There were rumors the other day that the iPhone 12 mini could be discontinued due to weak demand, but a survey found that it was only 5% of new iPhone sales in the U.S. in the first half of 2021. ..
According to US market research firm Counterpoint, demand for small smartphones is weakening in the first place. In recent years, SNS platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat have consumed a lot of video content, so it is expected that they are switching to larger screen devices.
The sluggish sales of the iPhone 12 mini (although Apple hasn’t officially announced the number of units sold, so it’s just an “estimate”) is more of a headwind for smaller smartphones than a problem with the device alone. “This is in line with the trend seen in the broader global market, where screen sizes below 6 inches account for only about 10% of all smartphones,” said a Counterpoint analyst.
Reuters of the United States has posted a transition graph of “device sales ratio of 6 inches or less and 6 inches or more” from January 2019 to the end of 2020, together with Counterpoint’s analysis. As you can see, the market for small devices is steadily shrinking, and the second-generation iPhone SE, which has achieved some success at 4.7 inches, seems to be an exception.
In response to this data, the gadget blog Tom’s Guide points out that there is a problem with the price of the iPhone 12 mini. It’s $ 100 cheaper than the iPhone 12 but $ 300 more expensive than the $ 399 iPhone SE, and consumers need to fall in love with the 5.4-inch size to choose the iPhone 12 mini. However, he commented that this report seems to indicate that it is not happening.
While there is a leading product in the small device market called the iPhone SE, it turns out that the 5.4-inch screen will have a hard time in the flagship price range. In such a trend, I would like to wait for a follow-up report as to whether the successor model iPhone 13 mini (provisional) will be released this fall.