Often reliable analyst Ming Chi Kuo has bad news for small phone fans as well as small pockets-havers (that’s a weird way of just saying “women”). According to him, Apple isn’t planning to make an iPhone 14 mini. They may still release an iPhone 13 mini this year, but if they do, it’ll be the last reasonably-sized iPhone.
Apple doomed the iPhone mini release from the start. Apple released it during a pandemic when their stores were closed, so no one could go hands-on with the small device to realize it’s the perfect size. Seriously, it’s eerie how perfectly it fits in a hand, all while the screen still feels big. Meanwhile, they had also just released the iPhone SE, which appealed to people willing to sacrifice features for a smaller and cheaper iPhone. Apple cut into their iPhone 12 mini market twice, and yet it was still one of the top 10 selling smartphones worldwide.
That’s because people need this. They need a flagship device that actually fits in a woman’s pocket and hands. Guys want it too. People want a phone that actually can be used with just one hand, freeing them up to do anything else with the other.
I hated my iPhone 11 because of its ridiculous size. 6.1 inches? Seriously? That’s a tablet, not a phone. Holding it and using it on the train while my other hand was on a railing or holding a skateboard was a nightmare. But the mini? Perfectly hand-sized. I don’t even drop it as frequently and have come to use an ultra-thin case on it.
Cancelling the mini iPhone is a huge mistake. If anything, Apple should cancel the 6.1-inch iPhone, and have the mini be the base model. But Kuo has a reliable record. Apple may have already made up their mind.
Of course, if you look at how poorly they treated the mini, it seems they gave up on it before they even decided to release it.
Kuo’s Prediction
This year will likely still have an iPhone 13 mini. Kuo’s talking about the 2022 model, the iPhone 14. He’s claiming that Apple will just make four iPhone models that year, with the smallest being the monstrously large 6.1-inch phablet. The other model will be the 6.7-inch iPhone Max tablet. Apple will apparently offer this iPhone in both pro and non-pro versions.
The iPhone 12 mini is apparently the 8th best selling device in the world in January of 2021, according to Counterpoint Research. It outsold the much-awaited iPhone SE 2 as well. But many still take a negative approach towards the surprisingly popular iPhone 12 mini, while praising the less popular iPhone SE.
But Kuo is apparently not buying into the narrow narrative sold many tech blogs. His reports are often predictions based on Apple’s behavior in the past, their suppliers, and manufacturing trends. Is it perfectly accurate? No. Furthermore, it can carry his own bias against smaller smartphones. In my experience, (mostly men) who don’t see the need for the iPhone 12 mini (what with their big pockets) are downright offended that the device exists. This has painted an overwhelmingly negative narrative composed by people who have neither used the device, nor are its target market. Still, Kuo’s a professional with a fantastic track record. His report is very likely an accurate prediction, unless something changes before 2022.
The Perfect Size: Gone
I can’t believe I ever thought the giant 6.1-inch iPhone 11 was acceptable!
The iPhone 12 mini is the perfect size. In fact, if I were to eliminate any phones from Apple’s lineup, it would be the 6.1-inch. Offer a 5.4-inch iPhone and an 6.7-inch iPhone Max. Create pro models of both. The 6.1-inch iPhone still is a massive phablet. It can’t be the base model. People can’t even use it with one hand! How can a phone that is hard to hold without some accessory on the back the default? You have to practically disable MagSafe and wireless charging with a bulky back attachment just to use the damn thing!
People who have actually held the iPhone 12 mini and used it agree, it feels perfect. It fits in the hand and the pocket, all while still having a large enough screen for anything. Not enough people have been able to test it. Once you do, every other phone feels like a joke. Seriously. I thought the change would be a pleasant one, but I wasn’t expecting it to completely ruin me for all other smartphones.
Why, yes, that is an iPhone fitting in my front pocket. Thanks, iPhone 12 mini!
I feel like Morty after he discovered “true level.” You just cannot go back to it after you’ve experienced what all phones should be. I hated my iPhone 11 because it was huge. But I figured if Apple canceled the mini iPhone I would just go back. No. Now that I’ve had what an iPhone should be, I can never go back. It would be like wearing clown shoes, or wearing an extra large trenchcoat everywhere, barefoot, and wearing a suit of armor underneath.
Yes, that’s ridiculous, so are 6.1-inch smartphones! It’s a phone so big you need a stupid handle for it glued on the back.
I posted the image with my iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 11 case above and noted that Apple was thinking of getting rid of the mini iPhone on my social networks. Multiple women contacted me saying they can never go back. Why would Apple get rid of something that produces such a visceral reaction among so many people, most of them women?
Oh, right.
Clearly the Wrong People at Apple
Apple has had advertisements for many iPhone features, but hasn’t focused enough on the exciting new mini model. I’ve seen ads for “Ceramic Shield,” but Apple hasn’t focused on the fact that people simply drop their easier to hold iPhone 12 mini less often.
It seems Apple did everything in their power to make the iPhone 12 mini a flop, and yet it’s still in the top 10 selling smartphones worldwide. That’s a big deal, as the rest of the world is, by far, majority Android. iOS only has a strong foothold in the U.S. Yet the iPhone 12 mini, less than a year after its launch, is in the top 10.
The small iPhone is perfect for women. The smaller size is better for our usually smaller hands. It’s better for our minuscule pockets. And women don’t need everything to be a comment on our ego. Women don’t clamor for lifted trucks. We don’t brag about having the biggest screen TV to our friends. Women don’t care about these trivial “big” things.
“Big is better” just isn’t an advertising point for a group of people who can’t even fit a large iPhone into their back pockets, let alone those tiny front pockets. With more women in charge of design, the small iPhone wouldn’t be a “light” consideration, it would have a pro model as well. It would be the primary focus. Women know the importance of these devices. It’s mostly male commentators and journalists who don’t understand how important this really is.
Unsurprisingly, Apple is still, by far, majority male, especially among leadership. According to Apple (as of 2020), worldwide, leadership at Apple is only 31% female, and female employees in tech at Apple make up an incredibly disappointing 24%. My theory? If more people with small pockets worked at Apple, the iPhone mini would be a cornerstone product. It would be their most important iPhone. But Apple mostly hires big pocket people, even outside of tech, and promotes more men than women. What’s their excuse?
Perfect for Everyone
The iPhone 11 is ridiculous next to the appropriately-sized iPhone 12 mini
The iPhone 12 mini is the perfect size for most people, men and women. I bring up women so much because it’s practically necessary for women due to nearly useless pockets and smaller hands. But lets face it, women aren’t the only ones putting Pop Sockets, Phone Loops, and kickstands on the back of their smartphones just so they can use the damn things. Of course, this breaks super cool wireless charging and Apple’s MagSafe, but somehow this doesn’t register with these anti-mini haters.
The iPhone 13 mini has the opportunity to outsell the iPhone 12 mini. It’ll release on its own, not held back another iPhone SE, people may be able to line up for it and see it in person by September, and, by that time, people will have had a chance to get used to the idea of a small iPhone. They may have returned to the office where they can find the early adopters who took the risk on a small iPhone and try it out for themselves. People will have a chance to realize for themselves that they’ve been lied to. Big isn’t better. Small is.
Frankly, if the iPhone 13 mini is Apple’s last iPhone, then it may be quite a while before I do a new smartphone review after that, and if Apple hasn’t come to their senses by the iPhone 15 or iPhone 16, my next smartphone may be a compact Android phone. Let’s hope Android manufacturers copy Apple this year, because if they do and Apple drops the mini, I may jump ship. Now that I’ve experienced what a smartphone should be, I can never go back.
Sources:
- Luke Dormehl, Cult of Mac
- Sami Fathi, MacRumors
- Joe Rossignol, MacRumors
- Andy Walker, Android Authority