Michal Ždanský Size matters. Apple has confirmed this lesson several times already - iPod mini, Mac mini, iPad mini... Currently, Apple has a whole family of "mini" products. That magic word is a kind of symbol of compactness and mobility. But how much more compact and portable should the device be, which in these features belongs to the top of the food chain? The iPhone is actually one of the smallest hi-end phones on the market. Now, analysts and journalists with elusive "sources close to Apple" have come up with a claim about the iPhone mini.
The first mentions of a smaller iPhone appeared back in 2009, then under the name "iPhone nano". At the time, the iPhone had one of the largest screen sizes on the market. It only took 2,5 years to get to the opposite end of the imaginary ladder, but there's still nothing wrong with that. Back then, the theory about a nano phone didn't make much sense, a 3,5″ display was a kind of ideal. Today, however, we have the 4″ iPhone 5 on the market, so we have room to downsize. So would Apple really have a reason to introduce a cheaper phone alongside the latest hi-end generation? There are actually several reasons.
Recycling
Every company likes to recycle its products, and even Apple is not afraid of it. As for the phones, in addition to the latest generation, the two previous generations are still available at a reduced price on the Apple Online Store. The iPad mini itself is a great example of recycling, as it took, for example, the chipset and operating memory and quite possibly a few other components from the revision of the iPad 2. It is always cheaper to use previously produced components than to outsource the production of new ones. For that reason, the iPhone has always inherited the processor of the previous iPad.
[do action=”citation”]Every company likes to recycle its products and even Apple is not afraid of it.[/do]
If the iPhone mini were to be a cheaper variant, it would certainly not share the same processor with the new generation phone. Apple would likely reach for previously manufactured components. Here, the Apple A5, which powers the iPhone 4S, makes a great offer. There would be an obvious parallel with the iPad mini, where the smaller version has a two-generation older processor, although it is a completely new product, the biggest attraction of which is its compact size and low price.
Market expansion and affordability
Basically, the only main reason for introducing the iPhone mini is to gain more market share and win over those customers who wouldn't buy an iPhone in the first place due to the high price. Android controls over 75 percent of the mobile phone market worldwide, a trend that Apple would certainly like to reverse. In particular, poorer countries with large populations, namely India or China, would have great potential for such a device, which would make customers there choose an Apple phone over a cheap Android device.
Although Phil Shiller said that the company is not going to venture into a cheap phone, that doesn't mean that they can't make a cheaper phone. It costs Apple about $16 in parts and assembly to make one 5GB iPhone 207 (according to September 2012 iSuppli analysis), Apple then sells it for $649, so it has a gross margin of $442 on one phone, i.e. 213 percent. Let's say that one iPhone mini would cost $150 to make, which is $38 less than it costs to make an iPhone 4S due to component recycling. Apple could sell such a phone for $449, or even better, $429 without the subsidy. In the first case, the margin would be 199 percent, in the second, 186 percent. If the iPhone mini actually cost $429, the percentage drop in price would be the same as the iPad mini versus the last generation iPad.
The smell of novelty
The tinsel of the new product also plays a very important role. It can be argued against the iPhone mini that Apple sells older models at a reduced price (in the case of the 16 GB iPhone 4S by $100), however, the customer knows very well that this is at least a year old model, and not at a significantly lower price. The iPhone mini would have the same new look as the iPad mini, and there would logically be more interest in it.
Of course, it would have to be a little more than just a renamed iPhone 4S. Such a phone would likely share a similar design to the current generation. However, perhaps with small variations that we can observe in the difference between iPad and iPad mini. After all, the Telefo was a bit different from the high-end version. The fundamental difference would be mainly in the diagonal of the screen, where Apple would return to the original 3,5 inches and standardize this size as "mini". This would maintain compatibility with applications and avoid any further resolution fragmentation. Compared to the 4S, there would probably be a few other minor improvements, such as a new lightning connector, but that would be the end of the list.
Finally
The iPhone mini would thus be a really great marketing move for Apple, which could greatly help it in the phone market, where despite increasing sales, it is still losing its once almost dominant share. Although Apple is certainly the most profitable of all phone manufacturers, a broader expansion of the platform would mean a benefit to the entire ecosystem that Apple has been consistently building for years.
At the same time, he would not have to undercut the price as much as other producers and would still maintain high margins, i.e. the wolf would eat himself and the goat (or sheep?) would remain whole. A smaller iPhone definitely makes more sense this year than it did in 2009. Apple would not complicate its portfolio in any way, the iPhone mini would simply replace one of the older models still offered. The analogy with the iPad is more than obvious here, and although it would not be the kind of revolution that we would like from Apple, it would be a relatively logical step for the company, which would make an exclusive phone available to the less wealthy and thus suspend the growing world dominance of Android, which is undoubtedly a good motivation.
Well, maybe it will end up so that the mini will be 4 inches and the normal iPhone between 4,5-5 inches
If the iPhone Mini had the same display as the 4S and only a slightly faster processor and a few tweaks in the design, it would actually be a 4SS and there would be severe cannibalization. Don't forget that the run-of-the-mill iPhones 4 and 4S still generate massive profits for Apple. Their development and promotion have long since paid off, their components cost a fraction of what they did at launch to make today, and I believe the $XNUMX discount roughly equates to savings in marketing and components for these steeper models. No one cares that it's old, but how it makes money.
Cannibalization is a clear counterargument against the iPhone Mini. Don't mix iPad and iPod and Mac. Those products are far from their non-Mini versions – the Mac has an integrated display, the iPod has a multiple times larger display and iOS functionality than the nano, and the iPad again has a display, weight and portability. Few people decide between the new Mac Mini and the run-of-the-mill Mac with a 21″ display.
At the launch of the 5 Mini, there would be a lot of comparisons with the 4S, and Apple definitely doesn't want that. That would rather discount the 4S for developing markets by a few dollars more.
In addition, those who follow telecommunications know that precisely those developing markets are often more profitable for operators, because while in the US or the UK AT&T/O2 massively subsidizes the new generation, in the Czech Republic it is subsidized symbolically and in many developing countries it is not subsidized at all and who wants it will pay full price nicely. In addition, with the pressure to reduce call prices and the use of VoIP on smartphones, subsidies will tend to decrease even in the West.
Why is there still speculation about the iPhone mini when Phill Schiler officially denied it and said that no cheaper variant of the iPhone is being prepared...
I understood the speculation about Apple tv about iPad mini about 4″ iPhone, because apple management never commented on it, but they flatly rejected this. Why speculate further? :)
Because in no case could he say that in a few months Apple will introduce a smaller and cheaper iPhone. Sales of the iPhone 5 would drop significantly because people would be waiting for a new product.
He didn't have to comment at all. This is Apple's usual strategy. It is rare that they strictly deny something.
they also denied ipad mini and it is in the world. Google also denied that they were working on iOS maps and they were out in 14 days
They never denied the iPad mini. Steve Jobs only commented on the size of the first iPad shortly after the launch, saying that it was better than 7″ tablets.
If there was an iPhone mini with the same diagonal as the iP4/4S and the same design as the iP 5, then it's a clear choice for me :). Everything is in the stars, so let's be surprised :)
You know, I personally see the problem in the software. I don't want to argue here about whether it is excellent or not. It just is for me! I've had an iPhone for a long time (3G, 3GS, 4, 4S), I'm definitely not going to buy a 5 - I'll wait. I want to experience the WOW effect again and because I bought it for my wife and I was more interested in holding the phone than the speed (against the 4S)... But! I am currently bored with the software - the iOS environment. The environment is unchanging and I think it would be worth taking something new. E.g. the latest ANDROID 4.1.2 update brought the option of a sidebar and the ability to work with two open windows. The truth is that I won't use it, but it's a nice "crap". I'm not saying that this should appear in iOS, but I would welcome something new - something completely new, I don't mean a modified version of something existing...
So personally, I understand the MINI version, but I personally look forward to iOS where I will be just as excited as I was when I bought my first iPhone 3G.
I recommend trying Android for yourself, I did with the SG3 when I switched from the iP4s. Nice treatment with practice, going back to iOS after 4 months (unfortunately just iP4) but still excited. And today I am even more glad that iOS does not change significantly despite some bugs.
… yeah, yeah. I use SG3, I have an iPhone 4S without a SIM in backup. iOS is great, but I can't agree that it's right that nothing happens with the environment
Apple has never done this. Apple has a clean environment, it will never flash like Windows or Android. Apple is pure simple design and not behind complexities
There would still be one big advantage over the 4S. Since you can no longer count on many iOS updates for the run-of-the-mill model, this "new" model would have to stay up-to-date for at least two years. The customers would also hear about that ;-)
Well, 4S would be 2 generations back and Apple guarantees 3 generations back...
So it will certainly be important that it has a new connector. If they made a cheaper model with the appearance of 4S + 5. It is not necessary to have such a high margin and they could be in more colors like before with iBooks... It would be an ideal phone for the youth, not only the youth at an affordable price... As Apple expands, it should aim for a lower price... Personally, I have a 5 and comfortable and I've already gotten used to the 4S and it feels so heavy and small in my hand... But not the bigger display anymore!
For me personally, the launch of the iPhone would be a mini unification of the Lightning connector with all other Apple products. They wouldn't have a phone with an older connector in their portfolio in about a year. The iPad "4" also came relatively soon after the launch of the "3" and more or less only had a new connector. Another reason could be that they would leave customers to choose between "two" phones, and a lot of customers could decide that, for example, the head of the family buys an iPhone 5S and buys a cheaper version for his wife or his offspring. But they certainly wouldn't go back to plastic - Apple wants to be a premium brand. They would only recycle older parts..
if the iphone 5 mini came out, he would expect it to have the look, thinness, lightness and aspect ratio (16:9) of the 5k. otherwise it would be a complete waste.
Be careful, even the iPad mini is parasitic on the iPad retina. The difference between 3,5 and 4 is not that big. Apple would then have to take one more step and that is to increase the angle and equipment of its large iPhone. If it were as you write, then it would only be a released 4S update with lightning and it would be difficult for someone to buy something more if the 4S would remain in the offer and would be cheaper than the mini. also don't forget that apple will upgrade all minis to comparable configurations as the main product. In my opinion, the mini will look like an ipod touch (just a little bigger), it will have an A6 processor (the big one will have an A7) and 1GB of ram, and the big iphone will get bigger and maybe something like the iphone note will come. come a year, but the main attraction of Apple will be television.
Michal Ždánský, I recommend that you get a dictionary of foreign words.
And why?
Meaning dictionary. The word conspiracy has a derogatory meaning and is a conspiracy against someone. Is this a conspiracy against Apple? Or perhaps a conspiracy by Apple against customers? That title is unfortunately solved.
Portability ... I have no words for your "originality". Mr. Žďánský, your article will be neither better nor more worldly with this parody of your mother tongue. Honestly, it's more of a shame…
In my opinion, Apple already has its mini iPhone and it is the 4S. Rather, I think that I will get it to the level of the iPhone 5 after the design stage (tensi with a new connector and maybe they will give a new A6 processor). I've also read opinions here that the iPad mini is a parasite on older brothers... I personally don't think it is a parasite, because I know from my own experience that when someone doesn't want a big tablet, they won't buy it and will look for something smaller (more compact). so what Apple did with the iPad mini didn't hurt at all. On the contrary, I think he filled a hole among his very high-quality products. I have almost everything from Apple at home, so I know what I'm talking about and despite the fact that I have an iPad 2, I also bought a mini that I carry with me and I have a larger and heavier model at home. So from this point of view, Apple won, because as long as the iPad 2 works for me, I see no reason to buy an iPad 4... Furthermore, I know many people who, if Apple did not release an iPad mini, would buy a 7" tablet from a competitor, because a 9,7" tablet seemed to them big and hard to carry (they really expected it).
Well, I would welcome it :) but for an acceptable price :)