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Comment by akmarinov | Hacker News Reader

The article person might want one, but people don't. That's why the iPhone Mini doesn't sell and is being axed.

I wouldn’t call 10 m a year „doesn’t sell“. It might not sell like the bigger ones but there’s definitely a market for it

Clearly not enough to warrant a production line, otherwise there would be some offerings for it from some Android maker.

Clearly? Are you sure?

Paraphrasing Contact: First rule in cell phone building: why build small when you can build twice as big at twice the price?

I mean it's not like this has been a sudden shift, phones have been getting gradually larger over the years. I seriously doubt manufacturers would be using more materials to make a smaller amount of larger phones instead of more smaller ones if the larger versions didn't sell that much more.

Sure, I just meant that maybe smaller phones are profitable, just less profitable than bigger ones, so companies incentivize the latest.

I've given up. My plan is buying a dumbphone until Pine is usable by me.

Or is it that marketing has been telling customers that bigger is better for the past decade? I wouldn't give too much credit to an average consumer.

There is no marketing. Bigger is just better. I got the regular sized iPhone and every time I pick up the pro max it feels good. It’s visually more striking, it’s nicer to use. It’s just a little harder to hold but with two hands is still fine.

5% sold were Mini. But I guess let’s axe it if it cuts into profit just a bit.

It is a business, though, and if 5% of sales cost disproportionately more than 5% to produce, market, support, and all those things, then it’s fair to say “it doesn’t sell” and axe it.

And together with the SE devices?

About 6, maybe 7%.

Sadly yes, if the Mini means additional costs and only captures users which'd have bought your phone anyway it's just overhead.

Sad to say but ruthless supply chain and product range efficiency is one of the pillars of Apple's return.

Speak for yourself.

It will return in a couple years as the new SE.

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