“Ever since its debut in 2016, I’ve been a big fan of Apple’s iPhone SE. I personally prefer the smaller size for carrying around, but there are others who like the cheaper price tag,” Bill Maurer writes for Seeking Alpha. “Given the phone is now quite outdated, there have been many rumors about a potential update to the phone this fall. Unfortunately, one firm recently suggested this won’t be happening, which I think would be a mistake.”
“The iPhone SE was never designed to be a top of the line model, but it still boasted some nice specs. It contained the same A9 processor and primary camera that were found in the newest iPhone line at that point, the 6s,” Maurer writes. “We don’t know the specs yet for this year’s set of new iPhones, but they will feature the A12 processor which will be three generations better than the iPhone SE. Even if Apple wanted to skimp a little to lower product costs, a second generation SE could at least get a processor upgrade to the A11, with perhaps more memory, more base storage, and better cameras.”
“While some that are looking for a new phone will go with Apple’s larger screen devices, it’s likely that consumers holding the SE now will hold on longer. Apple could have generated millions more in upgrades, but that might not happen now,” Maurer writes. “While the phone isn’t critical to the company’s success, it fills a certain niche in the smartphone space and likely generates a few billion in annual revenues. Hopefully, this is either a technical or production issue at this point, and not an effort to push consumers to more expensive phones.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take:
SEE ALSO:
Apple said to discontinue iPhone SE in Q318 – July 10, 2018
iOS 12 is making my iPhone SE feel like new again – July 5, 2018
iPhone SE 2 could pack iPhone X features into compact form factor – May 16, 2018
Case maker Olixar expects iPhone SE 2 to have a iPhone X-like notch – May 10, 2018
Amen!
Product lineup decisions are complex and entwined with manufacturing tooling, capacity, etc… no nearly as simple as one might think or load blame on Tim Cook.
Bought my 128GB SE for $399 ($100 off) to get one year of Virgin (Sprint CDMA Network) unlimited service for a dollar last August 2017. A month after I bought it they changed the rules so you could bring your own iPhone to get that deal. 😖 I carry it in my right breast pocket while carrying my A10 256GB iPhone 7 Plus in the other modified to fit left breast pocket.
Keeping two (!) radiation emitting devices plastered to your heart and chest cavity sounds like a terrible idea. My phone is in my pocket only when moving from point A to B, rest of the time its arms-length or further away. I want to have kids someday.
Do you ever get the wife phone and the mistress phone mixed up?
I think the SE looks stupid and makes Apple look poor. Why can’t they just make a smaller form of the current looking phones so the whole line looks similar. Like the iPhone 9 coming out, just make a 4-inch version so they all look like they come from the same line.
No retooling of manufacturing plants allowed the SE to have a lower price
No, it allowed fatter margins. That phone isn’t worth the cost but size is right. Apple is plain greedy
Like I said a couple of time now; X design on SE form factor= billions of sale.
I want an Apple one hand operated device.
Yep. Like the mock up above.
I love my 7 Jet Black, but it is too big for my hand. My son still loves his SE – for different reasons than I would. For him it is because of the headphone jack, which allows him to quickly and easily hook up to his car stereo in his pre-Car Play era car. He also has small hands like I do, and doesn’t even realize how much he likes that size factor still, too.
As my eyes grow older, though, I am starting to think that the X screen may be my next size. Seeing and reading is becoming a more important factor that what fits in my hand. That’s a hard thing to admit, but there it is. :O
Short answer: ‘Big’ mistake.
“While some that are looking for a new phone will go with Apple’s larger screen devices, it’s likely that consumers holding the SE now will hold on longer.”
That would be me. If the report is true saying all forthcoming iPhones will increase in price, then this decision is double-down stupid leaving billions on the table …
Nearly bought the SE when it was time to upgrade from the 4S.
The SE looked good, and the ability to operate it with one hand seemed important because of my 4S experience. The price was attractive, also.
But I bought the 6S with 128 GB, and I could not be happier. A year later, and the SE now looks too small.
Well yes, it is the smallest iPhone, but the perfect pocket size …
Finally! Something we agree on!
Not the first time you said exactly that, so you need to drop “finally” … 🙂
I imagine my iPhone 6 Plus will be obsoleted before it ever kicks the bucket, so I will wait till then to replace it, hopefully with something less unwieldy. But it does work well for the most part.
It’s still a fantastic little phone, which is much easier to keep safe in one’s pocket. Does everything I need in a phone plus the services I predominantly use which rarely would benefit from a bigger screen. Not sure what I will do in a couple years if there is no replacement, just don’t want or need a big phone.
and please don’t make the thing look like the rest of the iPhone lineup; the SE is iconic and much more clearly showcases the precision computer it is
If this is true, it’s just ANOTHER example WHY Tim Cook needs to GO! – Sign this – https://www.change.org/p/apple-board-of-directors-remove-tim-cook-as-ceo-of-apple