“On Saturday, January 19, Apple dropped off its iPhone SE line at the clearance bin,” Lory Gil writes for iMore. “Sure, we all knew that was coming. Apple pulled the iPhone SE from store shelves officially in October 2018 after having been the budget model since March of 2016.”
“The clearance price was $100 – $150 off the last available price, marked at $249 for the 32GB model and $299 for the 128GB model,” Gil writes. “That’s a darn cheap iPhone, but it’s three years old with three-year-old architecture and a teeny-tiny four-inch display.”
“Within just a few days, the iPhone SE sold out at Apple’s clearance section. All storage sizes, all colors, all gone,” Gil writes. “You may think, “well, that’s because it was so cheap.” But, I have a different thought. I think it’s because there are still a lot of us out there that long for the smaller sized form factor. Big screens be damned. We want small and comfortable!”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: No, it’s because it was so cheap. People smell profits in resale, most likely. If there were enough of a market for it and enough profit in it, Apple would have up-to-date 4-inch X-class iPhones in gold, silver, and space grey on store shelves right now, not in the clearance bin.
SEE ALSO:
Apple restocks iPhone SE on clearance site, all models available – January 24, 2019
I do
I do as well! Because it is more pocket friendly rather than having small hands 😋
It didn’t sell out in a few days. It sold out before the news sites even got to report that it was available. Not only are millions of us waiting for a smaller form factor again from Apple, but millions and millions are desperately waiting for a cheaper phone. If Apple is moving to Services as a major business model, then why not offer a cheaper phone that will allow the unwashed masses to feel better about spending monthly on storage and music and everything else.
Unfortunately for smaller phone enthusiasts, the SE is dead. Cook can’t make his 85% profit margins on them. This particular market is simply not big enough to support his greed, because he takes us to the cleaners on high end equipment all booked out with max storage and larger sizes.
If you want more choice at Apple, the only way to do that is to replace Cook.
“with three-year-old architecture and a teeny-tiny four-inch display”
My, my, my how easily we forget history.
The REVOLUTIONARY 2007 original flagship iPhone that changed the world was 3.5 inches until they made the first larger size phone almost 10 years later. I did not hear any complaints until NOW.
I’ll take two MORE please, upgraded of course…
Am I the only one who remembers MDN crowing about the “right-sized” 4 inch iPhones while dismissing the larger Android phones as a terrible idea?
MDN is full of crap with short and long term memory loss when it suits them. I would love to go back to a flip phone I can stick in my shirt pocket, but modernized with iOS.
Yes, I remember that fanboy defensiveness by MDN … too.
Apple, not MDN, knows just how every model … current and the 8, 7 & SE … have been selling. There’s definitely a spreadsheet that seeks to optimize profits; in an effort to delight their stockholders more so than their actual product-purchasing customers.
While there is no doubt that price points has an effect on sales … its classic Economics … the products are NOT fungible down to only price points, since there’s other factors which customers consider and place value on too — the big one here is the form factor, but there’s also other features (home button, headphone jack, etc): the profits spreadsheet may not necessarily do a good job of identifying the customer motivations and differentiations.
And even though only Apple knows all the numbers, we do know that there’s a lot of sales of non-XS/XR series iPhones, which is sending a message to Apple, even if Apple is trying to ignore that it means that their customers aren’t embracing their newest iterations of their products.
Some of this certainly is the price jump that’s come with each recent generation, as it comes back around to the question of “just how much am I willing to pay for X over Y?” and to that end, its hard to conclude that the latest smartphone is a good value when buying one now costs more than an oil change in a Porsche.
No, it sold out because of its form factor, for its tiny 4-inch screen.
Me, me, me! 😉
I REALLY want a smaller iPhone, so that it sits comfortably in my pocket. I’m 6′ 1″, but putting the current iPhones in my front pocket results on the ’phone pressing against my pelvis, which is uncomfortable. I have an Apple Watch and AirPods, which make using the screen of the iPhone mostly moot for me. So, I’d MUCH rather have a FULL-spec iPhone that has an edge-to-edge OLED, but the outside dimensions of the iPhone 4, etc. models. That way, I can leave my iPhone in my pocket until I need it for something like taking a photo.
I’m 6′ 2″. I would buy a small iPhone for the same reason. My eyesight is excellent close up. It’s not about the price otherwise I wouldn’t have an Apple Watch, Air Pods, Mac Pro, MacBook Pro, etc.
I’ve thot the same thing. Full spec, edge-to-edge display, but only a bit larger than the iPhone SE.
I use an iPad Pro regularly, so I don’t really want/need a jumbo phone.
The iPhone SE fits perfectly for me. If a person needs a larger sized iPhone consider using an iPad! Problem solved for users that need larger screens.
Who wants an updated iPhone SE? Thousands of people based on the comments I’ve read on numerous sites over the past weeks.
Couldn’t care less about the screen size of the phones, I use an 8, before an 6s, both are too big to use comfortably, I wish Apple made an iPhone, the size of the 4, with the technology of the Xs, i would buy it tomorrow
patiently waiting for the iPhone SEX…
Sorry MDN. This time your take is wrong.
MDN, you better remember that management‘s business acumen has been detoriating for quite a while now (Mac Pro, naming schemes etc.)
There are MANY out there who would prefer a smaller iPhone, but only if it’s got the latest camera (iPhone SE doesn’t, never has!). Obviously it’s a topic where users are deeply divided.
I am using an SE and love. Why would I want a bigger screen? It would be too big for my pocket.
With current tech they could probably pack a 4.7-5″ screen into a very similar sized chassis – and 5″ is pretty righteous. My three years ago phone was considered large at 5″.
Missing a bet, I’ll bet, over some internal sense of Apple style at HQ.
SE2 or SEX for me, regardless of price.
Compared with my XR clunker, my old SE had better ergonomics, better design, and the home button is so much better than the mind-of-its-own XR face – oh, and the SE fitted into all my pockets.
No, not because it was cheap. Because it fits in my hand. Period. Hotest, fastest, bestest camera, home-buttonless is all BS if I can’t use it. You MDN guys can’t get that concept through your fat, long fingers.
Apple would be stupid to not release a a new SE in the current size range, but with the full screen treatment, effectively giving it the same screen real estate as the iPhone 7/8. I’d snap it up.
The original SE was launched in the spring, at the opposite part of the annual cycle for iPhone releases.
When I saw that they were selling off SE models, my hope was that it was a clearance sale in readiness for the release of an all new compact iPhone this spring.
Been waiting to purchase a 4″ for 2 years now, I also am aware of about 5 other friends who also want the 4″ size.
Me, and I know quite a few people waiting for it too!
MDN is dead wrong here. There is a huge underserved market for cutting edge phones with smallers screens. Apple just does not offer one, blindly chasing Samsung’s vulgar “bigger is better”
Not a rare occurrence for MDN to be wrong when their fanboy rage clouds their judgement.
Put away the iPhone xr, get back to the se.
really want a new iPhone se with the same alu design.
My checking account can handle the new larger format phones.
My pocket cannot.
I got an SE when they first came out and love it.
I will buy another if/when Apple realizes that many of us don’t want to carry a “phablet” everyday and everywhere.
Got the XS for the camera. If they had the same specs in a 5” OLED screen, I would have paid more for it. Way back with the 5 I could use the phone with one hand. That was great for checking mail while carrying a takeout bag.
Apple removes products with lower profit margins despite the product being loved by customers. Example: the MacBook that had complete ports that customers found really useful and loved to use — replaced by the 1-USB port MacBook Air so if customers needed the ports, they’d have to pay for an expensive MacBook Pro. Ugh. Apple no longer delighting customers but just looking at the bottom line: money. It’s become just a typical company.
Not sure if this was an inventory clearance sale to make the way for the new SE. Could be, I hope so. But the way Apple behaves these days, they might find a need to squeeze as much sales figure as possible to show a larger revenue now that they are not going to disclose the unit sales info.