Dear Apple, please don't kill my favourite iPhone

Many a small phone fan rejoiced when Apple announced the iPhone 12 mini in 2020. Finally, after years of bigger and bigger devices, came a smartphone that didn't require three hands to hold. But after just two generations, it seems the mini iPhone's days might already be numbered.

The writing's been on the wall for the mini for a while. Low sales have been reported for both the iPhone 12 mini and 13 mini, leading many to speculate that there won't be a 14 mini this year. And new reports have just added fuel to the fire. (Check out the best iPhone 13 mini deals – it might be the last ever 5.4-inch iPhone.) 

According to a new report from 9to5Mac, the iPhone 14 will come in four sizes, with the Pro models adopting a slightly taller display. All good news – except one of those four sizes isn't a mini. Apparently, there'll be a standard iPhone 14, and a larger iPhone 14 Max. The message is clear: big screens have won the war.

If I'm honest, I'm pretty disappointed. I've always preferred the smaller iPhone sizes, and was a big fan of the original SE in 2016. The mini was the first phone in years that offered up-to-the-minute performance within a tiny body. I'm not desperate to carry an IMAX display in my pocket, and can actually reach the corner of the iPhone 13 mini display to activate Control Centre without doing myself an injury. But it seems I'm part of a dying breed, and the big screen brigade will be pleased to hear that a cheaper 'Max' option might be on the way.

So far, so heartbreaking. But there is a glimmer of hope. Apple is showing the budget iPhone SE lineup a lot of love at the moment, having just announced the iPhone SE 3. Surely this will be the last iPhone to use that tired home button/chonky bezel design – and if so, what will the SE 4 look like? Perhaps like the iPhone 13 mini? My small fingers can but hope. In the meantime, take a look at today's best iPhone 13 deals below if you want to grab a small iPhone while you can.

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