Supply Chain Analyst Believe Apple May Discontinue iPhone 12 Mini Due to Weak Demand

Although Apple has continuously pushed to develop bigger iPhone devices with larger screens, the company has experimented in offering smaller devices at the same time. Targeting users who prefer a small handheld device, Apple went back to the drawing board to release the second-generation iPhone SE early last year. Apple also added the iPhone 12 Mini to its lineup, though the device’s days may be numbered.

According to an investors note from JP Morgan supply chain analyst William Yang, demand for the iPhone 12 Mini has been underwhelming. As reported by TechRadar, the performance of the iPhone 12 Mini has lead Yang to believe that Apple may discontinue the device by the second quarter of 2021.

Given the lowered demand for the iPhone 12 Mini, Yang believes Apple will pivot and focus on increasing the production of the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max. According to Yang’s revised build numbers, Apple may increase the iPhone 12 Pro by 2 million and the iPhone 12 Pro Max by 11 million units. Additionally, Yang believes the iPhone 11 build numbers may increase by up to 8 million units. All the while, iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini production would decrease by 9 million and 11 million.

Demand for the iPhone 12 Mini has been a consistent hurdle for Apple. In an earlier report, Apple was said to be increasing the production of many of its iPhone 12 lineup and at the time, analysts suggested demand for the smaller device was lower than expected.

Given the reports, it may only be a matter of time before Apple ships its remaining units before pulling support for the iPhone 12 Mini. It’s also been reported that Apple may launch four new iPhone SKUs later this year. If they are following a similar pattern, a new “Mini” device was be introduced. Time will only tell if the improvements Apple makes will entice customers to purchase the smallest device.

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