aren't notably wider than the X.

 

[pshufd]

I'll do you one better: Until last year, I used a flip phone. I loved how wonderfully small, light, and non-distracting it was. Perfect for my trail running.

I sometimes run with just my watch or watch + iPod nano. Even the iPhone 13 mini feels too heavy sometimes.

 

[pshufd]

Found my 5s the other day - the perfect iPhone mini size! Fill it with whatever tech can fit.

The main issue with the 5 and 5s is lack of 5g which makes a big difference in my area on dropped calls or having to place a call a few times to connect.

 

[xpxp2002]

The main issue with the 5 and 5s is lack of 5g which makes a big difference in my area on dropped calls or having to place a call a few times to connect.

T-Mobile is just beginning to roll out VoNR in some regions. Unless you're on Dish or manually turned on VoNR on T-Mobile, 5G is doing nothing for your voice calls -- they're all still on LTE using VoLTE.

It's more likely that the addition of more band support, improvements in the cellular baseband radio, and support for the channel-aware EVS-SWB codec configuration in modern iPhones compared to the 5/5s are what is improving your voice calls.

 

[pshufd]

T-Mobile is just beginning to roll out VoNR in some regions. Unless you're on Dish or manually turned on VoNR on T-Mobile, 5G is doing nothing for your voice calls -- they're all still on LTE using VoLTE.

It's more likely that the addition of more band support, improvements in the cellular baseband radio, and support for the channel-aware EVS-SWB codec configuration in modern iPhones compared to the 5/5s are what is improving your voice calls.

T-Mobile gave 5G phones to all of their customers.

I had most problems with my iPhone 7 Plus. Switching to the 13 mini got rid of all of my connectivity issues.

 

[xpxp2002]

T-Mobile gave 5G phones to all of their customers.

Gave? I mean, there are upgrade promotions on all the carriers all the time that require maintaining service in order to receive monthly credits for device payments. There are plenty of people still using non-5G phones on each carrier, including T-Mobile.

Regardless, not all 5G-capable phones are going to get VoNR support from the carriers. 5G Standalone is a prerequisite for VoNR.

The iPhone 12 models have a Qualcomm X55, which does not support NR carrier aggregation.

The X55 also does not officially support VoNR (per Qualcomm) either. Some tinkerers have been able to force the X55 to do it on some Android devices with a proprietary Qualcomm debug tool. But irrespective of that, no carriers are enabling 5G Standalone for the iPhone 12 models. The data performance of a single NR carrier would be awful compared to the current experience iPhone 12 owners are getting by being able to aggregate LTE carriers in non-standalone mode.

T-Mobile has enabled SA for the iPhone 13 and above, but has only enabled VoNR in their Apple carrier profile on the iPhone 15 (Qualcomm X70).

I had most problems with my iPhone 7 Plus. Switching to the 13 mini got rid of all of my connectivity issues.

Not surprising. The iPhone 7 series sold through AT&T and T-Mobile had the Intel MDM9645, which was notoriously bad with VoLTE. I had issues with mine dropping reverse path audio all the time, even in good signal conditions. My iPhone 6s and its trusty old Qualcomm modem performed better with voice and data calls than the iPhone 7 with an Intel modem.

The iPhone 13 mini is also a solid cellular performer in my experience. Excellent for LTE and still a very good 5G NSA device. T-Mobile has enabled SA in their carrier profile on the 13 series, and even with only 2x NR CA, it's not bad. I'd still recommend it to anyone looking for a reasonably sized now-budget phone, and should easily hold up another 1-2 years without feeling dated at all.

 

[pshufd]

Gave? I mean, there are upgrade promotions on all the carriers all the time that require maintaining service in order to receive monthly credits for device payments. There are plenty of people still using non-5G phones on each carrier, including T-Mobile.

Regardless, not all 5G-capable phones are going to get VoNR support from the carriers. 5G Standalone is a prerequisite for VoNR.

The iPhone 12 models have a Qualcomm X55, which does not support NR carrier aggregation.

The X55 also does not officially support VoNR (per Qualcomm) either. Some tinkerers have been able to force the X55 to do it on some Android devices with a proprietary Qualcomm debug tool. But irrespective of that, no carriers are enabling 5G Standalone for the iPhone 12 models. The data performance of a single NR carrier would be awful compared to the current experience iPhone 12 owners are getting by being able to aggregate LTE carriers in non-standalone mode.

T-Mobile has enabled SA for the iPhone 13 and above, but has only enabled VoNR in their Apple carrier profile on the iPhone 15 (Qualcomm X70).


Not surprising. The iPhone 7 series sold through AT&T and T-Mobile had the Intel MDM9645, which was notoriously bad with VoLTE. I had issues with mine dropping reverse path audio all the time, even in good signal conditions. My iPhone 6s and its trusty old Qualcomm modem performed better with voice and data calls than the iPhone 7 with an Intel modem.

The iPhone 13 mini is also a solid cellular performer in my experience. Excellent for LTE and still a very good 5G NSA device. T-Mobile has enabled SA in their carrier profile on the 13 series, and even with only 2x NR CA, it's not bad. I'd still recommend it to anyone looking for a reasonably sized now-budget phone, and should easily hold up another 1-2 years without feeling dated at all.

A friend told me that T-Mobile gave his wife a new iPhone for her old one. I've heard that from others too.

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This was before the Sprint merger so they may still have some customers from Sprint that are still on 4G.

At any rate, my personal experience is that I had dropped calls and had to place calls several times before connecting with my iPhone 7+ and all of the problems went away with the 13 mini.

 

[turbineseaplane]

The iPhone 14 and 15 aren't notably wider than the X.

View attachment 2377427

All of that width increase matters a lot when it's a tight handhold situation already

 

[jayden]

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.

I want the best specs in a Mini phone. Still using 12 Mini and still loving it. Seems a new Mini isn't coming, so I'll probably just upgrade to the 13 Mini. Did you end up upgrading?

 

[0423MAC]

It’s really strange that Samsung haven’t tried to come out with a smaller Galaxy phone to entice those who want a smaller device.

But it appears what was true several years ago is still the case today. They really don’t know what to do until Apple releases something they can emulate.

 

[Lioness~]

I will sit tight and good with my 13 mini for quite awhile. I might start to worry around 18/19 phones if there's nothing smaller available. Some flip/fold variation that is smaller will show up. If not from Apple, ok I'll buy something else.
But Apple can't keep doing these iPhones as they are now forever.
Bye bye Tim, hello better phones 🥳

 

[jdavid_rp]

I want the best specs in a Mini phone. Still using 12 Mini and still loving it. Seems a new Mini isn't coming, so I'll probably just upgrade to the 13 Mini. Did you end up upgrading?

Yes, I am a consumist loser and went for a 13 and then for a 15. At least they’re second hand so no extra money for Apple 😛

 

[Downhilltenago]

Like many have said it needed more capabilities. It’s hard to hit the sweet spot and get the right balance. If they release a mini pro it would sell like hot cakes.

 

[jlc1978]

Like many have said it needed more capabilities. It’s hard to hit the sweet spot and get the right balance. If they release a mini pro it would sell like hot cakes.

The question is "would it bring in new buyers or shift sales from one device to another, cheaper, device?" If the mini and mini pro were the same price, would that have a significant impact on mini pro sales?"

 

[pshufd]

The question is "would it bring in new buyers or shift sales from one device to another, cheaper, device?" If the mini and mini pro were the same price, would that have a significant impact on mini pro sales?"

They still sell the SE3 which is very close to the iPhone 13 mini in size though less screen size. The SE4 will be bigger though. I'd obviously prefer the SE4 be like the 13 mini with an updated processor. It might come down to me upgrading and using the iPhone 13 mini while working out. I have two separate lines so one would be dedicated to running and in the gym while the other would be used everywhere else. The only minor annoyance would be when people call me on the phone that I don't have at the time.

 

[jlc1978]

They still sell the SE3 which is very close to the iPhone 13 mini in size though less screen size. The SE4 will be bigger though. I'd obviously prefer the SE4 be like the 13 mini with an updated processor.

I think there is a market for a smaller iPhone and making the SE4 a bit smaller with no button and at the current price point makes sense. However, a mini pro, IMHO, makes far less sense. Fitting in the pro's cameras and a battery that meets the likely higher power draw while keeping battery life long would be two challenges to shrinking a pro.

Consumer demand may be another, since larger screens seem to be the preferred option with teh SE being the preferred option for someone who just wants a phone that does some basic tasks.

Personally, I'd buy a mini pro that matched the pro/pro max's specs; but then again I use my phone as a phone, check emails and texts, which can easily be done in landscape on a small screen, and take photos. Most of my web surfing, editing photos, etc. is done on my Mac; so I suspect I am an outlier in terms of interest in a mini pro.

One thing reason I would get one is it would fit in my jackets; all of which have internal phone pockets designed for a mini sized flip phone.

It might come down to me upgrading and using the iPhone 13 mini while working out. I have two separate lines so one would be dedicated to running and in the gym while the other would be used everywhere else. The only minor annoyance would be when people call me on the phone that I don't have at the time.

You could setup forwarding but that would be a pain to constantly do; or setup no answer forwarding but then you risk missing messages unless you check every time you see a missed call.

With the advent of eSims it should be technologically possible to have the SIM in multiple phones and turning on on turns the other off; but that would likely open up new avenues of attack as well as more tech support headaches when the process fails. If only there was a physical way to swap the SIM...

 

[pshufd]

I think there is a market for a smaller iPhone and making the SE4 a bit smaller with no button and at the current price point makes sense. However, a mini pro, IMHO, makes far less sense. Fitting in the pro's cameras and a battery that meets the likely higher power draw while keeping battery life long would be two challenges to shrinking a pro.

Consumer demand may be another, since larger screens seem to be the preferred option with teh SE being the preferred option for someone who just wants a phone that does some basic tasks.

Personally, I'd buy a mini pro that matched the pro/pro max's specs; but then again I use my phone as a phone, check emails and texts, which can easily be done in landscape on a small screen, and take photos. Most of my web surfing, editing photos, etc. is done on my Mac; so I suspect I am an outlier in terms of interest in a mini pro.

One thing reason I would get one is it would fit in my jackets; all of which have internal phone pockets designed for a mini sized flip phone.



You could setup forwarding but that would be a pain to constantly do; or setup no answer forwarding but then you risk missing messages unless you check every time you see a missed call.

With the advent of eSims it should be technologically possible to have the SIM in multiple phones and turning on on turns the other off; but that would likely open up new avenues of attack as well as more tech support headaches when the process fails. If only there was a physical way to swap the SIM...

I plan to replace the battery in my iPhone 13 mini next year when it gets to the point where it doesn't hold a 100% charge. After replacing the battery, I'd likely use it for another 3 to 4 years. If Apple wants a guaranteed sale from me, they only need to make a small iPhone and just sell it for a year. I'm sure that there are a lot of other people that think the same way - just that the number is a lot smaller than those who want bigger phones.

I have an iPad mini 6 which I carry around in my bag if I need a bigger screen. I have a MacBook Pro 16 but I usually don't carry it around with me unless I plan to work remotely.