RIP to the iPhone Mini — not dead but not updated - The Verge

Apple’s recently announced iPhone 14 lineup includes a Plus model with a bigger screen, but this time, there’s no Mini model for the fans of the small phone.

Well, that’s it then — after just two iterations, Apple seems to be done with the iPhone Mini. Sure, it’ll still sell you a new one; last year’s 128GB iPhone 13 Mini is currently available for $599, but the new iPhone 14 lineup doesn’t include any models with the smaller 5.4-inch screen that some people have come to love.

I may be disappointed, but I’m not surprised. Rumors of the Mini’s death have been swirling almost since it debuted in 2020. In early 2021, reports started to surface that Apple had vastly overestimated demand for the phone and had to slash production of it and that it only accounted for single-digit percentages of all iPhone sales.

Perhaps that’s because most people just want inexpensive phones with big screens. According to estimates from Statista, phones with 5- to 5.5-inch screens accounted for around 13.5 percent of units shipped by manufacturers in 2022. Phones with screens bigger than 6 inches, meanwhile, made up 40 percent of shipments. Statista’s data also shows that, over the past few years, fewer and fewer small phones have been shipped, while big phones have been on the rise.

It hurts to say it, but you really can’t even see a bump from the Minis here.

    Data: Statista
  

When we here at The Verge first reviewed the iPhone 12 Mini, we predicted that it was “going to be a favorite for many.” It seems like the “many” only turned out to be a few, but the bit about being a favorite was dead-on — those of us who like the Mini really like it. It managed to be a 2020-tier flagship phone crammed into the footprint of a mid-2010s device. After years of features, like multiple incredible cameras, 512GB of storage, and bright, HDR displays, only being available in phones with 5.8-inch or (much) larger screens, the Mini finally made them all available in a device you could comfortably use with one hand.

Yes, the Mini had downsides. Even with the 9 percent bump in battery capacity that came with the 13 model, it was never a phone that could get you through a full day of heavy use. And while it may have been able to go feature for feature with its bigger mainline counterpart, it’s hard to imagine that Apple could’ve made a Pro version that was practical.

https://www.theverge.com/2022/9/8/23328114/apple-iphone-12-13-mini-not-updated-ergonomics

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