Apple has stopped the production of the iPhone 13 mini.
While the device is discontinued, Apple will continue to sell leftover stocks.
The iPhone 13 mini is the only compact iPhone with Face ID.
Apple launched its latest iPhone 15 Series on September 12, bringing an end to the lightning port in favour of the modern USB Type-C port. The company will now stop production of the iPhone 14 Pro models, to avoid conflict of products with its new launches. Surprisingly, it is also being reported that Apple will also discontinue the iPhone 13 mini, a last-of-its-kind iPhone.
The iPhone 13 mini was launched in 2021, as a successor to the iPhone 12 mini. However, due to low demand and poor sales record, Apple did not introduce a mini version of the iPhone 14. It is worth noting that the iPhone 13 mini is currently the only compact Apple device with Face ID support.
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iPhone 13 mini Gets Discontinued by Apple
When Apple releases its new iPhones, the company halts the production of the Pro model iPhones from the last year. However, it is being reported that Apple is also stopping the manufacturing of the iPhone 13 mini.
Currently, if you want a compact iPhone, you have two options: the iPhone 13 mini and the iPhone SE 3rd generation. Head-to-head, the iPhone 13 mini blows away the iPhone SE 3 with a 25% larger battery, Face ID support, and dual rear cameras, while sharing the same A15 Bionic chipset.
The iPhone 13 mini also offers a larger screen, in a smaller form factor than the iPhone SE 3. Hence, the only reason why the iPhone SE 3 existed, was its affordable pricing. The iPhone SE 3 is Apple’s way of luring the midrange smartphone users towards iPhones, and eventually converting them to repeat customers with its premium offerings.
However, now that the iPhone 13 mini is being discontinued, the iPhone SE 3 is the only iPhone with a compact form factor offering a screen less than 6 inches. So if you want a smaller iPhone, the compromises with the iPhone SE 3 are so much that it becomes hard to justify it as a daily driver.
The iPhone SE 3 has a very bad reputation for battery life, as the device does not last an entire day on a single charge. It also has an outdated fingerprint scanner, which it borrows from the iPhone 7 from 2016, which works painfully slow.
If You Want A Compact iPhone, Grab the iPhone 13 mini Quickly
Now that Apple has stopped the production of the iPhone 13 mini, the device will soon move away from the shelves. However, Apple will continue to sell leftover stocks of the iPhone 13 mini across its online and partner offline stores. Hence, if you are looking for a compact iPhone, you should quickly grab the iPhone 13 mini before the stock runs out.
iPhone 13 Pro Max (left) and iPhone 13 mini (right)
Apple is expected to launch the iPhone SE 4th gen in 2024. The company has made plenty of changes to the iPhone 15 Series, especially with the USB Type-C port and dynamic island design on the base model. This indicates that Apple is now ready to leave behind the legacy of its older devices. Hence, it is quite possible that Apple may introduce the iPhone SE 4 as a reborn iPhone 13 mini in the future.
But until that happens, users looking for a compact iPhone will have to compromise in both ways. Either you pick the iPhone SE 3 and deal with terrible battery life, or you can settle down for a slightly larger-screen device with the iPhone 13 or the iPhone 14. In both cases, the customer will have to make a conscious choice as to what matters to them more – compact size or modern features.
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