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Jayson A

macrumors 68030
Sep 16, 2014
2,671
1,935
Nice thread, I too was in love with my 12 mini untill I tried to listen to my own music, uploaded to the device and discovered that I could only do that if I subscribed to Apple Music. None of the apps I tried could access my music files without that subscription, even though I have no interest in a streaming service. Is there a work around for this, or am I trapped in Apple music hell, lol.
It is a nice phone though, reminds me of the old SE I had....
I have my own music on my iPhone 12 mini. What are you talking about?
 

Starfia

macrumors 6502a
Apr 11, 2011
950
664
Nice thread, I too was in love with my 12 mini untill I tried to listen to my own music, uploaded to the device and discovered that I could only do that if I subscribed to Apple Music. None of the apps I tried could access my music files without that subscription, even though I have no interest in a streaming service. Is there a work around for this, or am I trapped in Apple music hell, lol.
It is a nice phone though, reminds me of the old SE I had....

You should definitely be able to sync your own music from iTunes or the Music app on macOS to your iPhone, or download and play any previously purchased music from iTunes, without subscribing to iTunes Match or Apple Music. Keep tinkering if that's what you were after.

(If you don't use macOS for that, you should at least be able to transfer audio files to iOS's Files app and play them from there. If you can't even do that, something more technical must be going on.)
 

Starfia

macrumors 6502a
Apr 11, 2011
950
664
Yeah, I feel you. I dumped Google at the beginning of 2020, DuckDuck go works for me. Apple Maps... I’ve found it to be outdated, I filled some reports about places that no longer exists (bank offices) and they didn’t reply or take my suggestions into account... it’sa bit sad, I really want Apple Maps to be better, and I could help them...

But definitely the elephant in the room here is YouTube. There’s no alternative. No way to log in anonymously. No way to use it without being tracked. I use it logged out (actually I currently don’t have any active Google account), but it’s not the best experience.

DuckDuckGo and Apple Maps have been great for me. (I use Maps mainly to explore the world, not for practical guidance – though my one filed inaccuracy was actually addressed in time. The street views are great, but still pretty sparse, though interestingly, the coverage of Canada seems much more vast and thorough than that of the States, currently. I have no doubt Apple's always working on Maps at some pace.)

I use YouTube logged out too, which is fine for me – I do have a channel that I intend to nurture, only logging in to administer it. This is where I bank on people's intentions: corporate interests and machinations aside, I know YouTube is created and improved by real people who just want YouTube to be a cool Internet city for everyone.

I agree there's no serious alternative or competitor to YouTube, which has undeniably flourished and triumphed in Google's care over 15 years.
 
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Grey Area

macrumors 6502
Jan 14, 2008
426
1,008
What I'm saying for sure won't happen and is impossible:

iPhone 13 Mini is released with better battery life and sells well

and

iPhone 14 Mini doesn't get released after a year of great sales of the improved 13 Mini, it doesn't matter it's still D/Ced.

That cannot happen. It doesn't make sense. I don't care about planning. You have to live in the moment.
I think it is quite possible that there will be a 13 Mini this year due to "inertia" (contractual obligations to parts suppliers etc.), yet at the same time there are today no plans for a 14 Mini in 2022.

If the 13 Mini sells unexpectedly well, Apple would still have options in 2022, despite being unprepared to release a fully fledged 14 Mini:
- They could just keep making and selling the 13 Mini as is.
- They might be able to make a simple "SE Mini" or similar, basically a 13 Mini with a 2022 generation CPU (A16?) and no other hardware upgrades.

Given that the previous SEs were released in spring, outside the regular cycle, Apple could even combine the two options to buy some time for preparations: keep selling the 13 Mini into early 2023, and then release an SE Mini in spring 2023.

An alternative would be to take the Mini out of the regular generation loop right away: No names are set in stone yet, so the rumored 13 Mini could be released this autumn as "iPhone SE Mini" or maybe just "iPhone Mini" or whatever. That would immediately remove public expectations for an annual upgrade cycle, and in 2022 and onwards Apple could just keep making and selling that phone as needed. There would be little cries for an upgrade in sync with the other iPhones, as people would understand that the Mini is its own thing.
 
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LFC2020

macrumors P6
Apr 4, 2020
16,874
38,036
In 3 months, iPhone 13 mini :p
Not at this price ?

3A00E3D0-40D0-4B6D-9402-AFC8FB616C53.jpeg
 
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Populus

macrumors 601
Aug 24, 2012
4,966
7,239
Spain, Europe
Yeah, the mini could benefit from a price drop. As well as the regular iPhone. Because, let’s face it, the iPhone 12 mini is the same phone with smaller components (harder to engineer, to design, to build). If the regular iPhone 13 drops the price it is possible that the 13 mini will be able to drop it, otherwise... it won’t probably happen. It’s the same, premium smartphone, not a cheap recycling model like the SE.
 

Cryates

macrumors 68040
Nov 19, 2013
3,312
5,209
The best hope for the future of the small phone seems to rest in the hands of Apple blending the SE and Mini models together as the entry-level smartphone.
 
Apr 3, 2017
143
258
ordered a 12 mini 256gb in blue on Monday via Verizon's deal this month, I get $700 off for my iphone x trade in and an additional $300 in a visa card a couple months down the line for switching carriers, so it basically was a free device with my trade in.
 

Barbareren

macrumors 6502a
Dec 10, 2020
625
596
Norway & Mexico
The best hope for the future of the small phone seems to rest in the hands of Apple blending the SE and Mini models together as the entry-level smartphone.
Personally, I’d hate that, and I think many Mini owners would agree… I didn’t buy the phone because of its physical dimensions alone, but because one gets a high-end phone in a smaller form factor (which no other manufacturer can offer). I’d rather get a normal 12 or 11 than an SE 2020 any day, even though the latter is physically smaller and much cheaper. The Mini didn’t sell well; as in number of units sold, but Apple still made a very solid profit from it. And that profit is solely due to its price point. They sold many more units of the SE 2020, but the Mini has made Apple almost twice as much money, from the latest sales figures I’ve seen.

I think the problem with the sales numbers of the Mini is mainly due to incredibly crappy marketing. So bad so that it feels like Apple wanted it to ‘fail’, or that they knew it would be a niche device and as such it wouldn’t sell as much as the others. Also, one cannot deny the effects of the ongoing worldwide pandemic (closed stores, financial insecurity etc.). If Apple could make the Mini $50-$100 cheaper, I think that, in addition to actual advertisement/marketing (!), there’s no doubt that it would help with the number of units sold. But then again, who knows if Apple even care if it doesn’t sell as well as the other models, as long as it makes them a solid profit… I’m still not convinced that the Mini-line, as is, will be discontinued.
 
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one more

macrumors 601
Aug 6, 2015
4,562
5,744
Earth
Nice thread, I too was in love with my 12 mini untill I tried to listen to my own music, uploaded to the device and discovered that I could only do that if I subscribed to Apple Music. None of the apps I tried could access my music files without that subscription, even though I have no interest in a streaming service. Is there a work around for this, or am I trapped in Apple music hell, lol.
It is a nice phone though, reminds me of the old SE I had....

You are not trapped at all. You can still synch any music you have on your computer to your iDevice via iTunes or Finder (depending on your OS):

 
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one more

macrumors 601
Aug 6, 2015
4,562
5,744
Earth
CAD files, cad files. Yes I know there have been CAD files. I also know Willy Wonka had oompa loompas. Big whoop.

Are you saying that that alone is confirming that if those get made it *has* to be released? I mean we had down to the box leaks of images of AirPower and it got yanked. Apple has already stopped production of the current 12 Mini.

I don't know why you say there will be just because of CAD files. You aren't Tim Cook either! Sales don't lie. Neither does confirmation of production being ended of the current product. Those are more proof than a rumor. I'm not going to say 100 percent it won't happen (there isn't 100 percent anything IMO), but I feel confident enough that it won't happen that I'd be welling to bet on it not happening. If they were to release a 13 Mini with a fix for battery, it would sell well and they would continue to sell the Mini for years. It would be statistically impossible to make a great Mini, it sell well, and just quit regardless because of the last generation's lack of sales. So if they do make one this year they will make them for the forseeable future. They would continue to make them. It's impossible to release one with better battery life, it sell better, and still decide not to make a 14 Mini. I'd bet everything I have that scenario is impossible.

To say there is a 98 percent chance of one happening based on rumors is how we got so many disappointed peons after their precious iPad Pro M1's didn't get what they fantasized about with iPadOS 15. This is how hearts get broken and panties get twisted. You never bank on the rumor mill as being 98 percent of anything - even if you're Mark Gurman.

 
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