While it’s still unconfirmed, so far it looks like Apple is skipping the Mini option again for its forthcoming iPhone 15 series. In case you haven’t been keeping track, the last we saw of the variant was back in 2021 since a 5.4-inch version was excluded from last year’s line-up.
Reasons for the Mini’s absence has never been officially confirmed, though many have speculated that Apple has not been seeing much returns from it. According to MacRumors, a report by research firm CIRP revealed that the variant had the smallest (no pun intended) share of sales of all the iPhone 13 models and made up just three percent overall. The same can be said for its predecessor, which accounted for less than six percent of iPhone sales.
Some argued that it is actually due to the Mini’s smaller size which caused poor sales, as it is believed that most consumers prefer a larger display for their daily drive. Which is not wrong, as more screen estate often allows for a better visual experience and even encourages multi-tasking – perks that are obviously inaccessible to compact-sized devices.
Despite the supposed poor reception, there are those who still appreciate the Mini form factor for the sake of comfort and personal preference. However, these individuals are few and far between, and the weak sales numbers doesn’t justify why Apple should continue to produce a compact smartphone.
So, is there a way to save the Mini from imminent discontinuation? Well, yes. As mentioned in this article’s title, I believe Apple should just reintroduce the compact variant as future iPhone SE models instead of launching it as part of the main line-up.
Let’s face it, the throwback series was introduced as fan service for those who miss the older iPhone designs, especially with the first generation model which is based on the beloved iPhone 5S. However, Apple will eventually run out of legacy products to base the SE series on, and anything from the iPhone 11 onwards aren’t really that distinctive from one another. Plus, like the throwback model, the compact variant also caters towards a niche group of consumers, therefore making it the better candidate moving forward.
Of course, all of this is just an opinion of mine and there’s no guarantee that the company would actually take up on this suggestion, let alone read my article. Permanently losing the compact option for iPhones is unfortunate for fans, but it is what it is: a casualty of change.
