“So long, small phones! It’s been real,” Lynn La writes for CNET. “On Wednesday, Apple announced its trio of new iPhones, and with it, the company put the final nail in the coffin for rebooting a small, pocketable iPhone.”
“That’s because the new lineup includes the 5.8-inch iPhone XS, the 6.1-inch iPhone XR and the 6.5-inch XS Max,” La writes. “Suddenly, last year’s biggest iPhone is now this year’s smallest option.”
MacDailyNews Take: Well, the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 are still on sale, so those are the smallest options Apple offers.
“Couple that with the fact that Apple is discontinuing the 4-inch iPhone SE, and this all means one thing: abandon all hope of ever owning a new small smartphone, iOS, Android or what have you,” La writes. “Personally, as an owner of baby hands myself, that’s downright disappointing. And I’m not alone.”
MacDailyNews Take: Unite, Lilliputians!
“Wth the 4-inch SE gone, small screens are feeling as old-fashioned in Apple’s line as the now quaint home button,” La writes. “I think seeing a true iPhone SE 2 next spring — say, a Face ID phone with a 4.7-inch screen fit into a 4-inch body — would be a great niche for Apple to return to. Maybe even something the company could sell at a bit of a premium. But in my heart, I know that’s a pipe dream.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: According to a November 29, 2017 forecast from IDC, overall smartphone shipments will grow from 1.5 billion units in 2017 to 1.7 billion units in 2021. Meanwhile, smartphones with a screen size of 5.5 inches to 7 inches will far outpace total market growth by climbing from 611 million units in 2017 to 1 billion units in 2021, representing a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.1%. In comparison, the total smartphone market is expected to grow at a 3.0% CAGR during the same period, while normal smartphones (under 5.5 inches) will decline 7.4%.
In the following table, IDC defines “Phablet” as smartphones with a display sizes of 5.5 inches to 7 inches:
SEE ALSO:
Women criticize Apple for designing iPhones that are too big for women’s small hands – September 14, 2018
Apple discontinues low-end 4-inch iPhone SE, replaces it with a much better ‘budget’ iPhone – September 14, 2018
