iPhone 12 Mini Faces Production Cut Due to 'Far Lower' Demand Than Expected

Apple is cutting orders for all iPhones by around 20% compared to its plans in December, with the iPhone 12 mini making up the majority of the cutback, according to Nikkei Asia. In line with previous reports, the publication claims that demand for the iPhone 12 mini has been "far lower than Apple initially expected."

iphone 12 mini pro max side by side
The report claims that Apple initially aimed to secure components for up to 96 million iPhones for the first half of 2021, including the entire iPhone 12 lineup and older models like the iPhone 11 and the iPhone SE, but the company is apparently now targeting production of around 75 million units during that period. That is still slightly higher than iPhone shipments in the same period last year, the report adds.

iPhone 12 mini demand has been so lackluster that Apple even asked some suppliers to temporarily stop building components specifically for the 5.4-inch device, according to Nikkei Asia. Some of the components and parts for the iPhone 12 mini have been reallocated to the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, a source told the publication.

Apple is still believed to be seeing healthy demand for its three higher-end iPhone 12 models, with strong sales of the devices helping to contribute to Apple's record-breaking $111.4 billion revenue reported in the December quarter.

While demand for the iPhone 12 mini may be lower than Apple initially expected, the company is still expected to release a so-called iPhone 13 mini this year.

Related Roundup: iPhone 12
Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

MacMartyr Avatar
27 months ago
They should cut the price next.
Score: 55 Votes (Like | Disagree)
robinp Avatar
27 months ago
My wife got one the other day and it’s great. Really a wonderful thing. If I hadn’t needed the Lidar on the Pro for work, I’d probably have gone for it.

I suspect if more people had been able to see them in person more people would have had confidence to try the new size. Hopefully apple stick with it for another year.
Score: 44 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Dee Avatar
27 months ago
Apple got caught off guard by the noise on this one. Then again, with all thats been going with the pandemic, anticipation turned into, I need to save that $700 for emergencies. Also, that price is just absurd. A maxed out Mini should not cost no more than 650. There is someone at Apple I believe who likes to pull big numbers out of thin air. Price certain things reasonably. When they were a humble company in the 90’s with the iMac, they recognized they had to be reasonable with pricing. These days, they feel like, they can build anything, overcharge for it and there will be a market.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
smulji Avatar
27 months ago

A maxed out Mini should not cost no more than 650.
I say it shouldn’t cost more than $599
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ian87w Avatar
27 months ago

I say it shouldn’t cost more than $599
Why? I thought you guys want a mini flagship. :D But seems like people just want a cheap iPhone, which what the 11 and SE are for.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
apparatchik Avatar
27 months ago
I'll buy myself a 13 or 12S Mini when it comes out, may be there are less of us than expected or we're just a vocal minority of bitter bastards, but to me the Mini size is a god send. I'm 6 feet, big hands, etc. But to me phones just have to be simple, one hand devices. You can get an iPad for the other use cases, I dont know. Its just so great to handle a phone like its supposed to, and for it to be not a fat and large shiny brick.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 15 Pro Buttons CAD Leak

iPhone 15 Pro Leak Reveals Unified Volume Button and Mute Button

Monday March 20, 2023 8:33 am PDT by
As previously rumored, the next-generation iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature a unified volume button and a mute button, according to leaked CAD images shared in a video on the Chinese version of TikTok and posted to Twitter by ShrimpApplePro. Instead of separate buttons for volume up and volume down, the iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to have a single elongated button for...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 for iPhone Nearing Launch With These 5 New Features

Monday March 20, 2023 11:50 am PDT by
Apple says iOS 16.4 is coming in the spring, which began this week. In his Sunday newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the update should be released "in the next three weeks or so," meaning a public release is likely in late March or early April. iOS 16.4 remains in beta testing and introduces a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone. Below, we have recapped five new features ...
original iphone auction

Factory-Sealed Original iPhone Sells for $55,000 at Auction

Friday March 17, 2023 1:08 pm PDT by
A first-generation iPhone still sealed inside its box sold for $54,904 at auction, which is more than $54,000 over the original $599 price tag of the device when it was released in 2007. The original iPhone was put up for sale by RR Auction on behalf of a former Apple employee who purchased it back when it first came out. Back in February, an original, sealed iPhone sold for over $63,000,...
voice isolation

iOS 16.4 Adds Voice Isolation for Cellular Phone Calls

Tuesday March 21, 2023 11:01 am PDT by
The iOS 16.4 update that is set to be released to the public in the near future includes voice isolation for cellular calls, according to notes that Apple shared today. Apple says that Voice Isolation will prioritize your voice and block out the ambient noise around you, making for clearer phone calls where you can better hear the person you're chatting with and vice versa. Voice...
iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro Feature

iPhone 12 Pro vs. 15 Pro: New Features to Expect if You've Waited to Upgrade

Friday March 17, 2023 10:29 am PDT by
While year-over-year iPhone upgrades are not always groundbreaking, new features can begin to stack up over multiple generations. For example, the iPhone 15 Pro will be a notable upgrade for those who still have a three-year-old iPhone 12 Pro. If you are still using an iPhone 12 Pro and are considering upgrading to the iPhone 15 Pro when it launches later this year, we have put together a...
top stories 18mar2023

Top Stories: iPhone 15 Pro Pricing, New iOS 16.4 Beta, Siri vs. ChatGPT, and More

Saturday March 18, 2023 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's high-end iPhone models have started at $999 in the U.S. since they first launched back in 2017 with the iPhone X, but could this finally be the year that starting price sees an increase? This week also saw some more rumors about Apple's upcoming headset and the company's explorations in the booming AI industry as well as the release of a new round of beta updates, so read on for all...
smart monitor m8 samsung

Deals: Samsung's iMac-Like Smart Monitor M8 Drops to Lowest Price of Year So Far With $250 Discount

Monday March 20, 2023 8:27 am PDT by
Samsung today kicked off a special "Discover Samsung" event, which will be a week-long savings event focusing on Samsung monitors, smartphones, TVs, appliances, and more. While some deals will stick around the entire week (through March 26), others will refresh every day. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Samsung. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small...