Apple analyst refutes notion of future iPhone mini releases
Apple has long strived to create a successful fourth option in its flagship iPhone portfolio. In recent years, the company has been offering cheaper alternatives to Pro Max models by way of the iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 16 Plus (curr. $749 - renewed on Amazon). Rumours that the latter will be replaced by the first 'Air' branded iPhone this year suggest that Apple has had limited success with its plus-sized iPhone, though.
The same is true of the company's attempt to carve out a market for a mini iPhone. As with its 'Plus' option, Apple abandoned the mini after just two generations. According to popular Apple analyst Mark Gurman, the company has no current plans to return to compact smartphones anytime soon, either:
You know, we'll see what the market tells Apple. Right now they're not working on anything. They're not working on a smaller iPhone right now. They've really shifted away. They're trying to make that, you know, roughly 6-inch display that is the base size, and they're just trying to go bigger and bigger and bigger. And the bigger you go, the smaller the 6-inch phones feel.
In effect, Gurman suggests that the entry-level iPhone has become Apple's compact option. However, this is only by virtue of every other iPhone getting larger in recent years. Based on current rumours, the first foldable iPhone could return mark a return to Apple's 'mini' past of sorts. As it stands, the so-called iPhone Fold is anticipated to feature a 5.5-inch cover display, compared to the 5.4-inch equivalent found inside the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini. Reportedly, this 5.5-inch display will expand to reveal a 7.8-inch foldable display sporting a 4:3 aspect ratio, too.
