KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 9 ― The iPhone 12 series has arguably been a successful launch all round, and one of the more interesting devices within the range has been the iPhone 12 Mini. The smallest current generation iPhone basically brings the one-handed form-factor back into play, and it’s genuinely been one of the more interesting new iPhones of recent years.
However, it appears that demand for the iPhone 12 Mini has been poorer than expected. As first reported by Apple Insider, JP Morgan supply chain analyst William Yang has made a couple of predictions for the current, and next generation iPhone lineup — including the rather dire forecast that Apple may stop producing the iPhone 12 Mini by the second quarter of 2021.
This means that Apple may stop manufacturing the Mini between April and June 2021, which speaks volumes about the demand of the smallest iPhone since its launch in October of last year. It’s worth noting that this does not mean that Apple will stop selling the iPhone 12 Mini — instead, the current inventory of units should prove sufficient until the launch of the next generation of iPhones in 2021.
In contrast to that, Yang is estimating that builds for the iPhone 12 Pro Max, 12 Pro, and even the iPhone 11 will be ramped up, although production for the iPhone 12 might be reduced alongside the 12 Mini. However, as we approach the second half of 2021, Yang says that Apple will launch four new smartphones as part of the iPhone 12s/13 series.
Does this mean that we’ll continue to see a Mini iPhone? Perhaps. Yang doesn’t expect to see a new iPhone SE model in 2021, although 2022 could see a third iteration of Apple’s most affordable smartphone. This means that we could see iPhone 13 Mini (not a confirmed name, of course) in 2021, although the company might need to address complaints about battery life to avoid a similar outcome. Adding more cameras might help, too, although that seems to be reserved for the Pro models in the series.
Personally, it’d be a shame if Apple lets the reportedly underwhelming performance of the iPhone 12 Mini affect potential plans for a successor. If they can fine-tune a couple of things, the Mini form factor still offers something that you can’t really find in the smartphone market today — a small, but powerful device. ― SoyaCincau
