iPhone 12 Mini Missing From Top 5 Best Selling Smartphone List of January 2021

According to market data compiled by Counterpoint Research, Apple's smallest iPhone since the 2016 ‌iPhone‌ SE, the iPhone 12 mini, struggled to obtain a spot in the top five list of best-selling smartphones in January of this year.

ehric
According to the market data, the ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ came in eighth place for the best-selling smartphone worldwide in the first month of the year. However, the ‌iPhone‌ 12, iPhone 12 Pro Max, ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro, and last year’s ‌iPhone‌ 11 enjoyed dominance at the top of the list.
iphone 12 mini counterpoint jan sales

The 5.4-inch ‌iPhone‌ has widely been reported to to have suffered from disappointing sales, with Apple even reportedly cutting production due to "far lower" than expected demand. The smaller handset includes the same features as the larger 6.1-inch ‌iPhone‌ 12, including the same camera system, chip, and overall design. The mini, however, includes a significantly smaller battery, and obviously, a less immersive display.

Despite its struggles, Apple is still reportedly planning to keep the 5.4-inch form factor alive in the 2021 ‌iPhone‌ 13 lineup. The newer handset, alongside the rest of the lineup, will likely benefit from improved battery life thanks to the power efficiency of the A15, which should address concerns from ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ customers about short battery life.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
Apple Fitness Plus hero

Apple Announces New Fitness+ Workout Programs, Strava Challenge, and More

Friday January 2, 2026 6:43 am PST by
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch. The key announcements include: New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January. "Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...
govee floor lamp

CES 2026: Govee Announces New Matter-Connected Ceiling and Floor Lights

Sunday January 4, 2026 5:00 am PST by
Govee today introduced three new HomeKit-compatible lighting products, including the Govee Floor Lamp 3, the Govee Ceiling Light Ultra, and the Govee Sky Ceiling Light. The Govee Floor Lamp 3 is the successor to the Floor Lamp 2, and it offers Matter integration with the option to connect to HomeKit. The Floor Lamp 3 offers an upgraded LuminBlend+ lighting system that can reproduce 281...

Top Rated Comments

coachgq Avatar
62 months ago
And yet the 12 mini, free with bill credits after trade in of an iPhone 8 has been my favorite iPhone purchase to date.
Score: 61 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Moonjumper Avatar
62 months ago
7th place is still very good, and above the much cheaper SE. It is the iPhone I want, but I barely use my iPhone while stuck at home, so not upgrading yet. Sales for the most portable phone are the most likely to be reduced by lack of mobility during the pandemic.
Score: 46 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GuruZac Avatar
62 months ago
I really hope Apple doesn’t stop making the mini. I’m planning to upgrade my 11 Pro this year to the 13 Mini or whatever they call it.
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Krizoitz Avatar
62 months ago
MacRumors attempts to paint the 12 mini as a failure are both obvious and pathetic and I do not understand why. So it’s not the #1 most popular phone in the world. It’s primarily being beat by its siblings. It’s outselling all three Android models. 1% of ALL Smartphones sold in the world for January is still in the millions of phones. Drop the hate already it’s making you look bad.
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Force332 Avatar
62 months ago
If it really is the 7th best selling smartphone of all the phones that can be purchased, is the iPhone 12 mini really a failure or disappointment? I can definitely see how it's surely selling much less than other iPhone models but compared against other smartphones, I'm sure it's selling really well. If in just iPhone-land it's selling better than the SE, I would hope that would justify enough keeping it around. If anything, I'm sure having it around increases the ASP of the iPhone as it increased the cost of the regular 12 compared to the 11.
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
totom_ Avatar
62 months ago
Alternative title: iPhones make up 4 of the 5 best-selling smartphones in January...
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)