Apple Planning to Kill the iPhone mini Next Year

Apple is planning some pretty big changes for the iPhone lineup in the short term, and according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, one of them concerns the mini model.

We’ve known for a while that the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 isn’t selling exactly as anticipated, and reports that made the headlines earlier this year indicated that Apple adjusted its production in order to align it with the current demand.

So while Apple decided to make fewer iPhone 12 mini units, it also increased the production of the Pro models, as they are both selling much better than the 5.4-inch device.

As a result, people familiar with the matter even suggested the mini would get the ax as soon as this year, though Kuo claims the iPhone 13 lineup, which will be announced in September this year, will still include a 5.4-inch version.

But on the other hand, if Kuo is right, then the iPhone mini would be discontinued next year, so iPhone 14 would no longer include a 5.4-inch device.

Four-model lineup anyway

The reason is as simple as it could be. The mini model makes little sense for Apple, especially because a new iPhone SE is coming next year, possibly with a 4.7-inch display.

But this doesn’t necessarily mean that Apple wants to give up on its four-model iPhone lineup. The iPhone 14 generation would still include four different devices, only that it would comprise the iPhone Pro and Pro Max with 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch displays, as well as two other standard iPhones with the same screen sizes.

So in theory, Apple wants its iPhone lineup two include two standard models and Pro versions of the same configurations, so a mini makes little sense in the long term. Of course, anything could change by the time this new iPhone gets the go-ahead.