After years of requests from iPhone fans for a small-screen device with the latest capabilities, Apple introduced the iPhone 12 mini in 2020. When Apple made this decision, the compact form factor was expected to last for several years, but the device appeared to come to an end with the debut of the iPhone 14 range in 2022. Apple dismantled the last remaining phone with the “mini” form factor with the launch of the iPhone 15 series.
Concerns arose when the smaller iPhone 12 appeared to sell less than Apple expected, accounting for just 6% of iPhone 12 sales in the United States between October and November 2020, according to statistics compiled by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP). . According to Counterpoint Research, the small iPhone 12 represented just 5% of all iPhone 12 sales in the United States in the first half of January 2021.
According to Morgan Stanley, Apple decided to reduce production of the small iPhone 12 by two million units to increase manufacturing capacity for the more popular iPhone 12 Pro. According to a Taiwanese report citing supply chain sources, Apple increased its supply of the more expensive iPhone 12 Pro models in China due to strong demand.
Notably, JP Morgan Chase stated that Apple abruptly stopped manufacturing the iPhone 12 mini in the second quarter of 2021. While the sales of the iPhone 12 mini did not bode well for the iPhone 13 mini, Apple plans its production operations and iPhone supply chain. long before launch, meaning the iPhone 13 mini was already on its way to production when the iPhone 12 mini’s sales problems became clear.
In April 2022, CIRP revealed additional statistics indicating that the iPhone 13 mini accounted for just 3% of iPhone 13 sales, half that of the iPhone 12 mini. Current weak sales were probably the key reason for the demise of the “mini” iPhone format.
Apple replaced the “mini” item in the iPhone 14 series with an all-new “Plus” device that matched the 6.7-inch screen size of its high-end “Pro Max” models. In some ways, the “Plus” is similar to the “mini,” offering the latest capabilities of the iPhone in a larger screen size. Instead of a lightweight, small-screen alternative, buyers can now opt for an even larger battery and 6.7-inch display, the same size “Pro Max” users have been accustomed to for more than five years. , currently priced at $1,199, but at $899 much more affordable.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said less than a week after the iPhone 14 launch that demand for the two devices was “lackluster,” with pre-order results weaker than those for the third-generation iPhone SE and iPhone 13. little. He even said that “Apple’s product segmentation strategy for standard models is failing this year,” and Apple was thought to have canceled plans to ramp up manufacturing of the two smartphones. According to display analyst Ross Young, panel orders for the iPhone 14 fell 38% compared to the iPhone 13 at the same time last year, while the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus lost value twice as fast. than the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13. compared to the previous year in the resale market.
Other reports, such as DigiTimes, painted a similar picture of low sales of the iPhone 14 Plus, to the point that Apple was forced to cut production, implying that the low sales of the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini were not due to the device size. after all. It remains to be seen if the iPhone 15 Plus will fare better.
According to speculation, Apple has no intention of bringing back the “mini” form factor of the iPhone. The smallest iPhones currently in development, such as Apple’s iPhone 16 and the fourth-generation iPhone SE, are expected to have 6.1-inch displays. By contrast, future smartphones like the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are expected to be considerably larger, measuring 6.3 and 6.9 inches, respectively.
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Categories: Technology
Source: vtt.edu.vn