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Three most baffling thing about it is I see this comment in almost every iphone thread. I know so many people irl who have the same opinion including myself. I

Three most baffling thing about it is I see this comment in almost every iphone thread. I know so many people irl who have the same opinion including myself. If there are any Apple execs in this thread: please listen to your customers! We are screaming for a flagship mini!

paxys 3y ago
Apple is listening to its customers – by way of sales data rather than a few comments on a niche techy forum.
cromka 3y ago
They are listening to their sales numbers and the numbers say that customers are, in fact, not interested in Mini.
- lastofthemojito 3y ago
  I'm on Team Mini as well, but I can see why Apple canned it: https://www.macrumors.com/2022/04/21/iphone-13-mini-unpopular-march-quarter/ https://www.macrumors.com/2022/04/21/iphone-13-mini-unpopula...
  - jacobp100 3y ago
    The SE also doesn’t do amazingly. The markup on the mini must have been way higher though. Its a shame
- CephalopodMD 3y ago
  I'd argue the opposite! The segment is a minority, but the need within that segment is strong. It is not a 1 size fits all product, and 2-3% of your customer base might leave if a competitor fulfills that need. For your main revenue generator, that's not insignificant. See the Prego pasta sauce story https://www.enablemarketing.ie/can-business-learn-spaghetti-sauce/ https://www.enablemarketing.ie/can-business-learn-spaghetti-...
  - alsodumb 3y ago
    Assuming that there is a fixed cost associated with the mini production line, and assuming they sales and service based revenue from mini users isn’t a lot, it doesn’t make financial sense to have the mini line. Also, where exactly are the users gonna go? The smallest is probably one of those Samsung foldable ones. But you’re really underestimating how bad android ecosystem can be (this is coming from someone who’s been hardcore android fan until recently). Maybe I’m getting older, but I really like the part where a lot of things with apple just work.
    - hot_gril 3y ago
      > Also, where exactly are the users gonna go? Exactly. Apple can influence what their customers want to some degree, rather than listening. Only has to be better than Android. A cleaner example is Bluetooth audio vs jack. iPhones had both forever, but BT wasn't popular. One day Apple coaxed everyone onto BT, probably realizing they can make a killing selling AirPods that way. Samsung thought maybe this would send a few customers their way, so they started advertising that they still have a jack, but nope.
  - accrual 3y ago
    > The segment is a minority, but the need within that segment is strong. The only issue I see with this argument is that it doesn't matter to Corp if a small minority really wants Thing, it only matters if selling Thing makes more money than not selling Thing.
- underbluewaters 3y ago
  I think the problem is that the same people who care a lot about their phone's form factor also care about features. We need an iPhone Mini Pro with high end cameras. I'm not going to settle for so-so pics of my toddler.
- mackrevinack 3y ago
  most manufacturers gimp their smaller phones so its not surprising that the larger versions sell more
ndiddy 3y ago
Given the continued poor sales of the mini phones, it seems like only a vocal minority wants them.
- sph 3y ago
  They had to cut the Mini line because it was bankrupting the company. It's not like Apple can afford to have a product that only sells a few hundred thousands units a year, are you kidding?
  - drexlspivey 3y ago
    If a product line loses money it’s pretty logical to cut it, is that controversial or did you mistake Apple for a charity?
    - sph 3y ago
      Price is flexible. We have no insight on Apple's finances, but how much is that line losing money by? And is it losing money at all, or is it a strategic decision? At the scale Apple operates at, and the egregious margins on their products, I wouldn't be so sure it was a financial decision.
sircastor 3y ago
Unfortunately, there aren't enough of us to merit it. The 12 mini was a trial balloon for how well a smaller sized phone would sell, and people didn't show up for it. On the plus side (no pun intended), it looks like the yearly increase in average phone sizes has halted. It's worth nothing that there are practical costs for a smaller phone: You can't fit as much battery into a smaller package, but people want to use a smaller phone the same way they'd use a larger phone.
- hbn 3y ago
  It sold a single digit percentage of total iPhones the quarter after the 12 series dropped, which is... millions of units. Not to mention the 2020 SE came out a few months prior to the 12 lineup's announcement, so a lot of people who wanted a small phone had just got one. The idea that nobody bought it isn't true. It sold under Apple's expectations, but if they set their expectations correctly and didn't cannibalize a large portion of potential buyers a few months before announcing it, I think it could work. The real story here is that they don't have to make them because people will buy whatever is available. When my 13 mini is getting old, I'll buy a standard size phone because it's all I can do.

paxys 3y ago

Apple is listening to its customers – by way of sales data rather than a few comments on a niche techy forum.

cromka 3y ago

They are listening to their sales numbers and the numbers say that customers are, in fact, not interested in Mini.

lastofthemojito 3y ago
I'm on Team Mini as well, but I can see why Apple canned it: https://www.macrumors.com/2022/04/21/iphone-13-mini-unpopular-march-quarter/ https://www.macrumors.com/2022/04/21/iphone-13-mini-unpopula...
- jacobp100 3y ago
  The SE also doesn’t do amazingly. The markup on the mini must have been way higher though. Its a shame
CephalopodMD 3y ago
I'd argue the opposite! The segment is a minority, but the need within that segment is strong. It is not a 1 size fits all product, and 2-3% of your customer base might leave if a competitor fulfills that need. For your main revenue generator, that's not insignificant. See the Prego pasta sauce story https://www.enablemarketing.ie/can-business-learn-spaghetti-sauce/ https://www.enablemarketing.ie/can-business-learn-spaghetti-...
- alsodumb 3y ago
  Assuming that there is a fixed cost associated with the mini production line, and assuming they sales and service based revenue from mini users isn’t a lot, it doesn’t make financial sense to have the mini line. Also, where exactly are the users gonna go? The smallest is probably one of those Samsung foldable ones. But you’re really underestimating how bad android ecosystem can be (this is coming from someone who’s been hardcore android fan until recently). Maybe I’m getting older, but I really like the part where a lot of things with apple just work.
  - hot_gril 3y ago
    > Also, where exactly are the users gonna go? Exactly. Apple can influence what their customers want to some degree, rather than listening. Only has to be better than Android. A cleaner example is Bluetooth audio vs jack. iPhones had both forever, but BT wasn't popular. One day Apple coaxed everyone onto BT, probably realizing they can make a killing selling AirPods that way. Samsung thought maybe this would send a few customers their way, so they started advertising that they still have a jack, but nope.
- accrual 3y ago
  > The segment is a minority, but the need within that segment is strong. The only issue I see with this argument is that it doesn't matter to Corp if a small minority really wants Thing, it only matters if selling Thing makes more money than not selling Thing.
underbluewaters 3y ago
I think the problem is that the same people who care a lot about their phone's form factor also care about features. We need an iPhone Mini Pro with high end cameras. I'm not going to settle for so-so pics of my toddler.
mackrevinack 3y ago
most manufacturers gimp their smaller phones so its not surprising that the larger versions sell more

ndiddy 3y ago

Given the continued poor sales of the mini phones, it seems like only a vocal minority wants them.

sph 3y ago
They had to cut the Mini line because it was bankrupting the company. It's not like Apple can afford to have a product that only sells a few hundred thousands units a year, are you kidding?
- drexlspivey 3y ago
  If a product line loses money it’s pretty logical to cut it, is that controversial or did you mistake Apple for a charity?
  - sph 3y ago
    Price is flexible. We have no insight on Apple's finances, but how much is that line losing money by? And is it losing money at all, or is it a strategic decision? At the scale Apple operates at, and the egregious margins on their products, I wouldn't be so sure it was a financial decision.

sircastor 3y ago

Unfortunately, there aren't enough of us to merit it. The 12 mini was a trial balloon for how well a smaller sized phone would sell, and people didn't show up for it. On the plus side (no pun intended), it looks like the yearly increase in average phone sizes has halted. It's worth nothing that there are practical costs for a smaller phone: You can't fit as much battery into a smaller package, but people want to use a smaller phone the same way they'd use a larger phone.

hbn 3y ago
It sold a single digit percentage of total iPhones the quarter after the 12 series dropped, which is... millions of units. Not to mention the 2020 SE came out a few months prior to the 12 lineup's announcement, so a lot of people who wanted a small phone had just got one. The idea that nobody bought it isn't true. It sold under Apple's expectations, but if they set their expectations correctly and didn't cannibalize a large portion of potential buyers a few months before announcing it, I think it could work. The real story here is that they don't have to make them because people will buy whatever is available. When my 13 mini is getting old, I'll buy a standard size phone because it's all I can do.