Smartphone Makers Abandon Compact Flagship Form Factors

Smartphone manufacturers are increasingly abandoning compact flagship form factors, a trend highlighted by Android Police and visible since the early 2010s and intensified after 2020. The article cites Apple’s iPhone 12 mini (2020) and subsequent iPhone 13 mini discontinuation, engineering limits—battery, thermal, and on-device AI demands—and market positioning as drivers reducing pocketable premium options. This shift raises ergonomic, sustainability, and consumer-choice implications for designers and policymakers.