Comment by nine_k

There is a number of small Android phones, so apparently there is demand in that niche, and smaller companies can address it and make money.

But this is because Google is a software / service company, so it keeps Android open.

Apple is a hardware company, and always has been. They have a relatively narrow lineup of devices which they support for a very long time, compared to Android devices. So Apple are not interested in fringe markets; they go for the well-off mainstream mostly.