June 23, 2021, 9:11 am | Read time: 4 minutes
The iPhone 12 mini is selling worse than expected–Apple has even stopped production. TECHBOOK discusses the reasons for the poor sales figures.
Early in the year, there were initial reports that Apple might sideline the iPhone 12 mini. The smallest of the four current iPhones sold too poorly. Now, according to a report from the research portal TrendForce, it has happened. Sooner than expected, Apple has halted production of the iPhone 12 mini. New devices of this model are no longer being manufactured, leaving only the remaining stock in warehouses. According to TrendForce, Apple plans to focus on the three non-mini models for the upcoming iPhone 12s or iPhone 13.
iPhone 12 mini falls short of expectations
In mid-December 2020, an insider familiar with Apple’s supply chains reported that sales of the iPhone 12 mini were sluggish. This statement was confirmed by a report from the advertising company Flurry Analytics. The company analyzes how many smartphones are newly activated each day. It found that in the U.S. on Christmas Day, 9 out of the 10 most activated smartphones were iPhones. While the iPhone 12, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max were among them, the iPhone 12 mini did not make the list.
A report from the market research firm Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) showed in early January that the iPhone 12 mini accounted for only 6 percent of the overall strong iPhone sales. Mike Levin from CIRP believes that the low sales are disappointing for Apple, as reported by the Apple-focused site 9to5Mac. Although the iPhone 12 mini has the lowest price of all iPhone 12 models, it sold only marginally better than the two-year-old iPhone Xr, the one-year-old iPhone 11, and the iPhone SE 2020. Levin suspects that the higher price compared to these models makes the iPhone 12 mini unattractive.
At the end of January, another report followed, this time from the investment bank Morgan Stanley. It stated that Apple planned to reduce the production of the iPhone 12 mini by two million units, allegedly to create more capacity for the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
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Is Apple stopping production completely?
Due to unexpectedly low demand, reports soon emerged that Apple was allegedly considering stopping the production of the iPhone 12 mini prematurely. According to JP Morgan industry analyst William Yang, Apple might increase the production of other iPhone models, including the iPhone 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, and 11. The iPhone 12 and 12 mini would thus be produced in smaller numbers. Yang believes that Apple could completely stop the production of the mini due to low sales figures by the second quarter of 2021. A speculation that now seems to be confirmed.
Initially hyped as the iPhone for the masses
The weak demand for the iPhone 12 mini stands in stark contrast to the high expectations many testers and market experts had for the device. In a majority of reviews, testers assumed that the iPhone 12 would be the most popular model. Allegedly due to the lower price and the compact form factor that many longed for.
While the iPhone 12 mini offers the same performance and camera as the larger iPhone 12, there are compromises, especially with the battery. Despite the small 5.4-inch screen, the mini has significantly worse battery life than its larger siblings. This is mainly because only a small battery fits into the small case. With just 2,227 mAh, the battery pack is 20 percent smaller than in the iPhone 12. Yet it has to power the same components. Additionally, the iPhone SE 2020 offers an even cheaper compact iPhone. And for those who prioritize price over size, the iPhone 11 is a cheaper alternative to the iPhone 12 mini.
However, it seems that the opinion of tech reviewers does not necessarily reflect the opinion of buyers. Many may think back to compact smartphones. Some surely remember how impractical typing and reading the screen was. Now, the weak-selling mini iPhone shows that buyers are more interested in larger smartphones.