iPhone 12 Mini Sales Lackluster Compared to Other Models

Apple's 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini, which is the smallest iPhone that has been released since the 2016 iPhone SE, may not be selling as well as Apple hoped. According to new sales numbers from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, the ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ accounted for a lower number of sales than other ‌iPhone‌ 12 models that Apple offers.

cirp iphone sales chart
Combined, all new ‌iPhone‌ 12 models accounted for 76 percent of ‌iPhone‌ sales in the United States in October and November. The standard ‌iPhone‌ 12 was the best selling model, accounting for 27 percent of those sales.

‌iPhone 12 mini‌ sales made up just six percent of the total ‌iPhone‌ 12 sales during the launch period, while the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro and Pro Max had sales numbers closer to the ‌iPhone‌ 12.

iPhone 12 models garnered a significant share at launch, but with mixed results, as iPhone 12 mini seems to have been lost among the other models," said Josh Lowitz, CIRP Partner and Co-Founder. "Apple not only launched a wider range of new models than ever before, and also divided that launch into two pairs of models, so comparison to earlier launches is tricky. In addition, Apple launched a new iPhone SE earlier in the year, further complicating the lineup.

Last year's ‌iPhone‌ 11 models accounted for 69 percent of sales in the period after their launch, so the ‌iPhone‌ 12 models did better overall. In 2019, the ‌iPhone‌ 11 was the best-selling ‌iPhone‌, accounting for 39 percent of sales, with the 11 Pro and Pro Max making up the remaining 30 percent.

Compared to last year's launch of iPhone 11, which accounted for 69% of sales in the period after the launch, the four iPhone 12 models did even better, with 76% of sales. However, there was no clear leader among the new models, with sales evenly distributed among iPhone 12, 12 Pro, and 12 Max. In contrast, in 2019, iPhone 11 had an incredible 39% of sales, with iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max combining for only 30% of sales.

CIRP speculates that the availability of lower-cost models like the $399 ‌iPhone SE‌, $499 ‌iPhone‌ XR, and $599 ‌iPhone‌ 11, may have ultimately limited the appeal of the more expensive ‌iPhone 12 mini‌, which is priced at $699.

Tag: CIRP

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Top Rated Comments

Treq Avatar
54 months ago
Everyone I know loves theirs. It's the perfect form factor. The pro is too big. But the battery life is what's really killing sales.
Score: 57 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SamRyouji Avatar
54 months ago
This report just confirms the fact that most loud voices on the internet forums are just...bunch of vocal minorities.
Score: 54 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RaoulDuke42 Avatar
54 months ago
I went from a Xs to a 12 mini and am quite pleased with it. I feel like the mini is going to be a slow-burn sleeper hit eventually, although my evidence is anecdotal. Four friends of mine all thought they wanted the "normal" 12 until they realized the display of the mini is the same width as a 6,7,8, but taller (and yet still a smaller device overall). Once this pandemic finally ends and people can see the things in person, I think a lot of folks coming from a 6,7,8 will go for the phone most comparable in size to what they already have despite the (imho) misleading "mini" label.
Score: 50 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fenderbass146 Avatar
54 months ago
Love my Mini! It's the phone I've been waiting for for years. My only gripe is the choice to do wide angle instead of zoom for the second lense and the battery life. I'm so happy with my Mini especially with how close the mini and the pro are now. The fact that they added OLED to the midrange phones was huge.
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)
4jasontv Avatar
54 months ago
Let's not forget that the Mini came out a month after the 12, and that most carriers were doing 'free' iPhone 12's in November. Even the 12 Pro had better discounts than the mini. I wonder how many people actually paid money for their iPhone 12.

Maybe if Apple actually priced it as the same phone as the 12. Or promoted the fact that it's the 12 but smaller and not missing feature, or if they actually made a flagship 12 mini sized phone.

Love my mini. It fixed everything I hated about the bloated X.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
midkay Avatar
54 months ago
I knew it! It used to be so fashionable to go around tirelessly complaining that Apple needs to make smaller phones, but this proves it — nobody actually wants that.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)