Apple released the iPhone 15 last month, with the new device offering two screen sizes of 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches.
The company removed the iPhone 13 Mini from its online store following the arrival of the latest version of the tech giant’s popular handset which, as its name suggests, offers a smaller 5.4-inch display.
The smaller design, which arrived with the iPhone 12 in 2020, proved popular with people who found larger iPhones cumbersome or too heavy in the hand.
But this praise never translated into significant sales, prompting Apple to abandon this smaller device with the launch of the iPhone 14 last year.
In Japan, the Mini clearly continues to have a following, with the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini seeing a recent surge in demand among buyers there, according to a recent report from Nikkei Asia.
In the week following the launch of the iPhone 15, customers were quick to seek out iPhone Mini handsets on online marketplace Nicosuma, with sales of both models reportedly doubling compared to the previous week. Interest in a more compact device appears to have been fueled by Apple’s decision to remove the iPhone 13 mini from its online store after it released its latest handset last month.
“Used smartphones are now the main choice for people who want the iPhone mini series,” said Masatoshi Ohno, head of the consumer division that operates the online shopping site.
As Nikkei Asia points out, the more affordable prices that come with used phones is another factor driving sales of Apple’s smaller iPhones. The best-priced iPhone 15, for example, comes with 128GB of storage and costs 124,800 yen (about $830) in Japan, while a used iPhone 12 mini, with half the storage at 64GB, will cost as little as 40,000 yen. Can be obtained in yen. (about $265), and an iPhone 13 with 128GB for 70,000 yen ($465).
For those wanting a smaller screen with a brand new iPhone, the only option is the 4.7-inch iPhone SE (2022), which starts at $429. But the device’s design is older and the larger bezels at the top and bottom mean that despite the more compact display, the footprint is only slightly smaller than a 6.1-inch iPhone, making cost the only real advantage.
In the market for a used iPhone? Then check out these tips on how to get a great deal.
