Apple iPhone 12 mini sales slow as small smartphones lose their appeal

(Reuters) – Sales of Apple’s iPhone 12 mini in the United States were only 5% of total sales of its new phones in the first half of January, industry data provider Counterpoint said on Tuesday. , adding to signs of a muted demand for the new, smaller version of its flagship device.

Smartphone users have shifted to larger devices in recent years as they devour more video content on the go and binge on visually rich social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, and Snapchat.

Charts: Global share of small-screen smartphones is steadily declining –

JP Morgan analyst William Yang said in a note last week that weak demand for the smaller iPhone 12 and 12 mini could lead Apple to stop production of the mini in the second quarter.

“The product mix adjustment is well anticipated by investors and should not come as a negative surprise,” Yang added.

Apple was not immediately available for comment.

The company released a smaller variant of the iPhone 12 model last year, but demand for smaller smartphones appears to be lower, compared to the high-end iPhone 12 Pro and older iPhone 11s.

“This is in line with what we are seeing in the larger global market, where screens smaller than 6.0 ″ now account for around 10% of the share of all smartphones sold,” Kang added.

Apple shipped its iPhone 12 lineup several weeks later than usual last year, but an increased number of models and a new look have exploited pent-up demand for upgrades, especially in China.

Last month, the Cupertino, Calif.-Based company reported quarterly revenue of $ 65.60 billion from its iPhones business, breaking the record it set three years ago.

Graphics: Apple’s iPhone business posts record sales – here