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An iPhone that isn’t the iPhone 15 is selling fast in Japan

Trevor Mogg
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Apple released the iPhone 15 last month, with the new device offering two screen sizes of 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches.

The arrival of the latest iteration of the tech giant’s popular handset saw the company banish from its online store the iPhone 13 Mini, which, as its name suggests, offers a smaller 5.4-inch display.

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The smaller design, which arrived with the iPhone 12 in 2020, proved popular among those who found the larger iPhones cumbersome or simply too heavy in the hand.

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But the adoration never translated into significant sales, prompting Apple to drop the diminutive device with the launch of the iPhone 14 last year.

In Japan, fans of the Mini clearly remain, with the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 13 Mini seeing a recent spike in demand among shoppers there, according to a recent report by Nikkei Asia.

In the week following the launch of the iPhone 15, customers were quick to seek out the iPhone Mini handsets on the online marketplace Nicosuma, with sales of both models reportedly doubling compared to the previous week. Interest in the more compact device appears to have been sparked by Apple’s decision to remove the iPhone 13 Mini from its online store when it released its latest handset last month.

“Used smartphones are now the main option 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 are another factor driving the sales of Apple’s smaller iPhone. 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, albeit with half the storage at 64GB, can be had for as little as 40,000 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 has a dated design and the large top-and-bottom bezels mean that despite the more compact display, the footprint is only a little smaller than the 6.1-inch iPhone, leaving cost as the only real advantage.

In the market for a used iPhone? Then check out these tips on how to get a great deal.

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Trevor Mogg
Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
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