The cheapest new Apple smartphone turned out to be unclaimed in the Russian market. Representatives of retailers reported this in a conversation with Izvestia journalists.
None of the market participants have confirmed that the iPhone 12 mini is selling well. According to MTS, only 13 percent of buyers chose the mini-version of the new Apple smartphone, according to Svyaznoy, the device accounts for 11.5 percent of sales. The fact that the demand for the device is low and the device, apparently, failed in sales, said the general director of Megafon Retail, Andrey Levykin.
On the contrary, representatives of chain stores emphasized the popularity of other models of the iPhone 12 series. Thus, the iPhone 12 is in the lead in Wildberries, which accounts for 41 percent of the total line's turnover. Svyaznoy's customers most often purchased the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max – 52 percent. In MTS, the 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max models were purchased in 21 and 30 percent of cases. Also, the top-end smartphones of the series turned out to be the sales leaders in the M.Video-Eldorado network.
Izvestia's interlocutors explained why, in their opinion, the iPhone 12 mini turned out to be unpopular. MTS representative Alexey Merkutov noted that users are accustomed to devices with a large screen, since it is more convenient to consume content on them. A Wildberries representative noted that their customers appreciated a powerful processor, a large display diagonal, and a high-quality camera in the top-end iPhone 12. Beeline noticed that the decline in demand for gadgets with a compact screen has been observed for several years.
Eldar Murtazin, a leading analyst at Mobile Research Group, noted that no one needs the iPhone 12 mini for that kind of money. According to the head of the GS Group think tank Alexander Surkov, the compact iPhone is a very clumsy attempt by Apple to return the lower part of the premium segment, from where it was ousted by competitors.
In December, PCMag reporters reported the failure of the iPhone 12 mini in the US market. According to the statistics of retailers, the share of the cheapest device of the line was about 3-4 percent. The share of the most popular new Apple smartphone – iPhone 12 – was 24-33 percent, depending on the retailer.
