The iPhone Mini\u2019s long goodbye is complete \u2014 but it\u2019s not all bad news<\/h1>\n\n\n\n\n
Plus, let\u2019s not forget the sheer delight of hitting a back button without straining to tap an icon in the upper left corner of the screen.<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\nApple kills the iPhone Mini<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n
A year after dropping the iPhone 12 Mini, the iPhone 13 Mini has met a similar fate.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n
By Sheena Vasani , a writer covering commerce, e-readers, and tech news. She previously wrote about everything from web development to AI at Inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Share this story<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n
The mini-sized iPhone is dead. Apple quietly dropped the iPhone 13 Mini from its lineup on Tuesday, discontinuing the last of its smaller-sized phones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
The new lineup now consists of the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 14, iPhone 13, and the third-generation iPhone SE (2022).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Apple first introduced the 5.4-inch Mini phone in 2020 with the iPhone 12 Mini. While a few of us at The Verge<\/em> were fans \u2014 including myself \u2014 it appears we were in the minority. It\u2019s possible many were turned off by the battery life, which was noticeably worse than the iPhone 12\u2019s, and found the screen to be cramped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Related<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n
Less than a year later, Apple had to reduce production of the iPhone 12 Mini by 70 percent. It came as no surprise, then, when Apple didn\u2019t introduce an iPhone 14 Mini last year, leaving buyers with only the prior year\u2019s iPhone 13 Mini.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s still some hope left for small screen fans, however. While you can\u2019t buy the iPhone 13 Mini from Apple, you can still buy the iPhone 13 Mini from third-party retailers and carriers like Amazon. Plus, there are some decent small Android phones and the budget-friendly third-gen iPhone SE. The latter offers an even smaller 4.7-inch screen than the Mini but sadly lacks perks like dual cameras, MagSafe, ultra wideband 5G, and Face ID.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Correction September 12th, 3:05PM ET:<\/strong> We incorrectly referred to the third-generation iPhone SE from 2022 as the second-gen model. We regret the error.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
The iPhone Mini\u2019s long goodbye is complete \u2014 but it\u2019s not all bad news<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n
By Allison Johnson , a reviewer with 10 years of experience writing about consumer tech. She has a special interest in mobile photography and telecom. Previously, she worked at DPReview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Share this story<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n
Small phone fans \u2014 all 36 of us \u2014 experienced a major loss this week. The iPhone Mini is officially gone, taking with it the legacy of a truly small flagship smartphone. But it\u2019s not all bad news. The 6.1-inch flagship phone seems to be here to stay, and sure, it\u2019s no Mini, but it\u2019s proving itself to be an entirely acceptable middle ground between tiny and gigantic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
The departure of the iPhone Mini was a drawn-out affair that started last year. Apple announced the iPhone 14 series with no successor to the 13 Mini. But the Mini stuck around through most of 2023 with the rest of the 13 series, and it was available new from Apple right up until Tuesday\u2019s iPhone 15 announcement. Without a Mini in the 15 series \u2014 no surprise there \u2014 and the 13 Mini dropping from Apple\u2019s retail lineup, the small iPhone is now really, truly gone.<\/p>\n\n\nThe 13 Mini is just a little guy next to the regular 13.<\/em> Photo by Vjeran Pavic \/ The Verge\n\n\n
That sucks. Sure, small phones have drawbacks. Their batteries are tiny and may not last a whole day if you use your phone for a lot of power-intensive stuff. That\u2019s a problem that only gets worse over time as the battery ages and can\u2019t hold a full charge like they do. Small phones also aren\u2019t ideal if you want the most immersive experience for watching videos or gaming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
But have you ever thought to yourself, \u201cOh no, I forgot my phone,\u201d and then experienced pure joy as you realized that, no, you did not forget your phone \u2014 it\u2019s just so small<\/em> that you couldn\u2019t feel its weight in your pocket or bag. That happens to me over and over when I switch from a big phone back to my iPhone 13 Mini, and it is a thrill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Plus, let\u2019s not forget the sheer delight of hitting a back button without straining to tap an icon in the upper left corner of the screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
If there\u2019s one thing that should comfort a grieving small phone fan, it\u2019s that the next size up isn\u2019t all that bad. That would be the standard 6.1-inch screen, which is what you\u2019ll find on the regular iPhone 15, the iPhone 15 Pro, and the Samsung Galaxy S23. Sure, the iPhone 15 Pro measures a full 15mm longer and 6mm wider than the 13 Mini, but it\u2019s actually a bit smaller than last year\u2019s 14 Pro. Apple trimmed the bezels down year over year and gave that space back to us by reducing the phone\u2019s overall dimensions. It\u2019s just a millimeter here and there, but it makes the phone just a little more comfortable to use in one hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re on Android, you also have one more option: the slightly smaller Asus Zenfone 10 with a 5.9-inch display. It\u2019s a little gem of a phone, though sadly, it isn\u2019t compatible with Verizon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s not forget the sheer delight of hitting a back button without straining<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
The iPhone Mini\u2019s demise is sad for us small phone sickos, but the numbers don\u2019t lie: Apple couldn\u2019t sell them because most people (especially in this country) like a big phone. But the good news is that phone makers don\u2019t seem to be in a big-screen-arms-race anymore \u2014 at least in the slab-style phones. The big phones haven\u2019t gotten any bigger over the past couple of years, and the slight shrinking of the 15 Pro is an encouraging sign. Maybe they came to their senses and agreed that a 6.1-inch screen is a comfortable middle ground. Maybe the display manufacturers are just putting their energy into folding screens now. Who can say?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
One thing\u2019s certain, though: the days of the really small phone are over. I know. I\u2019m sad, too. But the first step of healing is acceptance, so I think it\u2019s important that we embrace this truth. When you inevitably have to replace your tiny phone, the options won\u2019t be as terrible as they might seem. But to be sure, none of them will be as wonderfully small as an iPhone Mini. If you\u2019ve still got one, hold your tiny phone close while you can \u2014 and take care of that battery.<\/p>\n\n\n]]><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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