Reports of Lackluster iPhone 12 Mini Sales Corroborated By Supply Chain Sources

Recent reports of Apple cutting iPhone 12 mini production to increase manufacturing capacity for the more popular iPhone 12 Pro were corroborated on Friday by DigiTimes, citing supply chain sources.

iphone 12 vs iphone 12 mini
Today's report suggests that Apple's smallest ‌iPhone‌ 12 model was launched to target the U.S. and European markets, but the global health crisis has impacted sales in these territories, leading to a slowdown in ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ orders.

Pegatron has seen a slowdown in orders for the iPhone 12 mini as sales of the model in the US and Europe are affected negatively by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to industry sources.

The sources pointed out that the iPhone 12 mini is targeting mainly consumers in the US and Europe, but overall smartphone sales there have been significantly undermined by the pandemic.

The report suggests that strong demand for ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro models in China has led Apple to strengthen its supply of the more expensive devices in response. The East Asian market historically favors larger form factor devices, and China has not been seriously impacted by the pandemic in recent months compared to other parts of the world.

Pegatron is the main producer of the ‌iPhone 12 mini‌, and the above factors have combined to reduce demand for the device at the Taiwanese manufacturer's expense.

On Wednesday, a Morgan Stanley investment note claimed that Apple has shifted production away from the ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ for the first quarter of 2021, in an effort to combat continuing lead times for the more popular ‌‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro‌.

The note supported previous analysis that the ‌‌iPhone 12 mini‌‌ has suffered from lackluster sales, capturing just six percent of the total ‌‌‌iPhone‌ 12‌‌ sales during the launch period, despite broad satisfaction reported by owners of the smaller device.

Meanwhile, a separate DigiTimes report today indicates that Foxconn expects to see increased momentum in the first quarter of this year, thanks to Apple increasing orders of the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro models.

In a more positive note for Apple, the popularity of its Pro devices in China have reportedly eaten into Huawei's dominant market share in the region:

Huawei, the largest smartphone brand in China, has seen its smartphone sales being bitten off by Apple's Pro series products in the past few months with Apple now the second largest 5G handset brand globally, behind only Huawei, the sources said.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Thursday September 25, 2025 1:11 pm PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system codenamed "Charismatic," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple smart home hub concept based on rumors This is likely Apple's long-rumored "homeOS" operating system. In a report last month, Gurman said both Apple's rumored smart home hub in 2026 and tabletop robot in 2027 will run the new operating system. He said the software platform ...
Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Event in October? Here's What to Expect

Monday September 29, 2025 9:31 am PDT by
Apple's annual iPhone event is in the rearview mirror, but rumors suggest the company plans to release a handful of additional products before the year ends. Will there be another Apple event this October? We discuss the possibility below. Apple in October Apple's most recent October events were in 2021 and 2023. In 2022 and 2024, Apple did not host an October event. Instead, it...
iOS 26

Apple Continues to Prepare iOS 26.0.1 With Multiple Bug Fixes Expected

Sunday September 28, 2025 1:30 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions. The account initially said iOS 26.0.1 would have a build number of 23A350, but they now expect the update to have a build number of 23A355. This suggests that the software update will include more bug fixes or changes than initially...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

New MacBook Pro Nears Mass Production, But Four Bigger Upgrades Expected Next Year

Sunday September 28, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next MacBook Pro models will enter mass production soon, according to the latest information shared by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said he continues to believe the new MacBook Pro models will be released at some point between late 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, meaning they should be available to order by March at the latest. Apple often...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.0.1 With Fixes for Wi-Fi, Cellular, and Camera Issues on iPhone 17 Models

Monday September 29, 2025 10:12 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 26.0.1 and iPadOS 26.0.1, the first updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out earlier this week. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes for the update, iOS 26.0.1 addresses a bug that could cause aberrations in...
iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iPhone 16 Pro Max 80% Charge Limit: One Year Later, Was It Worth It?

Wednesday September 24, 2025 3:58 pm PDT by
With the iPhone 15 series, I did an experiment and kept my iPhone's Charge Limit set at 80 percent for an entire year. It provided an interesting look at the impact of charge limits on battery longevity, so I decided to repeat it for the iPhone 16 line. Since September 2024, my iPhone 16 Pro Max has been limited to an 80 percent charge, with no cheating. As of today, my battery's maximum...
iphone 17 ceramic shield

Regular iPhone 17's USB-C Charging Speeds Tested With Apple Chargers

Friday September 26, 2025 9:01 am PDT by
The website ChargerLAB has tested the standard iPhone 17 model's USB-C charging speeds with a variety of Apple's chargers, from 18W to 140W. The device reached a peak charging speed of around 27W to 28W with these Apple chargers:29W USB-C Power Adapter 30W USB-C Power Adapter 35W Dual USB-C Port Power Adapter 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max...
LG UltraFine 6K Display TB5

LG UltraFine 6K (32U990A) TB5 Display: Pre-Orders Open September 30

Monday September 29, 2025 6:21 am PDT by
Pre-orders for LG's new UltraFine evo 6K display (model 32U990A) with Thunderbolt 5 support will begin on September 30, according to a major U.S. retailer listing. LG first revealed the 32-inch display at CES 2025 in January, teasing its status as the first monitor to support Thunderbolt 5. At the time, LG only provided high-level specs, but left pricing, availability, and full technical...
AirPods Pro 3 Newsroom

Apple's 'Back to School' Offer Ends Soon, Now Applies to AirPods Pro 3

Wednesday September 24, 2025 7:20 am PDT by
Apple's annual "Back to School" promotion for students ends soon, so act fast if you want to score free AirPods with the purchase of an eligible new Mac or iPad. Until Tuesday, September 30, college students and qualifying educational staff in the U.S. can receive free AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation when they purchase an eligible new Mac or iPad from Apple. This is a $179 value. ...

Top Rated Comments

CmdrLaForge Avatar
61 months ago
I love my mini and don’t want to go back. I hope they keep it in future releases
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djcerla Avatar
61 months ago
The mini is a slow burner. “Cheap” phone plus sky-high satisfaction rate and good word of mouth bode well for a late sales increase.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mitochris Avatar
61 months ago
It Is odd, as this form factor makes more sense, and it is the phone I and my partner are planning to get for that reason.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SWAON Avatar
61 months ago
I liked the idea of iPhone 12 Mini, butT the price wasn't so mini.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MaunzKuh Avatar
61 months ago
Sad, I love mine and three out of four friends with an iPhone 12 love theirs, too. Perfect size coming from an iPhone 8 which I had bought because I found the X too big. I really hope Apple will keep the form factor around, but I guess hoping for a mini Pro is hopeless.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MiniApple Avatar
61 months ago
I wanted a compact powerful iPhone with a decent camera without spending a fortune.

Here the SE 2020 is half the price of the 12 Mini, has Touch ID in pandemic times and no ugly notch.
It was also released half a year earlier in a similiar size.

Personally I've held out upgrading from my OG SE and waited till the 12 Mini was officially revealed.
Would have been tempted if the 12 Mini had Touch ID (somewhere) and no notch (even if it meant a bezel/bar).

Know almost 20 people who upgraded from their 6/6s/SE/7 and 8's to the SE since spring. Some of which would have gotten the 12 Mini had the known about it.
The vast majority of the people don't follow MacRumors and Co and had no idea a Mini was on the way.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)