Apple's Rumoured 'iPhone Mini' Excites Indian Loyalists Ahead of Speculated 13 October Launch

Just days after India got its first online Apple store, speculation is running high that the Cupertino, California-based tech giant is about to release its next lineup of iPhones ahead of the festive season.

This year Apple is expected to launch a special “iPhone Mini” device for users like Hollywood heartthrob Timothee Chalamet who are still hung up on the compact size of the iPhone 5 that came out in 2012.

The cheaper, tinier iPhone Mini is reportedly set to come with a 5.4-inch screen, which as opposed to bigger devices would be easier to use and carry.

​The news has excited Apple loyalists in India who are eagerly awaiting the iPhone Mini, which will reportedly cost around $699 (INR 51,000) for consumers.

​Although Apple is yet to confirm the date of the release, media speculation has pegged 13 October as when the tech giant is expected to finally showcase its delayed iPhone 12 lineup. The 12th series of 5G-enabled iPhone will bring along two Pro models in 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screen sizes along with a less expensive non-pro variant.

The starting price of the highest end model of the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro model is expected to be an outlandish $1,099 (INR 81,000).

​Now that Apple is ramping up manufacturing in the country, the "Made in India" models of the iPhone 12 series are poised to hit the shelves in 2021. Their production is expected to begin at Winstron’s Narasapura plant in Bengaluru.

According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), the smartphone market in India saw its highest-ever second quarter shipment of 36.9 million units in 2019, with a 9.9 percent year-on-year (YoY) and 14.8 percent quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) growth.

Apple logged 71 percent growth in the first quarter of 2020.