Comment by ggreer

You can buy a mini on secondary markets. Some are even new in box, though you might need to replace the battery.

Until about a year ago, Apple had 13 minis in their refurb store.[1] That's where I managed to get one. I'm going to hang on to it as long as possible. Previously I had an iPhone SE (the one that looks like an iPhone 5), and I still slightly regret upgrading to the mini. The mini's camera and display are significantly better, but it's a little wide for my hands.

1. https://www.apple.com/shop/refurbished/iphone