Earlier this year, Apple released the iPhone 16E and put an end to the iPhone SE lineup. For those who had hopes the iPhone Mini might return, that doesn’t seem likely either. In a Q&A session with Mark Gurman, the analyst said Apple doesn’t have plans to bring the miniature version of its iconic lineup back anytime soon.
That’s not exactly surprising. Apple basically killed the iPhone Mini lineup in 2023 when it launched the iPhone 14 Plus, leaving the iPhone 13 Mini as the last of its kind. With a 5.4-inch display, the iPhone 13 Mini wouldn’t exactly fit in today’s market of larger screens, but for users that preferred smaller phones, it was a godsend.
The current Apple iPhone lineup leaves a noticeable gap in smaller offerings. There’s currently no model available with a screen size below six inches; the iPhone 16e is close, at just 6.1 inches, but doesn’t quite fit that “compact” descriptor.
Of course, the real reason the iPhone Mini was discontinued is simple. It didn’t sell well enough for Apple to continue producing it. Several independent research firms have verified the number of units moved paled in comparison to larger models. Apple has the chance to fill the gap in the market with its rumored iPhone Fold, but that device isn’t likely to launch until late 2026 or early 2027.
The prevalence of mobile gaming — and Apple’s apparent focus on it with services like Apple Arcade — means that larger screens tend to be the preferred medium.
It’s disappointing that there doesn’t seem to be room int he market for a smaller iPhone model, but if the demand was there, then Apple would no doubt be producing something to fit that customer base. For now, fans are stuck either using the smallest iPhone available at the moment, or opting for another brand that still produces compact devices.
Merely days after the iPhone Duo hit the shelves, images of broken screens on the phone started popping up across social media. Until now, it’s been unclear what’s causing the line of defective pixels that appears vertically along the crease, as well as horizontally, on the phone’s inner display.
Apple has finally acknowledged the issue, which has shown up on iPhone Duo units owned by customers as well as demo units in stores. In a statement shared with Bloomberg, Apple says that not all iPhone Duo units are affected and that those that are tend to show the display fault early on. The company added that users who experience problems with their iPhone Duo display should contact AppleCare for a replacement.
Not long ago, Apple treated independent repair like an act of outright hostility. The Cupertino giant locked down parts with serial-number pairing, while repair tools remained firmly out of reach of anyone outside its authorized repair network. More importantly, the company waged a legal and lobbying battle against right-to-repair legislation.
I've covered enough of these fights over the years to know what a shift looks like. That's why what happened in October 2026 genuinely caught me off guard. The day the iPhone Duo went on sale, what may be the most mechanically complex iPhone to date, Apple pulled off a surprising about-face. It published teardown-style repair manuals for a handful of major components.
Apple's first foldable phone is now on shelves, in short supply, but with an unreal amount of buzz around it. After all, it's the first foldable iPhone, and there's plenty that this phone gets right. But there's also a lot that is either broken or underwhelming. What's peculiar is the dialogue around this phone, and how it has completely overshadowed every other attempt at making a phone with a similar form factor.
I've spent some time with the iPhone Duo, and I've used the Galaxy Z Fold 8 for almost three months now. In my opinion, Samsung deserves more credit. When the Galaxy Z Fold 8 arrived earlier this year, it was celebrated in some circles and ridiculed in others for supposedly copying what Apple would eventually deliver with the iPhone Duo. The dialogue was pretty odd, for multiple reasons. Samsung has been making foldable phones for years, so claiming that it copied a product Apple hadn't even launched was simply absurd.