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I agree, the mini didn't sell because of it's size, it didn't sell because it's lack of features. Make it slightly thicker, give it three cameras and promotion display and decent battery and it sell.

The iPhone 12 mini and 13 mini had the same features as the iPhone 12 and 13 which sold just fine. The minis just have smaller screen and less battery. The reality is the general population prefer larger phones.

I remember Samsung giving slightly smaller phones a try with the S10e. Sadly, that was a one-off.
 
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The iPhone 12 mini and 13 mini had the same features as the iPhone 12 and 13 which sold just fine. The minis just have smaller screen and less battery. The reality is the general population prefer larger phones.

I remember Samsung giving slightly smaller phones a try with the S10e. Sadly, that was a one-off.
They didn't have the one features that was important to a lot of people, telephoto lense and pro motion. iPhone Mini pro would hae sold just fine.
 
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They didn't have the one features that was important to a lot of people, telephoto lense and pro motion. iPhone Mini pro would hae sold just fine.
Maybe, but as rui no onna said, most people just prefer larger screened phones (6.1" and above) with bigger batteries. They should have just treated the iPhone Mini like the iPad Mini and Mac Mini. Produced in smaller numbers with 18-24 month update cycles.

I can never forget that feeling when I got my White 12 Mini on launch day, the retro iPhone 4 feel/nostalgia was amazing.
 
I totally agree. Although for me the perfect "mini" would be 5.8". I want the iphone X back, great size and even better rounded sides.
 
as a road cyclist who needs less grams the ifone-mini 12 was perfect weight and size wide.
but I leave that at home for good now, since the phone won't answer a call

without an alert, Tim cooks laughing, THEN that continuous reminder that I need to
use iCloud's on such a sunny day
before I can even get to the phone app screens.
 
The 13 mini still serves me well.
Same, since my lifestyle allows me to use an 11" iPad Pro 99% of the time.
It should receive around three more years of iOS support, and then usually you can still stay on an older iOS version for another two years or so.
This is encouraging. And the longer I live in the iPhone mini encampment, the more money I save.
 
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As a 13 Mini user with new battery (one of the best ideas for this little thing), I will probably change to a 17 in a couple of years. It will have a lower price and those 120hz are finally THE reason to change to a base iPhone for that price.

But for now, I will enjoy my little device that works very well and it comes with a really good feature: No AI
 
They didn't have the one features that was important to a lot of people, telephoto lense and pro motion. iPhone Mini pro would hae sold just fine.
I agree. The Plus models didn't fare well and the Air is apparently having its production volumes reduced. Most people want the Pro features, and many would appreciate them in a device that comfortably fits in pants pockets and can be used one-handed again. Had a 5.6" or 5.8" iPhone with the Pro features been launched, it would have been far more successful.

The mini was also the unfortunate victim of bad timing, being released in late 2020 when many people were working from home or laid off, and most people were avoiding leisure travel and unnecessary flights. As a result, a larger phone was easier to accept while living 99% at home. The mini's real value is realized when you are out of the house and need to put your phone in your pocket and have it actually fit. Not to mention the diminutive name "mini," it's no surprise many people were disinterested.

Many people bought the model that met the moment, when they would rarely be leaving the house and could deal with lugging a brick around. And with many Apple Stores being closed at that time (only 1 of 3 in my region were open), many people bought their 2020 iPhones sight unseen. It's impossible to judge the sales of a device launched in 2020 against today's consumer demands with most white-collar jobs experiencing some form of return-to-office, leisure travel returning to normal, and consumer needs readapting to the current state of the world that has largely "returned to normal."

A 5.6" or 5.8" iPhone launched today would be more appealing as there are no more sub-6" iPhones available from Apple anymore -- so there's no telling how many people would like a smaller phone today, but simply tolerate what Apple chooses to make now -- while 12 minis and 13 minis are likely starting to feel long in the tooth. The basebands in the newer phones are far better, particularly when used with AT&T or Verizon due to more carrier aggregation support, 3.45 GHz "DoD" n77 support for AT&T, and 5G standalone support for Verizon. Ultimately, we'll likely never know how a mini or mini Pro would have sold in post-pandemic conditions due to Apple's refusal to try a smaller Pro or any phone below 6.1" in the past couple years.
 
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I agree with this and I'm kinda sick of people saying it. We lost. They had a Mini in their lineup for two years and it was a dud. I like mine and I haven't upgraded because I don't feel Apple makes a phone for me anymore. But most people are clearly not like me (and you).

This'll be the last major software release I let my 13 Mini have. I really wanted the text message screening, so I went for it. Yeah, web browsing is starting to suck. On the plus side, the less performant my phone is, the less I want to use it. Less screen time = happier life. It's all in how you look at it.

But they are not making a mini again. Hold out for a foldable. That'll probably feel small even if it has the same volume as an iPhone Pro.
 
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It felt like the iPhone mini never got a fair chance because it wasn’t a Pro phone. The size may have limited Apple’s ability to build it with the latest and greatest tech, but if they are ever able to make an iPhone Pro mini I’d love one. I felt the previous minis, while nice to hold, still had too many compromises compared to their Pro counterparts.
 
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I made my decision long ago, and decided to stay with an iPhone SE 2022. Same internals as the iPhone 13 in a still lightweight design, and with an optional width.

The problem with the 13 mini, from my point of view, was the excessively narrow screen.

That’s why I’ve always said that a 5,8” iPhone with the bezels and technology of current iPhones would be awesome: compact and with a big enough screen. It would actually be smaller than the iPhone X, but with a similar screen.

Now, I have really grown to love my A15 iPhone SE 2022, no adaptation period needed as my previous phone was an iPhone 8. And this is a lot more powerful, runs iOS 18 fantastic, does what I need, makes beautiful pictures… I am quite happy with it, and I’m not sure I’ll get used in the future to a heavier smartphone…
 
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I’d really love if the mini returned with the thickness of the plateau uniform across the whole back of the phone to keep up on battery life and features. But I know I’m just shouting my dreams out into the ether.
 
It felt like the iPhone mini never got a fair chance because it wasn’t a Pro phone. The size may have limited Apple’s ability to build it with the latest and greatest tech, but if they are ever able to make an iPhone Pro mini I’d love one. I felt the previous minis, while nice to hold, still had too many compromises compared to their Pro counterparts.
This, in my opinion, would be an error that luckily, Apple didn’t make. Making it more expensive, and adding niche features to an already niche smartphone, would have resulted in a disaster even bigger than the mini. However, if they take the current base iPhone 17 and just make it 0.5” smaller… that could be a win.

If the base iPhone 16 used the exact chassis dimensions as the 15 Pro (basically smallest 6.1” body), this would have been the best upgrade for Mini users imho. If the iphone air was a flip phone, this would also be an option (and sold better for sure).
EXACTLY!!! This guy (or gal) knows.


I agree, the mini didn't sell because of it's size, it didn't sell because it's lack of features. Make it slightly thicker, give it three cameras and promotion display and decent battery and it sell.
This, as I’ve already said, would have been a disaster in my opinion. But not only a sales disaster, but an engineering nightmare! If the mini iPhones already had poor battery life, just imagine taxing the battery with a high consumption pro-motion display. And making the battery even smaller to make room to the Pro camera set… as I said, a true nightmare for Apple designers and engineers, in features that people who buy a compact smartphone don’t care about.

Also, are you suggesting making it thicker and heavier? Oh, there goes another selling point of the mini: it would not only be more expensive but also heavier… honestly who would have bought it? You, the few pro-mini fans of the forum, and maybe a dozen of tech YouTubers?
 
It's seemed so weird to me. The iPhone 13 mini is already way bigger and heavier than, say, the first-generation iPhone SE (the form I wish was still current). I'd been baffled by the question of why so many people want something thicker and heavier that it actually snuffed the viability of the seemingly ideal sizes.

I think what I hadn't grasped is that many people today really do consider their iPhone their main device, and you want your main device to be more well-rounded. If it's the one you watch most of your content on, and do most of your work with, then the screen size and super performance and two-day battery are worth the size and weight.

(Sighs)

But it sure is lamentable from here.
I used the SE OG (still have it) for a solid 6 years and love the size of the 13 Mini. Everything is better about it, weight marginal, screen real estate huge (compared), love Face ID, and outside dimensions not that much bigger. To note though that I use it outside of my home for social media, obviously phoning, and entertainment. At home the MBP takes over. It will never happen but I'd be all in for a 20 Mini when the time comes.
 
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