iPhone 12 mini Sales Have Been Disappointing in the US

BY Rajesh Pandey

Published 6 Jan 2021

Based on the survey conducted by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), the iPhone 12 series has been doing exceedingly well for Apple. It notes that the iPhone 12 series has accounted for 76% of the total iPhone sales in the United States following its launch.

However, the iPhone 12 mini has not done as well as expected, with the sales being evenly distributed between the iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, and iPhone 12. In comparison, the iPhone 12 mini fared poorly and accounted for only 6% of the sales.

CIRP iPhone 12 Sales

CIRP co-founder Mike Levin believes the higher price point of the iPhone 12 mini limited its appeal. The launch of the iPhone SE and the price cut on older popular iPhone models like the iPhone XR and iPhone 11 played a key role here.

“The new iPhone mini likely disappointed Apple with only 6% of sales in the period,” said Mike Levin, CIRP Partner and Co-Founder. “It has most of the same features as the other iPhone 12 models, in a smaller form factor for $699. Its share was just above that of iPhone XR, launched in 2018 and now priced at $499, the one-year old iPhone 11, now selling for $599, and the 2nd generation iPhone SE, launched in April 2020 at $399. It seems that it’s higher price point compared to those three models limited the iPhone 12 mini appeal.”

The CIRP finding is based on a survey of 243 Apple US customers who purchased an iPhone in the four weeks following the launch of the iPhone 12 mini and the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Our Take

While the iPhone 12 mini offers the same set of features as iPhone 12, it has a more compact form factor thanks to its 5.4-inch display. While the compact form factor will make the device attractive to some consumers, many will also avoid it as they do not want a smartphone with such a small display. Additionally, the iPhone 12 mini does not last as long as other iPhone 12 models which can be a deal-breaker for many.

Do you own an iPhone 12 mini? Or did you end up buying an older iPhone because the mini was just too expensive? Drop a comment and let us know!