Why The iPhone 12 Mini Exists.
And where it should go.
In 2020, 5G support is slowly becoming commonplace in smartphones. I think the reason why most smartphone manufacturers begin including 5G in smartphones is to satisfy the carriers. Carriers wanted to sell 5G plans to offset the costs incurred in building up the 5G infrastructure. To that end, carriers would put pressure on smartphone manufacturers to include 5G support on their smartphones. I believe Apple is one of those manufacturers.
At its 2020 keynote, Apple announced the iPhone 12 family which supports 5G. Including 5G in every iPhone 12 model will bump up the cost significantly.
Kuo notes that the cost of 5G in the iPhone 12 is around $75–85 for sub-6 5G (the slower version) and around $125–135 for mmWave (the faster version).
Putting 5G in the iPhone 12 will increase costs. To maintain profit margins similar to the iPhone 11, Apple has to increase the price of the iPhone 12. However, I believe Apple doesn’t want to give up the $699 price point. After all, iPhones have started at $699 for as long as I can remember.
To bring the iPhone 12 to $699, Apple could have used plastic instead of aluminum. But that approach didn’t seem to work well with the iPhone 5C. Apple has always maintained a luxury image and plastics just don’t scream luxury to me. So what is Apple to do?
The answer is simple. Just make a smaller iPhone.
A smaller iPhone will cost less. A smaller screen, a smaller battery and a smaller footprint all add up to mean lower costs. Hence, the iPhone 12 mini was born.
I don’t believe Apple made the iPhone 12 mini intentionally for small phone enthusiasts. The iPhone 12 mini is more likely a product created due to cost concerns. Despite that, I think Apple has actually created the best iPhone it has ever made.
I know that the Mini is unlikely to become a mass market device. But it doesn’t have to be. The Mini is inherently an enthusiast device. Enthusiasts are willing to pay more for what they want.
Apple, just make a really expensive Mini. A Mini with the best tech Apple has to offer in the smallest possible package. A device that truly, only Apple can make.
