After introducing the new iPhone 15 lineup at its “Wonderlust” event, Apple reconfigured the rest of its smartphone lineup, leading it to discontinue the iPhone 13 Mini. The smaller smartphone with a 5.4-inch screen has been officially discontinued (although it remains on sale at some retailers that have stock), which also ends the iPhone Mini line that debuted with the iPhone 12 Mini in 2020.
Apple iPhone 13 mini: read the review
The iPhone 13 mini keeps the best of its predecessor and adds a few ingredients to an already proven recipe. We therefore find ourselves with a powerful compact smartphone with an excellent screen, an effective photo section and better battery life. But if you own an iPhone 12 mini, the few differences between the two models are not enough to call for purchase motivation.
Low sales figures for iPhone Mini
Even though the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 13 Mini had fans, that love didn’t necessarily translate into big sales numbers. Various reports in 2021 claim that the iPhone 12 Mini had lower demand in the market. According to Counterpoint Research, the phone accounted for just 5% of iPhone 12 sales in January 2021.
Additionally, at the end of 2021, neither the iPhone 12 Mini nor the iPhone 13 Mini appeared in the top 10 best-selling smartphones, even though the list included several other iPhone 12 and 13 models. also did not enter the top 10 in 2022, but three other iPhone 13 models were there.
Apple did not make a Mini model for the iPhone 14 or iPhone 15, preferring to launch the iPhone 14 Plus last year to offer an option with a larger screen and less expensive than the Pro Max models of Apple.
What alternative to the iPhone 13 Mini?
With the demise of the iPhone 13 Mini, fans of small-screen smartphones don’t have many options. Apple still sells the iPhone SE for $529 with a 4.7-inch screen, but it sports an aging design with a home button and thick bezels.
Apple iPhone SE (2022): read the review
On the front, little change, the iPhone SE 5G 2022 still takes the stylistic codes of an iPhone 8 released almost 5 years ago. A design marketed as “iconic” according to Apple. The recipe works and appeals to Touch ID enthusiasts, there is no reason for Apple to change it.
You can also look to the Android market, with the Asus Zenfone 10 packing the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor on a phone with a 5.9-inch screen. Although we found it good, its limited support of two years of Android updates is too short a lifespan to recommend.
On the high-end foldable phone side, the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 transform into small smartphones when folded. But both of these foldable phones cost over $1,000, which is much higher than the $809 price tag that the iPhone 13 Mini launched at in 2021.
Otherwise, when it comes to new iPhone models that include Face ID and multiple rear cameras, the smallest screen size they offer is 6.1 inches.
