Why are there fewer and fewer small-screen mobile phones? The reason is revealed

Today, as the screen sizes of smartphones become larger and larger, there are still a group of small-screen enthusiasts who insist on using small-screen mobile phones. The main reasons why they choose small-screen mobile phones are nothing more than: one-handed control, comfortable grip, and the ability to put them in their pockets without sagging their pants.

But choosing a small-screen mobile phone means accepting a shortened battery life. After more than ten years of development in smartphones, lithium battery technology has not actually made a qualitative breakthrough. Nowadays, the battery life of mobile phones is improving more and more with the size of mobile phones. Big has a lot to do with it.

Many small-screen enthusiasts miss the short and compact mobile phones of the iPhone5-iPhone SE era, and choose small-screen mobile phones. However, with the popularization of 4G, the emergence of 5G, and the explosion of short video platforms, today’s mobile phone application scenarios are very different from those back then. The author has seen many small-screen enthusiasts awkwardly switch back to large-screen phones after using small-screen phones for a year or two. The most commonly mentioned reason is battery life anxiety.

If you want to use a small-screen mobile phone, you must lower your requirements. In addition to battery life anxiety, small-screen mobile phones usually also mean lower configurations. The narrow body cannot fit a larger camera module, and there is no high refresh rate or even dual-SIM function, which makes many small-screen mobile phone owners both love and hate today's small-screen mobile phones.

For example, no one who has used the two mini-sized mobile phones, iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini, said they feel bad, but when it comes to shortcomings, everyone is bitter. What everyone wants is small size, but they don’t want shortened battery life or lowered configurations, which is difficult to do.

Because this is an increase in technical difficulty and cost for mobile phone manufacturers, and requires technological progress and cost reduction in the entire supply chain. Therefore, it is difficult to have a small-screen mobile phone with a good experience in all aspects.

After Apple tested the water of two generations of products, 12 mini and 13 mini, the market response was sluggish, causing Apple to decisively discontinue the mini series. There is a high probability that Apple will not release a flagship phone with a small screen in the future, but it will continue to update the iPhone SE series with a relatively small screen, lower configuration, and lower price.

Because the sales of the iPhone SE series are very good. It is reported that global shipments of iPhone SE2 are approximately 20 million units, second only to the flagship iPhone 11. Netizens also have very high evaluations of the previous generations of iPhone SE. It is also a small-screen mobile phone. The main reason why the sales of 12 mini and 13 mini are completely different from those of iPhone SE is the price.

The iPhone XR released in September 2018 proves this point. The price of 6,499 makes consumers really have no choice but to think, why don’t I buy it at this price to experience a better experience? A good iPhone XS is not too expensive.

In order to save sales, Apple launched promotional activities on major e-commerce platforms, causing the price of iPhone XR to drop to the 5,000 price point. The result was an 80% increase in sales in 20 days.

#It can be seen that price is a more important factor compared to small screen. The author believes that the sluggish sales of iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini are not because people have no demand for small-screen mobile phones, but because consumers feel that they are too expensive at this price and are not competitive with larger iPhones.

Since consumers don’t buy it, Apple has no choice but to shut down the mini series product line. Just like the Wuling Hongguang Mini, a small car with a minced pepper fish head, which is priced at about 30,000 yuan, everyone likes it. But if this kind of car was equipped with some luxury features and the price was raised to 100,000 yuan, it would never be what it is now. Sales volume, because for 100,000 yuan, most people will choose a car that is more spacious and suitable for a wider range of scenarios.

It’s not that there’s no market for small-screen mobile phones, it’s that they can’t be high-end. They can’t afford expensive prices.

#However, small-screen mobile phones will definitely not disappear. Currently, several mobile phone manufacturers are still making small-screen mobile phones. And the iPhone 13 mini is still on sale, but the 4G running memory is indeed a bit limited, and the backend is too serious. However, if you are a light mobile phone user, or just buy it as a backup machine, it is still highly recommended.

Those who like Apple can also wait for the iPhone SE4. In addition, the 6.1-inch small-screen flagship Samsung S23 is also a good choice. It is equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen2, has a 120hz refresh rate, and weighs only 168g. Asus' Zenfone 10 and Sony's Xperia long-form phone are also considered.

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