Apple failed
This year, Apple introduced 4 new iPhone models with a completely different strategy compared to previous years. This time, the iPhone mini has been replaced by the iPhone 14 Plus. This was a fairly well reviewed device but a commercial failure, and it has become one of Apple’s most memorable products.
Since 2017, Apple usually offers three different iPhones. The first is the mid-range iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, while the iPhone X is the high-end version. In 2018, there were two high-end models, the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, but there was only one mid-range option, the iPhone XR.
The same thing happened in 2019 with the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max. But in 2020, Apple decided to introduce the fourth new iPhone in the iPhone 12 family, which is the iPhone 12 mini.
Compared to its more expensive brethren, the iPhone 12 mini was not seen as a huge success. Most customers seem to prefer phones with a large screen and spend an extra $100 to buy the iPhone 12.
Apple tried to give the iPhone mini another chance in 2021 with the iPhone 13 mini, this time with a much better battery capacity. But this was not enough to increase sales.
Many people, and perhaps Apple, believe that the iPhone with a medium and larger screen will be more successful than the mini iPhone.
And by 2022, Apple will eliminate the iPhone mini, replacing it with the iPhone 14 Plus, with the same 6.7-inch screen size as the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but at a more affordable price. But in the end, the iPhone 14 Plus was another commercial failure.
In the list of best-selling smartphones in 2022, while the iPhone 12 released in 2020 was also named, the latest iPhone 14 Plus did not reach the top ten.
Perhaps the problem is in the price. Previously, the iPhone 13 mini started at $699, while the iPhone 13 started at $799.
The iPhone 14 still costs $799, while the iPhone 14 Plus starts at $899. The point is, you can get an iPhone 14 Pro for just over $100 that has many worthwhile improvements over the iPhone 14 Plus many times over.
Loss of iPhone 14 Plus
In fact, any other smartphone in the $900 price range has more technology than the iPhone 14 Plus. Size is not a problem. The price should go hand in hand with worthwhile features. Essentially, Apple sells a mid-range smartphone at the price of a premium phone.
The iPhone 14 Plus is a completely different device from the iPhone 14 Pro. It doesn’t have an A16 chip, no new 48MP main camera or even a macro lens, no Dynamic Island, no 120Hz display or telephoto lens for taking photos or videos with optical zoom.
Last but not least, the look of the Plus is also boring. Along with the hardware changes, Apple made a great decision to change the notch on the iPhone 14 Pro in the form of Dynamic Island. In contrast, the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus are still the same as in the iPhone 13 series.
If someone wants to buy a new iPhone and wants to save some money, that person will probably buy the regular iPhone 14 or even the iPhone 13. And those who are willing to pay for a premium smartphone. They may spend an extra $100 to buy a premium smartphone. iPhone 14 Pro instead of iPhone 14 Plus.
Whether you hate or love Apple products, it is an established fact that iPhones sell well. However, when you have to pay a monthly bill or spend the same amount to buy an iPhone, anyone in the world wants to own the latest and greatest iPhone, but at the best possible price.
Replacing the Mini with the Plus and hoping the latter will outsell is a miscalculation on Apple’s part. The reason is simple: they are completely different.
The Mini is in a different niche than the Plus. It’s a small phone with high performance.
Mini size makes it unique not only from other iPhones but also in the smartphone market in general.
There is simply no smartphone that has the iPhone 13 mini specifications packed into such a small package.
This is unlikely to happen with the iPhone 14 Plus. Most Android smartphones of the same size or larger than the Plus have a much better configuration. Not to mention, the Plus faces competition from the Pro Max itself.
In short, the iPhone 14 Plus itself is not a bad smartphone, but it fails due to the high selling price, low demand, and losing sight of competitors with a very large shadow.