Apple opts for a cheaper Pro Max, an iPhone SE 5G over an iPhone Mini

The fate of the iPhone Mini hasn’t looked too big lately. Earlier this year, the buzz was that Apple was going stop making your smallest phone after bad sales. Still, iPhone 13 rumors have always included the Mini in a four-phone lineup. However, a new Nikkei Asia Report says that an iPhone SE 5G will be available from early 2022 and that a lower-cost iPhone Pro Max will replace the iPhone Mini for the iPhone 14 line.

Fans of the Mini display might not be happy with the news that Apple is considering dubbing the SE as a small screen option. According to Nikkei, the iPhone SE 5G will still be based on the iPhone 8, which means a 4.7-inch LCD screen instead of the Mini’s 5.4-inch OLED. Earlier rumors about the iPhone SE also hinted that the home button would remain as well. The good news is that it will have the same A15 processor as the rest of the iPhone 13 lineup, as well as Qualcomm’s X60 modem for 5G compatibility.

Citing an anonymous source, Nikkei Asia also claims that instead of another small screen phone, Apple will instead go bigger, replacing the Mini with a new 6.7-inch iPhone Pro Max. The source described this Pro Max as a “relatively cost-effective version,” leaving the lineup to two 6.1-inch phones and two 6.7-inch phones. This means that if you want a smaller phone, you’ll have to stick with the OS in the future. This is not terrible, given that it will be receiving the same processor. However, other than a faster chip and 5G, the SE is unlikely to get more advanced features like FaceID and MagSafe, and so far there is no indication that it will get a better camera, either. Having said that, we have found the 2020 iPhone SE held up impressively against the 11 Pro Max.

It makes a lot of sense. As for iPhone 12 sales, both the Mini and the Pro Max became available in November 2020. However, the iPhone Mini is only available accounted for 6% of sales at the time, while the Pro Max exceeded expectations with 20% of sales. This means that if you’ve delayed buying an iPhone 12 Mini, but still want a smaller phone with more advanced features from Apple and a better camera, you’ll probably want to buy an iPhone 13 Mini.

As for Apple’s other products, Nikkei Asia says new AirPods will go into production next month, in line with Apple’s production schedule for the new iPhones. Until now, Rumors about AirPods 3 indicate that the next-gen entry-level earbuds will draw heavily on the design of the AirPods Pro. It also implies that the Buds will debut at the same time as the iPhones and that Apple itself is returning to its usual launch schedule in September. Last year, the pandemic messed up supply chains, leading Apple to spread its fall product launch schedule into three separate events spanning September through November.