4 ms·

While I enjoy smaller phones, it makes no sense to have high end smaller phones. It doesn’t sell. Just look at Apple’s sales and their cancellation of the min

While I enjoy smaller phones, it makes no sense to have high end smaller phones. It doesn’t sell. Just look at Apple’s sales and their cancellation of the mini. I’d love it to be the opposite so I didn’t have to hold on to my iphone 12 mini, but it’s just how things are. Most people don’t like smaller phones and would be a waste of resources to make high end ones.

joshspankit 4y ago
I buy them. I’d even suggest a deviation: make them a few mm thicker and fill the extra space with battery. I’d use a small powerful multi-day battery smartphone far more than anything else.
- PaulDavisThe1st 4y ago
  My own personal itch: a phone with an antenna setup allowing it to function as a hotspot just as well as an actual hotspot, combined with longer battery life. I'd actually be happy with a phone half-the thickness of my jetpack but that could replace my jetpack because its antenna setup was as good.
- _trackno5 4y ago
  The fact you buy it is irrelevant. I buy them too, but if the sales don’t justify the ROI no company is gonna bother with it.
philistine 4y ago
We've been seeing reports for a while that the iPhone 14 Plus is selling softly. It might not be the mini's fault; perhaps Apple simply cannot get four models to sell like it wants to.
- manuelabeledo 4y ago
  Plus sales were cannibalised by the Pro coming out earlier. Mini sales were just not enough to justify having to order a miniature display by current standards.
- sputter_token 4y ago
  The Mini was $100 cheaper than the "normal" iPhone. The new Plus is $100 more expensive than the normal iPhone. I think that is the biggest factor.
lukas099 4y ago
Something to consider: small phones are a niche and producing them is a way of capturing a specific set of customers. I was an Android guy, but one of the top two reasons my newest phone is an iPhone is due to the small form factor (the other is longer support cycles). If Apple stops making small phones, my next one may well be an Android. On consideration, capturing a niche market segment like this may be more valuable for Apple than it is for other manufacturers, as it increases the odds of getting them locked into your ecosystem.
PeterisP 4y ago
Yep, it's something that has been tried (e.g. Sony Xperia Compact series comes to mind) but stopped since it apparently doesn't sell enough. It's also a bit challenging, since a powerful phone has higher battery/heat/etc needs and that is easier/cheaper to do in a larger device.

joshspankit 4y ago

I buy them. I’d even suggest a deviation: make them a few mm thicker and fill the extra space with battery. I’d use a small powerful multi-day battery smartphone far more than anything else.

PaulDavisThe1st 4y ago
My own personal itch: a phone with an antenna setup allowing it to function as a hotspot just as well as an actual hotspot, combined with longer battery life. I'd actually be happy with a phone half-the thickness of my jetpack but that could replace my jetpack because its antenna setup was as good.
_trackno5 4y ago
The fact you buy it is irrelevant. I buy them too, but if the sales don’t justify the ROI no company is gonna bother with it.

philistine 4y ago

We've been seeing reports for a while that the iPhone 14 Plus is selling softly. It might not be the mini's fault; perhaps Apple simply cannot get four models to sell like it wants to.

manuelabeledo 4y ago
Plus sales were cannibalised by the Pro coming out earlier. Mini sales were just not enough to justify having to order a miniature display by current standards.
sputter_token 4y ago
The Mini was $100 cheaper than the "normal" iPhone. The new Plus is $100 more expensive than the normal iPhone. I think that is the biggest factor.

lukas099 4y ago

Something to consider: small phones are a niche and producing them is a way of capturing a specific set of customers. I was an Android guy, but one of the top two reasons my newest phone is an iPhone is due to the small form factor (the other is longer support cycles). If Apple stops making small phones, my next one may well be an Android. On consideration, capturing a niche market segment like this may be more valuable for Apple than it is for other manufacturers, as it increases the odds of getting them locked into your ecosystem.

PeterisP 4y ago

Yep, it's something that has been tried (e.g. Sony Xperia Compact series comes to mind) but stopped since it apparently doesn't sell enough. It's also a bit challenging, since a powerful phone has higher battery/heat/etc needs and that is easier/cheaper to do in a larger device.