The mini is the phone I wish I could have bought instead of the XS, and I’m positive it’s going to sell in droves. It’s exactly the “right” size as far as I’m concerned, and I hope they keep the form factor around until the iPhone 14 (which is when I expect to buy a new phone for myself).
I also quite liked the new HomePod mini, but it has two major shorcomings: it doesn’t have a line out jack (I have my Amazon Input pluggeed into my office speakers, which I prefer) and it still isn’t available in Portugal (which makes it a non-starter for my living room).