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I'm worried the iPhone mini will be canned next update cycle. I wish I was in a position to buy one, but I only got an iPhone X in Jan 2020 to replace my dying

I'm worried the iPhone mini will be canned next update cycle. I wish I was in a position to buy one, but I only got an iPhone X in Jan 2020 to replace my dying iPhone SE with great reluctance. It's too soon for me to replace, as it works perfectly and I can't justify the cost or the waste. I just hope there's a mini iPhone in 2 or 3 years when I need to upgrade. I waited a long time for a new small iPhone and eventually got to the point where I had to buy a new phone, because my SE lasted about 15 minutes & I needed to carry around battery packs just to use it.

sircastor 6y ago
I got an iPhone 12 mini (my first iPhone since the original) I’m also worried they won’t keep the form factor around. It hasn’t performed well in the market. I like the size, but apparently most people prefer the larger size and battery life.
- katbyte 6y ago
  Seems like people think it will, and there will be a mini 13: https://www.macrumors.com/2021/02/15/iphone-13-mini-expected-despite-12-sales/ https://www.macrumors.com/2021/02/15/iphone-13-mini-expected...
- Jtsummers 6y ago
  My hope is that Apple realizes they created the apparent scarce demand by not having the mini format for so long. They need to keep the format over several years so the demand can materialize as people finally upgrade their old 5S and SE devices now that there's a viable iPhone for them. But those same people are clearly patient and are not in a collective rush to go out and buy new phones, it will take several years of availability and their old devices succumbing to age or physical damage.
  - lotsofpulp 6y ago
    Apple released a $400 to $550 iPhone SE in Apr 2020 after years of not having an updated small phone option, so I imagine many who really wanted a smaller phone jumped on that. And then 6 months later they came out with 12 mini, so I wouldn’t expect a size able amount of demand for the 12 mini would have been sucked up by the new SE.
    - prepend 6y ago
      The SE is fantastic as it’s much cheaper and works well. I switched from an XS and years of latest models and forgot how much I love thumb reader over face. Apple Pay in particular is better with thumb reader instead of the tap, look at, tap again buggy process.
      - r00fus 6y ago
        FaceID is great for me (and my aging parents), but not for some use cases (wearing masks, or starting usage while in pocket). I could really get behind having both (esp if I could combined).
        macintux 6y ago
        Masks will be solved if the user is wearing a Watch after the next update. Like the Mac itself, the Watch can unlock an iPhone.
        sircastor 6y ago
        There was a rumor floating around that Apple was going to stick the reader behind the screen. Having both would be really awesome.
- yborg 6y ago
  The pricing is killing it, and Apple probably knew it would, but they don't want to cannibalize margins here. There really isn't a competitive product, so they have no incentive to lower prices.
joshstrange 6y ago
I know there have been reports of low sales of the mini but I'm hoping that Apple continues to make new ones for at least 1-2 more cycles before giving up. The mini isn't for me (I use a Max) but with the recent release of the SE2 I have to assume some people just weren't ready to upgrade (like you). One thing Apple needs to understand is just because a product line isn't a smashing success doesn't mean it's not needed to provide options for all their customers. Similar to how they let the Mac line languish for a while because it wasn't their top seller without realizing if they sleep on that segment it will hurt the iPhone in the long run.

sircastor 6y ago

I got an iPhone 12 mini (my first iPhone since the original) I’m also worried they won’t keep the form factor around. It hasn’t performed well in the market. I like the size, but apparently most people prefer the larger size and battery life.

katbyte 6y ago
Seems like people think it will, and there will be a mini 13: https://www.macrumors.com/2021/02/15/iphone-13-mini-expected-despite-12-sales/ https://www.macrumors.com/2021/02/15/iphone-13-mini-expected...
Jtsummers 6y ago
My hope is that Apple realizes they created the apparent scarce demand by not having the mini format for so long. They need to keep the format over several years so the demand can materialize as people finally upgrade their old 5S and SE devices now that there's a viable iPhone for them. But those same people are clearly patient and are not in a collective rush to go out and buy new phones, it will take several years of availability and their old devices succumbing to age or physical damage.
- lotsofpulp 6y ago
  Apple released a $400 to $550 iPhone SE in Apr 2020 after years of not having an updated small phone option, so I imagine many who really wanted a smaller phone jumped on that. And then 6 months later they came out with 12 mini, so I wouldn’t expect a size able amount of demand for the 12 mini would have been sucked up by the new SE.
  - prepend 6y ago
    The SE is fantastic as it’s much cheaper and works well. I switched from an XS and years of latest models and forgot how much I love thumb reader over face. Apple Pay in particular is better with thumb reader instead of the tap, look at, tap again buggy process.
    - r00fus 6y ago
      FaceID is great for me (and my aging parents), but not for some use cases (wearing masks, or starting usage while in pocket). I could really get behind having both (esp if I could combined).
      - macintux 6y ago
        Masks will be solved if the user is wearing a Watch after the next update. Like the Mac itself, the Watch can unlock an iPhone.
      - sircastor 6y ago
        There was a rumor floating around that Apple was going to stick the reader behind the screen. Having both would be really awesome.
yborg 6y ago
The pricing is killing it, and Apple probably knew it would, but they don't want to cannibalize margins here. There really isn't a competitive product, so they have no incentive to lower prices.

joshstrange 6y ago

I know there have been reports of low sales of the mini but I'm hoping that Apple continues to make new ones for at least 1-2 more cycles before giving up. The mini isn't for me (I use a Max) but with the recent release of the SE2 I have to assume some people just weren't ready to upgrade (like you). One thing Apple needs to understand is just because a product line isn't a smashing success doesn't mean it's not needed to provide options for all their customers. Similar to how they let the Mac line languish for a while because it wasn't their top seller without realizing if they sleep on that segment it will hurt the iPhone in the long run.