Weekly poll results: people say they want small phones, but that is not apparent in sales numbers

14 February 2021
Sales data for the iPhone 12 mini, perhaps the only proper mini flagship on the market right now, is not encouraging. 

Sort by:

  • ?
  • Anonymous
  • JNI
  • 14 Feb 2021

We don't need the flagship to be mini-sized. There only needs to be a mini-version of the flagship too. That's all.

    • ?
    • Anonymous
    • m5F
    • 14 Feb 2021

    Anonymous, 14 Feb 2021Compacts phones have higher R&D costs. As the other use... moreYou can still cram it in a compact body, but it will have to be a bit thicker. No surprise, compact phones in the past have generally been thicker than bigger flagship ones.

      Anonymous, 14 Feb 2021Why would anyone what small phones??? They want to s... moreI'm middle aged and I don't squint at my iPhone 12 mini.

        Dan, 14 Feb 2021All phone SIZES should have the PRO and the ENTRY LEVEL ver... morePrecisely this! I don't have any major issues with my iPhone 12 mini's battery life, but if they made the phone as thick as the camera bump, that would've gotten rid of the bump, and added a bunch of space for a larger battery, which may have helped the many reviews from people who were complaining about the mini's battery life, which no doubt hurt its sales.

        Like you said, I'd like to see entry and pro models at all three form factors. I think that would help vary the market and get more relevant phones into users hands.

          wongwatt, 14 Feb 2021On screen keyboards favour larger displays. The smaller th... moreIncorrect. People were able to easily type on touchscreens prior to the large phones of today, and even compact phones today have bigger screens than large touchscreen phones had 3 years ago.

            biggle, 14 Feb 2021Small phones tend to be more expensive. Pricing is a major ... moreNot for the iPhones though. The second and third least expensive iPhones are currently their two smallest.

              Anonymous, 14 Feb 2021Who wants small phone, not me, nope, i have big handsThat's nice. I don't, so I want a small phone. You have tons of big phone options available, people who want smaller phones basically only have modern iPhones to choose from at this point.

                Anonymous, 14 Feb 2021V60 is already better than iphone 12/12 mini. Despite dow... moreThe V60 is gigantic compared to the 12 mini. 77mm is not a compact phone by any measure.

                  I think one big factor in the iPhone 12 mini's lack of success were all the dumb criticisms from poweruser reviewers claiming its battery life is bad, which kind of spoiled people's perceptions even before trying it. Reviewers need to start to use devices how they're intended to be used. People aren't going to be gaming and watching a lot of media on a small device: I've yet to have an issue getting through my work day on my 12 mini without a charge in spite of checking it every few minutes, using social media on it regularly, and listening to audiobooks on my drive home. No, the battery life isn't what it was on my XS, but it's honestly better than anything I've gotten from "compact" Android phones and in a smaller frame.

                    Domestoboto, 14 Feb 2021Relatively speaking, the SE 2020 sold like hotcakes. And if... moreThe iPhone SE 2020 sold a lot because it was the cheapest iPhone available, not because of the form factor.

                    I know several people who bought it just because they were getting a phone with Apple logo on the back at a reasonable price.
                    Initially they tried justifying the form factor, only to later get frustrated with the terrible battery life and ancient 4.7" 720p 60hz display.

                    The iPhone 12 mini with a 5.5" screen is a much better compact option in a footprint smaller than the iPhone SE 2020.

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • StU
                      • 14 Feb 2021

                      GSM have this backwards. First off there are few if any serious compact flagships on Android competing with the 12 Mini from Apple and the iPhone SE 2020. Apple and iOS only make up a small amount of the entire smartphone market. Android sells the most at the end of the day. The second thing is that most compact phones are seriously compromised with trash battery life and features and further hampered by high price tags to boot. Mini doesn't mean thin. Put a proper battery in the phone! I wanted a 12 Mini but I had to buy the standard 12 series because the battery life so crap on the 12 mini. Not good enough from Apple!

                        • A
                        • Anonymous
                        • KAe
                        • 14 Feb 2021

                        I am assuming all the low 12 mini numbers as a result of the SE 2020 launched earlier last year. The vast majority of the people who needed a small iPhone have already shifted to SE before the mini's launch. Hopefully they do not discontinue the mini. Maybe we see the same form factor in SE 2024(?).

                          I don't necessarily think that it's fair to access the demand for small phones based on the sales numbers alone for the iPhone Mini. I would suspect that some ppl, like myself absolutely will buy a small phone if it meets our preferences. We need more options to choose from. It seems nothing is available for what I want: small size, under $400, headphone jack, android, good audio quality and volume output for listening to music, minimal bloatware.

                          If the Pixel 4a's volume wasn't so low it would be perfect. I would eve consider getting the iPhone mini but the lack of headphone jack and crappy battery life are deal breakers. The S10e has too much bloatware. So I continue to wait. I'd like to see Motorola add a compact phone to their lineup....

                            • g
                            • gogus
                            • nDJ
                            • 14 Feb 2021

                            whoever wrote this article needs a reality check.
                            Sales don't reflect we want small phones?reallly???????how many small phones you found to give you the performance and battery life of the big ones?we make compromises because we are FORCED to buy the bigger phone if we want the flagship experience and decent battery life !!!!!

                              Of course . People are looking and read about small phones but they never buy it when go to the store .

                                Sponge, 14 Feb 2021So my problem with the Mini wasn't its size but more i... morePerhaps Apple could make the iPhone SE's successor in that way. An affordable phone with a bit of cutting down specs from their flagships

                                  Tigolebitties, 14 Feb 2021Companies should've at least offer a small flagship. I... moreThe normal sized phones eg. iPhone Xr, S21/S20 are great though. They aren't too big nor too small. It's just many companies especially Xiaomi, BBK electronics (OP, Oppo and Vivo) and many other Chinese companies which offer a flagship-spec phone with low price point are selling the big phones

                                    So my problem with the Mini wasn't its size but more its specification and it's price..

                                    I think the small 5.4" size its great, unique right now.

                                    But going along the lines of removing the Face ID for a single camera hole-punch display, Adding a finger print scanner to side of the phone like seen on the iPad Air, maintaining the A14 but removing the 5G and perhaps only 1 cameras at an over all cheaper cost would've helped it do better as more of an affordable iPhone.

                                      Companies should've at least offer a small flagship. I hate it when they introduced a bigger phone each year with the reason for better entertainment.
                                      If u want a device to watch movies, just get a tablet or a laptop. They're invented for a reason.
                                      Big smartphones aren't convenient. Yes, they're suitable for a large hand but not everyone has a large hand. Plus, they're heavy and it's harder for one hand usage

                                        • A
                                        • Alboooz
                                        • 6kh
                                        • 14 Feb 2021

                                        I like a screentouch phone 5.cm x 4.cm so i can wear in strap or chain when i go out sport activity it's easy to have with me.

                                          5 of 11