Apple may release an iPhone 13 mini (and this is a good thing)
Despite poor sales (and to the joy of tiny phone lovers) we might get another mini
Why I hope Apple does make an iPhone 13 mini
Let’s talk about the mini devices a little bit.
As the name implies, this iPhone range is the smallest of Apple’s flagship phones. It was announced in October andpeople were pretty excited about it. Yet sales haven’t supported this, with figures suggesting the 12 mini accounted for only6% of Apple’s purchased iPhones in October and November. And thishasn’t improvedsince.
Which is a huge shame.
Ignoring just how nice it is to have reasonably sized handsets, there’s a gender argument here too. The technology world (and the world in general) is incredibly male-centric — and phones are an extension of this. On average, women have smaller hands then men, so the recent trend of devices getting bigger and bigger has made phones harder to use (this is something Caroline Criado Perez explores in her wonderful book,Invisible Women)
Smaller phones then are not just useful for anyone not wanting a brick in their pocket, they’re also a way of making devices work foreveryone.And, whether or not Apple had this in mind, the outcome is something we should do our best to protect.
The question then is this… what went wrong with the iPhone 12 mini that the iPhone 13 mini can solve?
I think there are two main answers to this question. The first, brand recognition, will happen naturally. The second issue is also easily fixable: the iPhone SE.
Apple releasedthe newest iPhone SEin April of last year, only seven months before the announcement of iPhone 12 mini. While the SE isn’t as powerful as its counterpart, it is substantially cheaper ($399 to $699) and fulfils the same “small phone” itch that many have.
It’s impossible to look at the timing of both these devices’ launches and come to the conclusion the SEdidn’tcannibalize the mini’s sales.
Hopefully, Apple has learned from this experience and won’t launch a much cheaper device that’s roughly the same size just before the iPhone 13 mini. Unless it really doesn’t give a shit, which I would respect in a Nietzschean kinda way.
And that’s that. Apple may or may not release an iPhone 13 mini. Thanks for reading.
Story byCallum Booth
Callum Booth is a freelance journalist with over a decade of experience. Previously, he was the Managing Editor of TNW, where his reporting(show all)Callum Booth is a freelance journalist with over a decade of experience. Previously, he was the Managing Editor of TNW, where his reporting was cited widely, including in VICE, the FT, and the BBC.
Callum’s writing has appeared in The Verge, The Daily Telegraph, Time Out, and many more. He covers the full spectrum of technology, with a particular focus on how it shapes our daily lives. And a lot of regulation stuff too.
Outside of work, Callum’s an avid bookworm, a Fisherman’s Friends addict, and resolutely unshaven. Follow him on Twitter @CallumBooth or visit www.callumbooth.net.
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