A new report from Reuters today, citing data from Counterpoint Research, claims that the iPhone 12 mini accounted for just 5% of total iPhone 12 sales during the first half of January in the US. This is only the latest report in a growing catalog of data suggesting weaker-than-expected demand for the iPhone 12 mini.
Reuters says:
Apple Inc’s iPhone 12 mini U.S. sales were just 5% of overall sales of its new phones during the first half of January, industry data provider Counterpoint said on Tuesday, adding to signs of muted demand for the new smaller version of its flagship device.
The report also includes comments from J.P. Morgan analyst William Yang, who speculated that Apple could stop production for the iPhone 12 mini during Q2. This would not mean that Apple stops selling it, but rather that the company would sell units that it had already produced.
Yang explains that what we’re seeing with the iPhone 12 mini is also indicative of the smartphone market as a whole:
“The product mix adjustment is well expected by investors and should not be a negative surprise,” Yang added. “This is in line with what we’re seeing in the broader global market, where screens under 6.0” now account for around 10% share of all smartphones sold,” Kang added.
Despite iPhone 12 mini sales potentially being weaker-than-expected, analysts have said that sales of the iPhone 12 lineup as a whole are higher than expected, driven primarily by stronger demand for the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Of course, Apple no longer reports unit sales for any of its products, let alone specific breakdowns for different variants within overall product categories. As such, we’ll likely never actually know how many iPhone 12 mini units Apple has sold in comparison to the rest of the iPhone 12 lineup.
- CIRP: iPhone 12 sales strong at launch, but iPhone 12 mini ‘likely disappointed Apple’
- Another supply-chain report says iPhone 12 mini production cut
9to5Mac’s Take
As I’ve written before, just because the iPhone 12 mini isn’t selling as well as the rest of the iPhone 12 lineup doesn’t mean Apple will necessarily discontinue it. People who use the 5.4-inch device are big fans of it; it’s just proven to more niche than perhaps Apple initially expected.
The iPhone 12 mini is also likely important to Apple from a business perspective, as it gives it a way to keep the iPhone 12 lineup starting price at $699. In a poll of 9to5Mac readers last month, over 66% said that they also anticipate that the iPhone 12 mini form factor will live to see another year.
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