[brianshaler]

I'd rather have flagship specs in a smaller package. The smallest in the iPhone (SE) and Pixel ("A"?) lines are still too big and tend to have previous-gen specs

[dageshi]

I've been hearing this sentiment for 10+ years, but it's been tried and each time it's tried it doesn't sell well enough.

[ktosobcy]

Because the execution is usually borked... I was eyeig ZenFone 9 (or something around that) and what? It was reported that it had problem with overheating and build quality.

What's more, I would love something akin to my current Galaxy a52s 5G with a display around 5.2-5.5" (I first had LG G2, then OnePlus3 which was already a bit bulky and now a52 as compromise; https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=5543&idPhone2...)...

I do have iPhone SE (2022) and it's the size of LG G2 and I find quite handy. Something of that size but with slightly bigger screen (better screen-to-body ratio). Specs doesn't have super-hiper-premium… and the price should be sane (usually compact phones are like 20-40% higher, sic)

[HumblyTossed]

> I've been hearing this sentiment for 10+ years, but it's been tried and each time it's tried it doesn't sell well enough.

The iPhone mini was a billion dollar device. Anyone other than Apple would have called that a success.

[wruza]

Don’t produce it in the same volumes then?

Did you know that factories make less big-sized and small-sized shoes than average-sized ones? Because (surprise) buyers size distribution is not uniform.

“We tried to make big shoes many times and it doesn’t sell well enough”. Oh, really. I guess I’ll just cut holes for my fingers then.

[gen220]

Speaking for myself, I 100% would have bought an iPhone Mini, but I purchase new phones on a 5-6 year cycle. My iPhones were the 4S and the XS.

Now that I'm ready to buy a new iPhone, the Mini has been discontinued! I think the Mini would have been and in fact was successful, but it's not successful "enough" to justify a separate model – they must have observed that people "like me" would still buy a flagship iPhone, even though we aren't 100% satisfied with the form factor.

Apple would rather have us buying a higher-margin flagship model and have an NPS of 65+ than a lower-margin mini model with an NPS of 80+.

My friend with similar instincts as me recently got a refurbished 13 Mini instead of the latest flagship. I'll probably get the flagship, because I value the satcom a little bit more than the form factor.

[iscrewyou]

It’s a package of devices Apple is selling. They sell under powered smaller screen macs. They sell iMacs. They sell small iPads. They sell smaller watches. Some of these just don’t sell as well as their other offerings.

They should sell small phones. Because the whole family will be in on the brand, features, and services. I’ve heard many family members and friends say that they won’t give up their older small phones because Apple no longer makes new ones.

The idea that they don’t sell well is not a good enough reason when you are trying to capture the whole market for not just hardware but the lock in for services, apps, games, music, etc.

[SirMaster]

Just because the sentiment is a minority doesn't mean it's not an honest sentiment.

I also would love a smaller flagship spec'd phone.

I know it wont be popular, but I still want it.

[LtWorf]

By "it has been tried" you mean that they sold some crappy phone for almost the same price as a way better one?

[karaterobot]

"Well enough" is doing a lot of work here. It's not that they aren't successful, it's that they aren't immediate, runaway hits, so the manufacturers conclude: why bother trying to build this market, let's just go back to the playbook. That's how you get mediocre products, which is where we are now.

[tra3]

I’ve got an appointment with Apple to replace the battery in my iPhone 13 mini.

I would love the new features (especially the camera and sat comm) but I’m not willing to get a bigger form factor device.

[efficax]

there are dozens of us! dozens!!! i’m also keeping my 13 mini until it’s dead

[diggan]

> I’ve got an appointment with Apple to replace the battery in my iPhone 13 mini.

I literally was in the Apple store yesterday for the same purpose (with a 12 mini). I'd also love the new features and hardware, but after trying all the available sizes in the store, they're all too big.

My wife on the other hand(s), loves to have a phone she needs to hold with two hands to even be able to use, so obviously she has the Pro Max. I don't understand how people are OK with that, but to each and their own...

[shafyy]

I just replaced the battery in my iPhone SE 2nd gen last month. Somehow I didn't know that that was possible. Best 80 € spent ever.

[jihadjihad]

I need a new battery in my 2020 SE as well, I wasn't aware that the last mini was a 13. Bring 'em back!

[vvladymyrov]

Good luck. I’ve tried to replace battery in mine 12 mini last week - with no success. I had to leave my phone for 4 hours or several days (if they brake screen during battery replacement, they will wait for replacement phone to be shipped overnight). Also representative was convincing me to buy a new phone - saying that battery replacement won’t help much because new ios versions has features which high battery usages, while newer iphones has larger battery and hardware optimizations for these new features. I’m thinking about iPhone 16 now while keeping iPhone 12 mini as backup phone.

[mmmore]

Unfortunately, people don't buy small phones as much.

https://youtu.be/iR9zBsKELVs?si=3o1qD-4R7lyezZwt

[bluGill]

There are a lot of different phones. People don't buy Sony as much as Samsung.

[tharant]

I feel like many of the commenters in this thread are asking (sometimes demanding) that their devices offer a duality that can’t be met; do you want smaller phones or do you want longer battery life with more compute? At the moment, those are mutually exclusive goals. Thermodynamics can be a PITA but we’re doing (almost) the best we can.

[knallfrosch]

Smaller components cost more than bigger ones and the mini users (me included) also want to spend less, not more.

[dwayne_dibley]

Same boat. 'upgraded' my iphone mini to a 15 and hate it. Far far to big.