Will Apple launch iPhone 14 mini?

Apple is gearing up to launch a slew of new iPhones on September 7th. The iPhone 14 series is rumoured to include as many as four models – iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Max, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max. You will notice here that there is no mention of an iPhone 14 mini model. This is because reports from as early as December 2021 claim Apple is done with the mini version of the iPhone. Why? Well, there seem to be a couple of good reasons for this. Let’s check them out.

What went wrong with iPhone 12 mini and 13 mini?

When Apple launched the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini in 2020, the company believed it had created something that Apple fans didn’t know they needed – a compact, fits-in-the-palm-of-your-hand iPhone with flagship-grade specifications. At the time, the iPhone 12 mini was the smallest, thinnest, and lightest 5G phone in the world, according to Apple. If you’re feeling particularly nostalgic, you can watch the iPhone 12 mini reveal below.

However, the months following the launch of the iPhone 12 mini left Apple quite disappointed. The device struggled to find buyers, with more people choosing the regular-sized iPhone 12 over the mini. In fact, the immediate poor sales of the iPhone 12 mini forced Apple to cut production of the mini and increase manufacturing of the iPhone 12 Pro. By Q2 2021, Apple decided to completely cease production of the iPhone 12 mini.

What’s perplexing is that the iPhone 12 mini met with largely favourable reviews from owners, but the device only managed to capture around 6 percent of total iPhone 12 sales.

Despite the poor performance of the iPhone 12 mini, Apple still went ahead with the iPhone 13 mini launch. This time the company included a slightly bigger battery, which was a sore point for iPhone 12 mini users, but that still didn’t seem to attract buyers. The iPhone 13 mini, in fact, met a fate worse than the 12 mini’s as it managed to capture only 3 percent of total iPhone 13 sales in Q1 2022 in the US. The terribly poor sales of the iPhone 12 mini and 13 mini meant it was inevitable that Apple would drop the mini form factor from its upcoming lineup.

The terribly poor sales of the iPhone 12 mini and 13 mini meant it was inevitable that Apple would drop the mini form factor from its upcoming lineup.

Interestingly, Apple has not discontinued the iPhone 13 mini yet despite its low sales. The fact that Apple is still selling the iPhone 13 mini with the iPhone 14 launch just a few days away further implies that Apple will not launch an iPhone 14 mini model. The iPhone 13 mini is quite possibly the last mini model from the company. And if you have been waiting to get your hands on one, you probably should buy it before it disappears completely.

No mini iPhone this year

Even before the launch of the iPhone 13 mini, analysts predicted that Apple would not launch a 5.4-inch iPhone 14 mini in 2022. This line of thought has not changed and trustworthy Apple tipsters like Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman are certain that the iPhone 14 mini will not be launching.

Instead of a compact iPhone, Apple plans to announce a large-screen iPhone 14 Max model. This device will likely offer the same hardware and notched design as the 6.1-inch iPhone 14, but with a larger 6.7-inch screen size. Meanwhile, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will offer some visual upgrades, including a hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera next to a pill-shaped cutout for Face ID. The Pro models are also said to come with an always-on display and a new A-series processor.

Best time to buy iPhone 13 mini coming soon

While we are certain no iPhone 14 mini is on the cards, Apple fans who still want to buy a compact iPhone in India should wait until after the September 7th launch event to do so. The Cupertino giant is widely expected to drop the prices of older iPhone models following the launch of the iPhone 14 series. This means the iPhone 13 mini could potentially get cheaper to buy in India. The device is currently available from Rs 69,900 in the country and it could get cheaper by Rs 10,000 following the iPhone 14 launch.