Apple's iPhone 13 lineup made up nearly three-quarters of sales in the March quarter, which is the "largest share" seen in recent years. But the iPhone 13 mini didn't offer much help.
While all four models accounted for 75% of sales, a significant 14% growth from the iPhone 12 lineup's 61% of sales last year, the iPhone 13 mini only saw only 3% of those sales. The iPhone 12 mini saw the same result, showcasing Apple's struggle to sell its compact phone.
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According to a new analytics report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) via 9to5Mac, the standard iPhone 13 saw the most interest this quarter with the "highest share for a single model, at 38%." Interestingly, there are few differences between the iPhone 12 and 13, and we even go as far as saying the iPhone 13 upgrades suck. Despite this, Apple's latest generation of phones has seen major interest.
"Since the market shifted to unsubsidized phone sales on installment contracts, the age of old phones climbed as owners enjoyed using their paid-for phones," said CIRP co-founder Mike Levin. "Recently that trend reversed, perhaps as options for trading-in high value used phones continued to improve.”
As the report points out, while the trend of users trading in their recently bought iPhones for the latest models is increasing, older models are still seeing some interest. This includes the iPhone XR, iPhone 11, and iPhone SE (2020) accounting for 15% of sales during this quarter.
Apple's iPhone mini models didn't receive the attention they deserve. Despite Apple managing to squeeze high-end hardware into a 5.4-inch smartphone, the iPhone 12 mini lagged in sales to the point where Apple cut back production, and many were surprised to hear the iPhone 13 mini was rumored to be in the works before it launched. In fact, in our iPhone 13 mini review, we noted that the "last best small phone" is "probably about to vanish forever."
Leaked iPhone 14 case schematics indicate the Cupertino tech giant is planning to introduce a new, larger iPhone 14 Max, hinting at the demise of the short-lived iPhone mini model. Will a larger-sized iPhone at a cheaper price be a hit? Only time will tell once Apple reveals its next lineup.
