"Mini" phones and cameras have accumulated about 40,000 sales on TikTok US, nostalgic styles are trending on TikTok | EchoTik Trend Insights

 Recently, EchoTik data has discovered that "mini" items are trending on TikTok. The related tag "Mini" has attracted about 200 million views. Under this tag, users are enthusiastically sharing their mini-items, including headphone cases shaped like designer handbags, food models, toy phones, and more. These videos gained huge traffic ranging from millions to billions of views. In the comment section, viewers admire these tiny items, often inquiring about purchase links.

We've also identified a recent hot-selling product on the TikTok Shop US under this tag (bottom right corner of the upper image) — the Bezos Max mini smartphone.

 

This mini smartphone bears a resemblance to an iPhone in design and loads all the features of a regular smartphone, but its size is less than half that of the latter, reminiscent of the old-fashioned phones from the early millennium era. Upon its release, the product gained widespread popularity: priced at $90 per unit, it sold over 2000 in the last 30 days, with an estimated GMV close to $185,000.

This product is primarily promoted through short video influencers. In the past 30 days, 46 influencers were engaged, with 43 participating in short video promotions and 4 in live-streaming sales. The short videos have demonstrated effective conversion rates thanks to their eye-catching appeal. Over the last 30 days, 78 videos generated a total exposure of 13.5 million, with an estimated GPM (Gross Profit Margin) of $13.36 per thousand views.

The short videos mainly utilize common digital product shooting techniques, including unboxing, feature demonstrations, and trial use. While the video-making techniques are quite straightforward, they incorporate dynamic camera movements and editing skills to enhance the content's appeal, thereby increasing viewer engagement.

 

The promotional video posted by @decsteamboy us highlights the appearance of the mini smartphone by comparing it with a regular iPhone, emphasizing its pocket-sized feature. In less than 40 seconds, the video showcases various functions of the mini phone, including making calls, chatting online, watching videos, taking photos, and even gaming without lag, emphasizing the feature of the mini smartphone being "small yet fully functional." This video ultimately gained 3.6 million exposures and an estimated GMV conversion of nearly $52,000.

 

The video emphasizes one of the potential target demographics for this phone: children and teenagers with communication needs. Due to its high portability, fashionable appearance, and affordable price, this smartphone has gained popularity among many budget-conscious teenagers.

 

In the product comments and video comment sections, many people express interest in purchasing this digital product for its uniqueness, intending to use it as a toy or backup device rather than a necessity.

 

Some users, particularly females, find its compact and delicate appearance cute, considering it a fashionable accessory. Others view it as a means to satisfy their nostalgia and reminisce about simpler times. In an era of rapid technological advancement where many smartphone brands are striving for larger screens, this "small" phone evokes feelings of comfort and nostalgia for some users.

Similarly, a mini "Instamatic" digital camera has recently gained popularity on TikTok.

 

Instamatic/A point-and-shoot camera/an automatic refers to a pocket camera known for its simplicity, seemingly usable even by beginners to capture accurately exposed and clear images. Besides their ease of use, such cameras are characterized by their small size, lightweight, and low price, making them one of the most popular household photography tools before the prevalence of smartphones.

 

This digital camera is sold by an S shop, priced at less than $20. In the last 30 days, it has 13,100 sales, with an estimated GMV of $274,300.

According to the product description, this digital camera features a built-in 32GB storage card and supports 16x digital zoom, 1080P resolution, and 44MP shooting capabilities. It's compact, lightweight, and convenient to carry, being more than twice as small as a smartphone, making it suitable for children, teenagers, and novice photographers to practice with.

 This product is also mainly promoted by short video influencers. Looking at the most popular promotional videos, most are simple recordings showing the product's price on the Amazon platform (up to $50), compared with the price on TikTok, urging viewers to place orders promptly. The conversion effect is rather good: in the last 30 days, there were 68 videos with a total exposure of 13.3 million and an estimated GPM of $20.58.

 In addition to emphasizing the low price and demonstrating basic operations, some influencers showcase selfies and lifestyle photos taken with the camera. Photos taken with this camera have fewer details compared to those taken with smartphones but exhibit a natural beautification effect and soft lighting, making the subjects appear more beautiful. The inherent retro filters and noise add a "90s retro atmosphere" to the images, making them popular among those who enjoy capturing life through photography.

The popularity of these two digital products indicates that retro nostalgia has become a trend on TikTok. The tag "90saesthetic" has about 40 million views. Under this nostalgic tag, people share fashion styles, classic songs, and movies from the 90s, some reminiscing about their past youth. In contrast, others from Generation Z are nostalgic for "old things" they never experienced. According to reports, amid global turmoil, young people seek stability and spiritual solace. In a survey, 42% of respondents said they listen to old songs to escape reality. At the same time, 17% said they prefer to focus on the past rather than predict the future.

 

Fashion is cyclical, with each trend eventually becoming a thing of the past, only to resurface in the future. The recent popularity of retro trends like Y2K (Millennial Girl Style), vintage style, and others in the past two years demonstrates this fact, reflected on social media platforms. Therefore, when selecting products and managing content, sellers can pay more attention to platform trends and explore potential bestsellers from them.