Used iPhone 12 and 13 minis are hot in Japan as Apple screens go big

Consumers shop for cheaper preowned models they can use with 1 hand

Secondhand small-screen iPhones have grown more popular in Japan. (Photo by Ryuju Funatsu)

RYUJU FUNATSU, Nikkei staff writer

October 25, 2023 04:59 JST

TOKYO -- Demand for older, smaller iPhones has jumped in Japan since Apple introduced the iPhone 15 series as fans seek a niche that the new lineup does not fill.

In the week after the iPhone 15's Sept. 22 launch, consumers snapped up 5.4-inch (13.7 centimeters) iPhone 12 mini and 13 mini phones on an online marketplace run by Belong, part of the Itochu group.