Apple is reportedly cutting production of the iPhone 12 mini, due to the poorer than expected sales. There have been more than one report in recent months suggesting the smaller new iPhone model is not selling as well as the company had hoped, with this one looking to confirm the effects of the lack of interest from buyers.
Apple announced the iPhone 12 series in late 2020. In total, there were four new models unveiled, although the iPhone 12 mini was the only all-new model. Instead, the other three were simply upgrades to the existing standard, Pro and Pro Max models. However, they were not the only new iPhone models to launch last year, as the second-generation iPhone SE also launched in 2020.
Of the new phones, multiple reports have now come through pointing to less than expected sales of the mini, with the latest coming from Nikkei Asia. In addition to suggesting poor sales, the report claims Apple is “slashing” iPhone 12 mini production as a result. Specifically, Apple has decreased iPhone 12 production by 20-percent in the first half of 2021 with iPhone 12 mini understood to be making up the majority of the production volume cut. The report goes on to state that, at one point, suppliers were asked to temporarily stop all production of iPhone 12 mini parts.
The Problem With Apple’s mini?
While it remains unclear what exactly is the issue with the iPhone 12 mini, the unmistakable difference is the size. After all, the iPhone 12 mini is relatively the same phone as the standard iPhone and is even $100 cheaper as well. All of which would point to the iPhone 12 mini expected to be a decent seller. Which is likely what was behind Apple’s thinking to begin with. However, with the size being the defining difference, it just might be the case that demand for this type of phone is not as great as expected. That’s not to say there is no demand, just that it appears to be far less than what Apple initially anticipated and based production levels on.
Of course, the iPhone SE may also be playing a role here. In reality, this is an even smaller phone. That is, in terms of the display. While the iPhone SE is taller and wider than the iPhone 12 mini, it does come with a 4.7-inch screen compared to the mini's 5.4-inch display. However, the iPhone SE is significantly cheaper than the mini and even more so than the standard iPhone 12. That in itself may be a contributing factor with the $100 difference between Apple’s normal and mini iPhone models not quite enough to attract buyers that are not specifically looking for a smaller phone to begin with.
Source: Nikkei Asia