Demand is apparently not high enough to justify an iPhone 12 mini android alternative
Analytics firm Kantar believes the iPhone 12 mini has the potential to become a trendsetter, reports 9to5Mac.
Apple's new lineup consists of four devices, and the entry-level phone is the smallest at 5.4-inches. What makes it all the more special is that Android phone vendors don't make compact flagships any longer.
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Per the firm, over 12 percent of consumers choose a model for how it fits in their hands and pockets. Unlike other premium phones on the market, the iPhone 12 mini offers high-end specs and 5G connectivity in a smaller factor and at a lower price.
While share growth over the last couple of years has been for larger screen sizes, Apple is tackling both ends of the spectrum with this launch.
Will this inspire Android vendors to come out with premium high-end phones of their own? Well, it's not as simple as it sounds.
According to a post on the Chinese social networking website Weibo by leaker Digital Chat Station, no Android manufacturer has a small phone in the pipeline at the moment. Apparently, the cost of customizing components for a compact phone is not justifiable when compared to the demand.
Even if the iPhone 12 mini spurs demand for compact phones as Kantar predicts, battery life is another issue that phone makers will have to deal with, as stated by Xiaomi's sub-brand Redmi's General Manager Lu Weibing recently.
That said, the iPhone 12 mini apparently has a slightly bigger battery than the iPhone SE, so we will have to wait to find out how it fares in this department. The phone will go on sale next month.
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