The writing was on the wall for the iPhone mini series last year, when Apple went to a bigger Plus size of the iPhone 14 instead of the mini model it offered for the iPhone 12 and 13. But now, Apple has discontinued the iPhone 13 mini entirely, a tough blow for those of us who like smaller phones.

First introduced in the fall of 2020, the iPhone 12 mini had the same specs as the bigger iPhone 12 but with a smaller battery and smaller 5.4-inch screen. People who love small phones rejoiced, as it's been increasingly difficult to buy a phone with a screen less than 6 inches — but analysts were quickly stating that iPhone 12 mini sales were not up to par. Apple still released an iPhone 13 mini in 2021, but last year decided that a bigger phone made more sense.

The iPhone 13 mini stuck around for another year, but now has been stricken from the portfolio. The iPhone SE remains as a relatively compact device, but with a much smaller and lower-quality display than the mini offered. Maybe tastes will shift and we'll come back around to a time when a smaller phone is in demand, but my guess is it won't happen any time soon.