14 DAY TRIAL // iPhone 12 helped Apple overtake Samsung in the fourth quarter and become the number one phone maker in the world, but according to JP Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee, sales of the new-generation device are now slowing down.
But despite the declining sales, which has triggered dropping estimates of total 2021 iPhone sales from 236 million to 230 million units, the overall shipments are still better than in 2020, the analyst says.
One interesting tidbit, however, concerns the iPhone 12 mini, which according to the analyst, is very likely to get the ax later this year. In other words, Apple could eventually kill off the mini, as sales of this particular configuration are currently rather poor.
Earlier this year, it’s been rumored Apple adjusted the production at its suppliers to build fewer iPhone 12 minis and more 12 Pros, as the 5.4-inch model wasn’t exactly selling like hotcakes. Some sources even claimed Apple considered suspending the iPhone 12 mini production completely until the demand is aligned with the existing inventory.
No iPhone 13 mini?
If these reports are true, then there’s a chance the iPhone 13 lineup going live in the fall of this year would only come with three different models as upgrades to the existing generation and without including a mini model.
The smallest new iPhone could thus be the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, both coming with a 6.1-inch screen, though the company could continue selling the iPhone SE (based on the iPhone 8 and boasting a 4.7-inch display).
People close to the matter said Apple also planned to launch a new iPhone SE based on the iPhone 11, with the debut expected to happen in the spring. If this one happens, there’s a good chance the iPhone 12 mini indeed goes dark as Apple wants to avoid the two models cannibalizing each other.