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In the end, the mini was killed because it didn’t sell well. As much as I personally liked the size, if no one else is buying them I can’t exactly fault Apple t

In the end, the mini was killed because it didn’t sell well. As much as I personally liked the size, if no one else is buying them I can’t exactly fault Apple too much for the decision they made. The problem with the mini wasn’t the size of the phone I suspect, but the size of the battery. Even if a customer liked the size, they may not have been willing to take a significant battery life tradeoff for it.

al_borland 2y ago
I upgraded my iPhone 12 mini to a 13 mini the day the 13 mini was discontinued. My plan was to use it for as long as humanly possible. However, since it was already a couple years old when I got it, the battery and hardware limitations (most ram) started to become a problem within the first year. I ended up getting a 16 Pro a few weeks ago. I’d love a phone the size of the mini, but a Pro model with triple cameras. I would be perfectly fine with them making it thicker to accommodate the extra hardware and a comparable battery. I think I’d actually prefer this, as a thicker phone would mean they could eliminate the camera bump, or at least shrink it. I don’t think my wishes will ever come true. Personally, I’d even go smaller than the mini. I think they got the size right the first time. I would be happy keeping it the same size and moving to an all-screen design. But I’m an oddity these days, as I still think the computer should be the center hub, and the phone a utility device for on the go. The overall market has moved to mobile-first, where the phone isn’t just the center hub, its many people’s only device.
- sergormo 2y ago
  I feel you, but the bigger sizes for me generate so much friction that I end up writing this post. :)
sergormo 2y ago
The original iPhone design was even smaller than today’s iPhone Mini, built for a similar use case—compact functionality. Isn’t it a bit ironic that the market has now shifted towards feature-heavy, oversized phones? While I understand that larger phones do offer certain advantages, one could argue that the push towards “bigger is better” is just a marketing-driven trend, rather than a necessity. This focus on size and feature count could apply to any brand, not just Apple. Regarding the battery size. Never felt it as well. Usage completely natural and never experience an issue with it. No need more.
- infotainment 2y ago
  > The original iPhone design was even smaller than today’s iPhone Mini, built for a similar use case—compact functionality. Isn’t it a bit ironic that the market has now shifted towards feature-heavy, oversized phones? Not necessarily too ironic, since the market shift was part of a larger trend that has occurred since that time: phones-as-primary-computing-device. While you, me, and probably most of the typical HN audience uses a laptop/desktop as their primary computing device, "normal" people today generally use their phones. It's not unreasonable to think that someone using their phone for managing their entire life (instead of just making phone calls and messaging) would want something with a bigger screen for reasons beyond just marketing.
  - sergormo 2y ago
    Fair enough, thanks, agree. Good point.

al_borland 2y ago

I upgraded my iPhone 12 mini to a 13 mini the day the 13 mini was discontinued. My plan was to use it for as long as humanly possible. However, since it was already a couple years old when I got it, the battery and hardware limitations (most ram) started to become a problem within the first year. I ended up getting a 16 Pro a few weeks ago. I’d love a phone the size of the mini, but a Pro model with triple cameras. I would be perfectly fine with them making it thicker to accommodate the extra hardware and a comparable battery. I think I’d actually prefer this, as a thicker phone would mean they could eliminate the camera bump, or at least shrink it. I don’t think my wishes will ever come true. Personally, I’d even go smaller than the mini. I think they got the size right the first time. I would be happy keeping it the same size and moving to an all-screen design. But I’m an oddity these days, as I still think the computer should be the center hub, and the phone a utility device for on the go. The overall market has moved to mobile-first, where the phone isn’t just the center hub, its many people’s only device.

sergormo 2y ago
I feel you, but the bigger sizes for me generate so much friction that I end up writing this post. :)

sergormo 2y ago

The original iPhone design was even smaller than today’s iPhone Mini, built for a similar use case—compact functionality. Isn’t it a bit ironic that the market has now shifted towards feature-heavy, oversized phones? While I understand that larger phones do offer certain advantages, one could argue that the push towards “bigger is better” is just a marketing-driven trend, rather than a necessity. This focus on size and feature count could apply to any brand, not just Apple. Regarding the battery size. Never felt it as well. Usage completely natural and never experience an issue with it. No need more.

infotainment 2y ago
> The original iPhone design was even smaller than today’s iPhone Mini, built for a similar use case—compact functionality. Isn’t it a bit ironic that the market has now shifted towards feature-heavy, oversized phones? Not necessarily too ironic, since the market shift was part of a larger trend that has occurred since that time: phones-as-primary-computing-device. While you, me, and probably most of the typical HN audience uses a laptop/desktop as their primary computing device, "normal" people today generally use their phones. It's not unreasonable to think that someone using their phone for managing their entire life (instead of just making phone calls and messaging) would want something with a bigger screen for reasons beyond just marketing.
- sergormo 2y ago
  Fair enough, thanks, agree. Good point.