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The iPhone 13 mini is dead, leaving small phone lovers in a lurch

⁨202⁩ ⁨likes⁩

Submitted ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨fne8w2ah@lemmy.world⁩ to ⁨technology@lemmy.world⁩

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/09/the-iphone-13-mini-is-dead-leaving-small-phone-lovers-in-a-lurch/

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Comments

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  • espentan@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Perhaps the perfect opportunity to stop buying Apple products?

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    • magic_lobster_party@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      The options on Android aren’t much better, unless you go for some obscure manufacturer who won’t support the phone with updates 1 year after its life cycle.

      Apple was for a while the only remaining flagship manufacturer who actually provided mini models. Ironic, because Android is supposed to be the alternative providing more options.

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      • 3laws@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        Moto is still kicking, Samsung has small models too, Asus is going alright, Sony at least the are skinny.

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    • aksdb@feddit.de ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      As if there are equivalent and small phones with Android.

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      • KpntAutismus@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        i wish fairphone filled that market gap, and throw in a headphone jack as well.

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      • pavnilschanda@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        Depends on their needs. If they purely want a phone that fits nice in a pocket, a Z Flip will do. But if they really want the small screen, there are niche brands like Unihertz, which recently released the Jelly Star, a 3" phone with pretty decent specs.

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      • SeducingCamel@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        My pixel 5 was awesome but then they started making their phones big again

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    • pavnilschanda@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      I find that to be a good option. Unfortunately, given my current needs, the Apple Watch is the best device to meet them, so I’m stuck with the iPhone. And yes, I’ve researched the Galaxy Watch, too, but app integration and health measurements are considered lackluster compared to the AW.

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      • KpntAutismus@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        that’s always the problem with android based stuff. good software is the one thing they can’t do.

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  • FireWire400@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    It’s probably not gonna happen but maybe they’ll fill that gap with the next iPhone SE

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    • xts@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Sadly I think the latest rumours were that they’d use the Xr/11 chassis for the new SE. hopefully not because if they use the 12/13 mini… oh boy it’d be great

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      • FireWire400@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        That would be unfortunate, I always saw the SE as not only the cheapest but also the smallest model but I guess it’s really just a way to use up old parts?

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    • Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Thing is, very few people bought the small phone. The community that wants them is very vocal, but they don’t show up in big numbers at the cash register.

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  • CaptainAniki@lemmy.flight-crew.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    [deleted]
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    • Defaced@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      If you’re not married to iOS, the Asus Zen phone 10 is small and compact. I’ve honestly considered getting one myself because I hate large phones.

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      • redditReallySucks@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        The hardware is good but Asus was never known for software.

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      • havokdj@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        He’s talking about a Pixel, not an iPhonr

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      • CaptainAniki@lemmy.flight-crew.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
        [deleted]
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    • thethrillman@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Luckily for you the pixel 8 is rumored to be around the same size as the pixel 6a, smaller than the pixel 7.

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  • ForestOrca@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    I'd been using an iPod Touch 4G thru 7G, for my everything pocket computer. Apple killed the iPod Touch, so I migrated to iPhone 13 mini just over a year ago. Sorry folx, they prolly killed the 13 mini cuz of me. Any other Apple products you'd like me to latch onto, so Apple will kill it? :-(

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    • BertramDitore@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Lol I feel like this happens to me too. You like the fit of that T-shirt? Discontinued. You like the shape of those eyeglasses? Discontinued. You want a new car that starts up without 5,000 microchips? Haha too bad. You like buying phones that you can’t use without physically hurting your hands? Cool, enjoy the new 16 inch iPhone, it’s the smallest available. You’ll never leave it in your pocket or bag, because it doesn’t fit in either one. Oh and you need a speaker adapter to hear things without earbuds. That’ll be $2,500.

      Sent from my dying iPhone SE 2020.

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  • HurlingDurling@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Android welcomes you brothers and sisters

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    • Drusas@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Android also has no small phones anymore.

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      • Asudox@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        There’s Asus’s ZenFones.

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      • HurlingDurling@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        www.androidcentral.com/best-small-android-phone

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    • magic_lobster_party@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Which android phone is as small as iPhone 13 mini?

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      • HurlingDurling@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        Asus Zenfone 9

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  • pavnilschanda@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    As someone with tiny hands and tiny fingers, I’ve been thinking long and hard about this and in the future, when my 13 mini lets out its last breath, I’ll probably just go with a regular-sized iPhone and use Voice Control to swipe right and “go back” when I use it one-handed, since reachability doesn’t address how I struggle to reach the far end of the screen with one-hand (I even have to struggle a bit with the mini). Sucks that I’ll have to use voice control as a workaround, but I mostly bought an iPhone for the Apple Watch anyway.

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    • butitsnotme@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      In Settings -> Accessibility-> Touch -> Assistive Touch you can configure a small button the floats on the screen (you can move it around), providing access to all sort of gestures and functions one handed.

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      • pavnilschanda@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        Tried that but none of the gesture include “go back” nor “swipe right” (the closest thing is “scroll right”). Even used a custom gesture as well and that didn’t work.

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    • Kaliax@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Run a Pop Socket on your phone and buy a couple of these:

      PopSockets Flexible Phone Mount & Stand, Phone Tripod Mount, Universal Device Mount - Black a.co/d/0aYtsed

      It makes an S22U so much more ergonomic for smaller hands. YMMV.

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    • c10l@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      I considered getting a Mini a couple years ago. I tried one. It was not small enough for the reasons you describe. I have a regular sized iPhone for that reason.

      I’ve long said the mini flopped not because people don’t want small phones, but rather because it wasn’t small enough to be worth the tradeoff of a smaller screen.

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  • Etterra@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    The solution is obvious. Don’t buy another goddamn iPhone.

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    • newIdentity@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      There aren’t that many Android phones that actually are smaller.

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      • warmaster@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        Checkout GSMARENA

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  • 2fat4that@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    I’ll never part with mine!

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    • ares35@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      not to worry, forced obsolescence will take care of that for you.

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  • mojo@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Have you tried just getting bigger hands

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  • kratoz29@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    I can see the appeal of these little phones, but I think the batteries weren’t as good as the other counterparts… so that aspect alone made me pass them.

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    • Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      They also couldn’t fit the pro cameras. If you wanted a small phone, you had to accept shit battery and base model cameras.

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  • misterundercoat@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    I posted this from my galaxy s23 while wiping my butt with my other hand

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    • magic_lobster_party@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      iPhone 15 is just 1 mm larger than S23

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    • newIdentity@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      The galaxy S23 isn’t small. 6.1 inches isn’t small

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  • autotldr@lemmings.world [bot] ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:

    That marks the end of life for arguably the best premium small phone designed for one-handed use.

    Market research has consistently shown that most users want bigger screens and batteries, which are incompatible with a smaller phone.

    Supply chain analysts and journalists with inside knowledge have generally agreed that Apple could update the iPhone SE as soon as next year—but most rumors have suggested that it would go bigger, not smaller.

    Many op-eds have been written at tech sites (including this one, by me) saying it’s important for Apple to offer a one-handed phone size, even if it’s less popular than the bigger models.

    That said, supporting an additional size adds extra supply chain and production overhead—and it may not be the most financially prudent decision for Apple if it’s confident that it can covert mini owners to join the majority and opt for larger phones instead.

    Chances are that axing the iPhone 13 mini won’t do much to hurt Apple’s earnings, but it leaves a minority of consumers without an important option, and I still think that’s bad news.

    The original article contains 382 words, the summary contains 180 words. Saved 53%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

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  • MrCharles@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Image Why? Why do they make so few small phones? We have the tech, and people like me really prefer it over the behemoth’s of the modern day. WHYYYYYYY?

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    • tiredofsametab@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      As I get older, the smaller screens are more difficult for me. As for others, I don't know.

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  • BudgieMania@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    I only want a phone that cannot double as a scutum is that too much to ask

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    • Aatube@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      A what?

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      • CaptainPedantic@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        I had to look it up. A scutum is a type of Roman shield.

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      • ForestOrca@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        scutum
        skyoo͞′təm
        noun

        1. A scute.

        2. A shield-shaped dorsal sclerite or plate of certain insects and arachnids.

        3. An oblong shield made of boards or wickerwork covered with leather, with sometimes an iron rim; carried chiefly by the heavy-armed infantry of the Roman army.

        I'm assuming the third definition is the one we're after. But it could be an alligator scute, ya never know. (https://animals.howstuffworks.com/reptiles/alligator.htm)

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  • GuyDudeman@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    I feel lurched.

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  • krey@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Samsung Galaxy S10e is pretty good and still available. Can recommend.

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    • aksdb@feddit.de ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Even Samsungs good update policy doesn’t beat Apple, where I can easily get 7 years worth of major versions (and still minor updates afterwards).

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      • Hyperreality@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        For my needs it works out much cheaper to buy a new android phone every few years, but it is a huge waste. Depending on manufacturer you get up to 5 years of security updates, but the phone usually costs up to 800 euros less so it simply doesn't make sense to buy the iphone.

        You end up throwing a perfectly good phone in a drawer, never to be used again.

        In ye olden days, it didn't really matter that the phone was less secure. But with banking apps, you have no real choice in the matter.

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    • magic_lobster_party@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      iPhone 15 is not that much bigger compared to S10e, so if you want a small phone like iPhone 13 mini you’re out of luck.

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    • frazorth@feddit.uk ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Unfortunately it hasn’t received a security update since March and Samsung have put it as EOL. Still a great phone.

      Sent from my Galaxy S10e.

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