iPhone 14 Max: It's a great move for Apple after the "mini" flopped, here's why I'm all for it

The iPhone 14 series Apple event is right around the corner, and the excitement is building up (or lack thereof, depending on where you stand on Apple)!

In any case, there are two interesting, significant changes Apple is making to its flagship iPhone lineup this year – first, no more iPhone mini, and second, a new model just called "Max" – the iPhone 14 Max (or iPhone 14 Plus according to the latest rumor).

No, it's not an iPhone 14 Pro Max, that's a separate phone. Apple is giving us a cheaper big phone, so if you've ever wanted just the "Max" part of an iPhone "Pro Max" – you'll finally have the option to get it, without paying for all the "Pro" stuff.

Confused yet? No worries, let me clear that up for you, and tell you why that new iPhone is actually the right move for a lot of people, including myself…

But first, here's why the iPhone "mini" has been retired after just two iterations…

The "mini" is out! Because small phones aren't worth it for Apple (even the iPhone SE is underperforming)

So the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini just plain didn't sell as well as the bigger iPhones. The two mini iPhones reportedly covered just a 3% sales share each, in their respective generations.

Now, I do like the iPhone minis, but their users are clearly a minority in the grand scheme of things, so it's no surprise to me that Apple decided to give the axe to the "mini" line, just two generations later.

As much as the Cupertino company wants to be viewed as a maker of devices that please users on an emotional level, at the end of the day – it's a business, and if something's not making money, especially at that level of low sales – Apple will drop it.

Which, by the way, is pretty unlike Samsung, which might have retired the "Note" for being a niche stylus phone, but still found a way to keep its spirit alive, just under a different name (Galaxy S22 Ultra).

In any case, now that a slot has been opened for the iPhone 14 series, what kind of a phone will fill it up? Clearly small phones don't work for Apple, so… a new big one it is!

The "Max" is in! Some people (such as myself) love big phones, big screens and big batteries, but don't necessarily wish to pay a hefty extra for "Pro" bells and whistles

By many accounts a new iPhone 14 Max model is coming, not to be confused with the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

It would seem that this new simply "Max" iPhone is going to do exactly what the "mini" did and offer base specs, but in a different-sized form factor from the base iPhone.

The iPhone 14 Max will likely be the exact size of the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but cheaper, as it will offer no "Pro" features or even a third camera sensor, just like the base iPhone 14. It will also keep the notch, just like the base iPhone 14, while the more expensive Pro models will replace it with cutouts. So what you're getting is simply a bigger screen, and a bigger battery – but nothing too fancy or new otherwise.

If you love big phones, but don't wish to pay extra for "Pro" bells and whistles – this will be the iPhone for you! Stay tuned for our Apple event coverage next week on September 7 for full, official details on this big new beast!

But for now, we already have an iPhone 14 Max preview for you to check out, if you want to learn more.

Personally, as someone who loves huge phones as much as I love tiny ones, I consider this new iPhone model to be just the right thing for Apple to try out next. I want the big screen, I want the big battery, yet I don't wish to pay "Pro" prices for features I'll never need or use, such as a third camera, the LiDAR sensor, or the astrophotography feature that's clearly coming to the new iPhone 14 Pro models.

The late, great Steve Jobs was right about many things, but apparently, smartphones needing to remain small wasn't one of them.

People clearly gravitate towards big phones these days, as we've grown to rely on them for everything over the last couple of decades – from connecting with others, through entertainment, to work.

And all that requires ideally a reasonable-sized display, not a tiny one. Heck, even just simply texting on the iPhone 13 mini was difficult for me, due to its size…

So, the way I see it, Apple is doing the right thing not only for people like me, but for itself as a business. It tried small phones and they underperformed in sales, but a large, yet more affordable big phone – now that should sell pretty well!

In fact, I'm willing to bet this new iPhone 14 Max has the potential to outsell the iPhone 14 Pro Max this generation, as it's reasonable to assume most people bought the previous "Pro Max" models purely because they were larger, not so much because they had any "Pro" features worth spending extra money on.

But we'll see, won't we? In fact, why don't you share what you think – is the iPhone 14 Max a good idea in your opinion, or do you believe it will flop?

Are you interested in the new iPhone 14 Max model? Or do you find it redundant, confusing, a bad idea?

So, are you in the market Apple has decided to try and cover after the "mini" didn't meet its expectations?

The market of those who like big phones with big batteries, but don't wish to pay extra for "Pro" features, which they may or may not ever use?

Or do you believe Apple is just clearly testing the waters, throwing things at the wall to see what sticks, and this new "Max" model will also disappoint in sales like the "mini" did?