Everybody thought the iPhone 12 Mini would be a raging success, but iPhone 12 Mini sales have TANKED – so what happened? And does this mean no iPhone 13 Mini in 2021?
A small iPhone that runs the latest A14 CPU, packs in a dual-lens camera, 5G, and an OLED display sounds like the perfect iPhone, right?
On paper, and in theory, it was and is. I mean, don’t ALL iPhone users secretly want a small iPhone?
Isn’t this why the OG iPhone SE was so popular?
Yes, but things have a habit of changing. And even Apple’s long-standing “small phone loyalists” are not immune, it seems.
Prior to the launch of the iPhone 12 range, most rightly assumed the iPhone 12 Mini would be one of the most popular iPhone 12 models in 2020 and 2021.
And that we’d get an iPhone 13 Mini too.
But as it turns out, the exact opposite has happened. iPhone 12 Mini sales have been weak, both domestically in the US and overseas, while sales of the larger iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro Max, helped massively by increased adoption in China, have picked up significantly.
And while plenty of iPhone 13 specs have leaked, the most pressing issue right now is whether or not we’ll see an iPhone 13 Mini in 2021 or not…
iPhone 12 Mini Sales – Not Good Enough
How BAD have sales been for the iPhone 12 Mini? According to Reuters, the iPhone 12 Mini accounted for just 5% of Apple’s iPhone 12 sales during the first half of January 2021.
The data cited by the report comes via CounterPoint. According to the research firm, smartphone users – en masse – have now switched over to larger phones.
And the reason?
Apps like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. They all look better on bigger screens which is why more and more of Apple’s long-standing users have now effectively given up on the small iPhone form factor.
The majority of iPhone sold right now ALL have screens bigger than six inches, meaning the iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and all the Pro models from each range.
According to both analysts and supply side sources, Apple will cease production of the iPhone 12 Mini in Q2 2021, a first for the company which usually produces all of the models in its range for at least 12 months.
Check out our iPhone 12 mini vs iPhone 11 comparison here!
iPhone 12 Mini Production Stopping In Q2 2021
From Q2 onward, Apple will instead focus on production of the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro models. It will still sell the iPhone 12 Mini, but it will not commit to making any more which, technically speaking, makes the iPhone 12 Mini a limited edition release.
If Apple stops making it in Q2, once supply is gone, there will be no more iPhone 12 Mini models available. And that makes the iPhone 12 Mini a limited press, if you will.
As always, Apple has NOT commented on any of these claims and likely won’t. Apple doesn’t talk to the press unless it has something to brag about or sell. And in this context, it looks like, for once, Apple has completely misread the market.
Which, I guess, is forgivable because myself and pretty much everybody else I know felt the iPhone 12 Mini would be a sure-fire hit.
This obviously hasn’t happened, and Apple has been forced to act accordingly.
More news as we get it…
And if Apple does do away with the iPhone 12 mini, at least there is always the iPhone SE. Here’s how the iPhone SE compares against the iPhone 12. Also, be sure to check out No Sound On iPhone 12? Here’s What To Do…
