This is the size I'm looking for, do you think it will ever come back? The slightly smaller iPhone 5/5s/SE was also perfect for me.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Other Will we see an iPhone 13 mini sized iPhone again?
- Thread starter Silly John Fatty
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Not anytime soon. The demand for the 12 Mini and 13 Mini wasn't high enough to make it worth Apple's investment to make another one.
Never say never, but there's absolutely nil rumours to suggest it's something they are working on, so I wouldn't count on seeing it again. I thought making the base iPhone models 5.8" and 6.5" (like the 11 pro and 11 pro Max) might have been a good differentiation idea, but they've decided to match the Pro sizes so far. The 5.8" would potentially be smaller than the 4.7" iPhone 6 if they used the current flat design language, and those phones (X,XS,11 Pro) sold well.
I’d like to see a 4-inch iPhone with updated internals, exactly like the 1st-gen SE, but like @JPack said, end of an era for both, I reckon.
Since Apple has invested a lot in the production of 12 and 13 mini (design, parts, tools, et c) it wouldn't be surprising if the mini package, so to speak, came back as the new SE, which in itself has a smaller form factor than other iPhones. I know many don't think so, that the iPhone 6 design will live on forever, but I'm not so sure.
I think a mini-based SE would make a lot of sense, it would allow the form factor to live on, and act as a point of differentiation, but all the indications we're getting are that the next SE will be a 6.1" device.
Would it make sense to throw good money after bad money? They may have invested a bit in iPhone 12/13 mini, but they probably invested a lot more on iPhone XR/11 and the economies of scale and supply chain on that model undoubtedly beats the mini.
Yes, I agree this is more likely, the LCD screen is also much cheaper.
I would love to see the mini form factor live on as the new SE, but the 13 models are still on sale and will be until September at least.
Safe to say that it won’t be for quite a long time, but things go in and out of fashion all the time.
At one time it was Apple having the opposite problem, people demanding bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger phones, and Apple stubbornly sticking to 3.5-4 inches while the competition thrived with anywhere from 4.3 up to over 6 inch screens.
Then the 6 and 6+ launched and became the best selling smartphones of all time.
So if there grows a large demand for smaller phones in a couple years, I’m sure Apple will eventually follow.
But honestly, I don’t see that happening.
With the abilities of the Apple Watch and AirPods growing every year, and with both of those products being smaller than an iPhone mini ever could be, I think you’ll see Apple point mini iPhone enjoyers towards those devices as a “more portable and less cumbersome” alternative to big iPhones, and I think the lines between what’s an iPhone and what’s an iPad Mini will continue to get blurrier and blurrier.
It’s the exact same thing they are doing with the Mac right now.
Why buy an iMac pro when you can buy a Mac Studio and display?
Why buy an iPhone Mini when you can buy a big iPad sized iPhone for home and an Apple Watch and AirPods for your portable needs?
That’s the way you’ll see it spun, and even though I don’t agree (I love my 12 mini and would rather a 15Mini exist than a plus) I still think it’s gone for good.
At one time it was Apple having the opposite problem, people demanding bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger phones, and Apple stubbornly sticking to 3.5-4 inches while the competition thrived with anywhere from 4.3 up to over 6 inch screens.
Then the 6 and 6+ launched and became the best selling smartphones of all time.
So if there grows a large demand for smaller phones in a couple years, I’m sure Apple will eventually follow.
But honestly, I don’t see that happening.
With the abilities of the Apple Watch and AirPods growing every year, and with both of those products being smaller than an iPhone mini ever could be, I think you’ll see Apple point mini iPhone enjoyers towards those devices as a “more portable and less cumbersome” alternative to big iPhones, and I think the lines between what’s an iPhone and what’s an iPad Mini will continue to get blurrier and blurrier.
It’s the exact same thing they are doing with the Mac right now.
Why buy an iMac pro when you can buy a Mac Studio and display?
Why buy an iPhone Mini when you can buy a big iPad sized iPhone for home and an Apple Watch and AirPods for your portable needs?
That’s the way you’ll see it spun, and even though I don’t agree (I love my 12 mini and would rather a 15Mini exist than a plus) I still think it’s gone for good.
I’m a mini user (hated the plus). I’d honestly settle for a 5.8”.
I would have kept my iPhone X. I really loved that phone. (Maybe more than the mini). Rounder corners are more comfortable. (I always god ceaseless).
Why must you ask hurtful questions 😩
Just kidding
I wish the mini would stick around… but the 13mini still exists, and there’s the chance they would keep it around after September event as well for $529.
If it wasn’t for its heat dissipation issue :/
Just kidding
I wish the mini would stick around… but the 13mini still exists, and there’s the chance they would keep it around after September event as well for $529.
If it wasn’t for its heat dissipation issue :/
I’d love them to bring one out after USB C becomes de facto for charging. There are certain times when a small phone would be very useful in my pocket against my existing 14s
I find it hard to believe that the Plus and Pro Max models are selling better than the Mini. I almost never see the big two in the wild. I see Minis all the time.
Aww… honey… I see minis in the wild all the time too. In my mind…
“No I saw a mini out in the wild today it’s true!”
“On-the-street-in-your-mind!”
Complete opposite here. Pro Max devices are very common. I've never seen a mini in the wild. Our office ordered an iPhone 13 mini, but only because we needed the cheapest device for our driver.
lol what continent/country do you live in? (serious question not joking)
Here in the US, I mostly see 6.1in iPhones and 6.7in iPhones. Surprisingly the majority of people I see that have Pro Maxes are women (i say surprisingly because women typically have smaller hands)
Since the 12 Mini and 13 Mini have been available, I’ve only seen one in the wild. Not an exaggeration, one.
And I usually take note of these things when i’m out and about (it’s the nerd part of me that shows lol)
The way this thread crops up every month would indicate there is a constant demand, however small, for an advanced, modern iPhone in a compact form factor. (It’s similarly telling how the same Pro/Max users consistently clog up these threads because their hefty, costly flagships are threatened by the existence of iPhone mini’s understated superiority.)
In my opinion, as far as Apple goes, the 13 mini is rivaled only by the original iPhone SE in its minuscule perfection and utility as a truly compact and modern mobile device. Hopefully Apple sees the light and introduces another mini-level iPhone in the relatively near future.
In my opinion, as far as Apple goes, the 13 mini is rivaled only by the original iPhone SE in its minuscule perfection and utility as a truly compact and modern mobile device. Hopefully Apple sees the light and introduces another mini-level iPhone in the relatively near future.
Last edited:
I've seen two since it was released. I actually sat next to someone with a 13mini while watching a hockey game at the local sports bar and the guy said the phone was great except for the battery life. Had to carry a power bank with him because it wouldn't last the day without needing to charge it. Where I live (Phoenix/Chicago) 6.1/6.7 are the most popular by a considerable margin..
Apple SHOULD create the new SE with much smaller 3nm A-series chip to be based on the 13 mini. Just loose the second camera. Battery life will improve another 20-35% for a full 8-10hr day with 6hr consistent and continuous calls. Enough for most average users.
Resident of the 9th largest city (8th, metropolitan) in the USA.
I see lots of people, every day, and I cannot help but analyse their phones. One co-worker successfully (and satisfyingly, it seems) uses a Samsung S7 to this very day!
That being said, I've consciously observed only two minis in use: mine, and a 13-mini held by a fellow contractor (knee-deep in a wet trench).
I see Pros everywhere.
The only questions I have ever been asked by others, have been related to the Otter Defender which keeps my 12-mini safe
Only question I've ever had was "When is Google gana update their code, and appropriately fit their mobile App dashboard to my screen?" That was answered last year <smile>
I see lots of people, every day, and I cannot help but analyse their phones. One co-worker successfully (and satisfyingly, it seems) uses a Samsung S7 to this very day!
That being said, I've consciously observed only two minis in use: mine, and a 13-mini held by a fellow contractor (knee-deep in a wet trench).
I see Pros everywhere.
The only questions I have ever been asked by others, have been related to the Otter Defender which keeps my 12-mini safe
Only question I've ever had was "When is Google gana update their code, and appropriately fit their mobile App dashboard to my screen?" That was answered last year <smile>