At this point there’s only really one thing I want from an iPhone and that’s an option for a 12/13 mini sized device again. Surely those phones didn’t sell so few that it’s not worth doing at all?
Source:
Google shipped about 10 million Pixel phones in a year https://9to5google.com/2024/02/22/pixel-2023/
iPhone Mini accounted for about 3% of iPhone sales https://9to5mac.com/2022/04/21/cirp-iphone-13-best-selling-l...
iPhones sell about 200 million units per year https://www.demandsage.com/iphone-user-statistics/
200 million * 0.03 = 6 million iPhone Minis per year
Small phones are also difficult. Memory, processors, and batteries don't shrink. For an iPhone mini, they're going to be shipping essentially the same chips taking up the same amount of space. That space is going to have to come at the expense of things like the battery and cooling. It's a lot easier to engineer something with looser tolerances. If you have a giant phone, it's easy to have extra room to keep the phone cool and stuff in a battery.
It also probably meant limiting some choices for the rest of the iPhone lineup. Apple wants to be able to re-use components and to some extent it's going to mean that Apple either has to make choices that work for both a 6.1" and 5.4" form factor or do separate things.
There is some demand for an iPhone mini. I love the iPhone mini. I also see the challenge for Apple.
I think there's also a reason why we haven't seen a successful Android mini phone. It's hard to make a mini phone and the sales numbers are comparatively small.
But maybe we'll see an iPhone mini in a few years time. If Apple can create an integrated CPU/modem/WiFi/Bluetooth chip, that could end up saving a decent amount of space while also reducing power requirements. Maybe we'll be able to go SIM-less around the world and that could save space.
At the same time, it's hard to make the same number of people make another, more challenging form factor and it's hard to scale out with more people too. Plus, do you put your best engineers on the hardest project (the mini) when it's only 3% of sales? Or do you hire new, less experienced, possibly lower skilled people for that and hope you don't put out a product that isn't good?
It's a tough challenge for a tiny amount of sales which, ultimately, aren't going to decide to leave Apple for Android where they also can't get a small phone.
Advances in tech should allow phones to be smaller than ever for the same capabilities, or more capabilities for the same size than ever before.
I don't doubt that the average phone has grown in size, the base iPhone has stayed roughly the same size for 7 years at this point. The 16 is only 0.15"x0.03"x0.01" larger than the iPhone X from 2017 and the base iPhone peaked in height and width all the way back in 2019 with the iPhone 11.
I think the simple answer is that they've pretty much found the sweet spot and even if there are people out there who want a smaller phone, most of them would still rather have the same size phone with more capability.
I could't care less what size other people use, and I use social media maybe half an hour a day, if that. The regular sized iPhones are the happy size for my older eyes and thumbs.
While true of a company like Samsung I don't think this explains the lack of a small iPhone. Apple is only going for simple relative to someone like Samsung. They now have FIVE current models, spanning what is effectively two screen sizes (but actually four, which is worse, because now you're spreading yourself across FOUR form factors minimum.)
So even Apple isn't playing by the "too many different things" rule. In reality they could accomplish all this with two models: a big one and a small one. Add in a "mini" size and now you have three models, plus much better variety.
I won't quibble about what is best for Apple's bottom line though; I assume they know better than me. But I will quibble about neglecting what people are asking for while giving them things they aren't asking for.
> Small phones are also difficult.
No, they aren't. It used to be that big phones were difficult. Then screens got cheaper, and now they choose BIG every. single. time. They don't choose big because it's easy, they choose it because it sells better.
How much of that was due to the SE 2 being available at a better price while meeting most prospective customers needs?
Personally I was looking forward to an upgrade... but not now.
[0] see: massive financial incentives, developer tooling to help maximize engagement, product design focused on extended use, notoriously useless screen time feature etc
[1] we don’t have exact mini sales, but estimates are they were around 6% of total iPhone sales (aka: low, but billions a year in revenue, enough to keep barring other incentives) - more revenue than many other Apple products or the SE, for example. Even if you’re Apple you don’t axe billions in revenue for nothing!
One problem I have with what I will term "Trust-the-Science-ism" is that it inherently assumes safety of anything novel; the burden of proof is on the individual to prove it's unsafe, because the corporations care about you, and you should trust the science. PFASs, plasticizers, modern flame retardants, child use of smartphones/social media, general use of screens, et cetera. In reality, who knows if a novel thing is safe? Why not test it out in a truly rigorous fashion? If the benefits from this new thing are so great, we as a society could pay for this thousands of times over. Sadly the incentives never align, these new inventions are rarely challenged, and their studies rarely approach rigor.
So, what does the research say on the subject? Nothing, as it turns out - there's nothing substantial published. Why? Well, we know where the influence and interests lie.
Your sarcastic tone reminds me of a Steve Jobs interview.
> In 2010, a New York Times reporter had a conversation that revealed a lot about the life of the founder of Apple. Nick Bilton commented, “Your kids must love the iPad, right?” After the launch of the device. Jobs replied, “They haven't used it. We limit the amount of technology our children use at home. "
Yeah, they know what it is that they are doing to the world. And they do not care, profits > humanity.
I still have apple care+ on mine. I knew they will probably never make a new one again. I use it without a case, so when I drop it break the screen or something, I just get an express replacement. There is a small fee ($100 or something) and I basically get a brand new iPhone mini. Hopefully their replacement stock last for a while.
I consider this a feature
If I sound like I'm trying to influence you're decision, my apologies! I really disliked the size of the SE 2022, which I bought to replace the last really good Apple phone (SE 2016), and that was much smaller than the 16e. I should have gone straight to the 13 mini - I was put off by no bezels, Face ID, and I guess like a sucker I wanted to buy another SE because I liked the one I had so much. :)
Another aspect that I think is often missed is that the Mini physically cannot offer the same battery life as other iPhones. Many say they don't mind this, but over time as the battery life deteriorates, it becomes a pain point all the same. I think that is another aspect of why they don't like the small form factor.
The Toyota Corolla sells 1 million units a year worldwide - it's totally practical and realistic to set up a production line to make 1 million devices a year.
Apple sells 200 million iphones a year.
That's why they're happy to make the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max and 16e and offer them in 4-5 colours per model as well.
It's something else - probably sales.
If they can standardise those, they might end up with an easier OS to maintain once the Mini (sadly) is no longer supported
Even repair/replace is improving, with new aftermarket storage upgrades for Macbooks.
I think this is really "peak Apple" era. Most stuff they did after Jobs death is re-heated or poorly designed/conceived.
Apple is just a luxury brand nowadays because they have lost focus on the user, it's a bit maddening that they are getting so rich from it but I guess that's how it is...
I plan to use it, until I need to charge the battery every 15 minutes.
I also write software for these beasties, and it may well be that I won't be able to justify avoiding getting one that has Apple Intelligence.
I'm still hanging on to my perfectly working iPhone 7, while app developers tell me to fuck off left and right. It does everything I want a phone to do, but developers consider "old phones" to be icky and stop supporting them.
https://blog.bschwind.com/2025/01/11/the-original-iphone-se-...
However, these days, I usually release with minimum support beginning with iOS 16, because I am a one-man shop.
My stuff will usually run in 15, though.
With very little skill, I found I could duplicate this issue on my iPhone 7 running the latest supported version of iOS: https://joshua.hu/apple-ios-patched-unpatched-vulnerabilitie...
The larger phones barely fit in pockets, fit poorly in running packs/biking gear and are just generally inconvienient for being active with them.
I have a 13 mini and will use it until it dies...just like the SE before it.
So many people are interested in which phone I have. It’s a 12mini. Won’t upgrade to 13mini bc that doesn’t make any sense.
I simply don’t want a bulky phone.
In other words whatever size the audience is for a mini phone they are further fragmented into people who want a flagship phone vs mid range phone vs budget phone.
And those market segments are too small to make it worth Apple or even most android manufacturers effort.
Part of the problem with Mini was its battery life. It seems 16e is improving on exactly that. Although I think it wont be 5.4" again since it was too small compared to the rest of the line up where it is usually 20% bigger screen to next size up.
May be 5.6" or even 5.8" as the original X.
That is literally what happened.