“For most people, the thought of paying $1,000 for any phone is preposterous. It’s why I appreciate the iPhone XR so much. At the very least it’s a concession to a possible direction for Apple where iPhones stay well under $1,000, but are still great phones. Here’s the thing though, even before the XR, Apple already had a really good, more affordable phone: the iPhone SE. Many people loved it. It was small, had a fingerprint reader, a headphone jack. It was everything the larger iPhones weren’t and aren’t today,” Scott Stein writes for CNET. “And it’s gone (although it was briefly available recently).”
“Apple may or may not have a spring event this year. At that event, a new iPad or two, new AirPods, and who knows, maybe even the AirPower charging mat could appear,” Stein writes. “But more than any of those, it would be great to see the iPhone SE 2.”
“Phones with headphone jacks still matter,” Stein writes. “Apple can try to evaporate all the headphone jacks in existence, but people still use traditional headphones. Having at least one phone with a regular headphone jack would be considerate.”
MacDailyNews Take: Apple is not “considerate” when pushing the tech world forward. They are, thankfully, ruthless.
“We’ll see what happens over the next month or two. Apple typically has its spring events in March,” Stein writes. “If you’re looking for a low-cost iPhone in the meantime, maybe you should hold tight, at least until then.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: All new iPhones should lose the antiquated Home button and 3.5mm headphone jack. A next-gen “iPhone SE” could then offer a larger display (4.7-inch, anyone?) in the same size case.
That said: If there were enough of a market for it and enough profit in it, Apple would have up-to-date [SE] X-class iPhones in gold, silver, and space grey on store shelves right now, not in the clearance bin. — MacDailyNews, January 25, 2019
SEE ALSO:
Apple iPhone SE 2 with glass back to launch soon? – February 2, 2019
iPhone SE 2: Who wants an iPhone with a tiny 4-inch display? – January 25, 2019
Apple restocks iPhone SE on clearance site, all models available – January 24, 2019
Stuff the money – I want an SE2 I can put in all my pockets and operate with one hand. I can’t do either with my oversized XR clunker, and forget about Face ID too – it’s too indiscreet, especially in boring meetings.
All the reasons you stated @DJ are spot on and I could not agree more.
Particularly, no need for the over hyped Face ID gimmick amounting to ridiculous and awkward operation in professional and social settings. The fingerprint press is CERTAINLY much more discreet and faster. Enlarge the viewing area will suffice.
The headphone jack is a classic and should REMAIN. No need to throw away good tech you have been using and waste more money — certainly not on overpriced Apple goods.
The Apple SE went on sale March 31, 2016 and In addition to buying on day one, typing on it now, bought another the month they were discontinued. The PERFECT and most POWERFUL small form factor phone Apple has ever built!
Interesting enough, 63 minutes later MDN posts a story about a possible March Apple event.
BRING IT ON APPLE!
SE FOREVER, BABY!!!…
And to amplify the point on the awkwardness of Face ID in social settings …
It appears that Apple’s “Solution” to the the problem that they themselves have created is to go buy an Apple Watch.
Nope, no thanks. I simply do not want yet another damn device that I have to constantly take care of its damn battery.
Thus:
No BT headsets.
No Apple Watch.
No Wireless Apple Keyboard.
And if I could find where I misplaced my pre-“Magic Mouse” which was wired, I’d use that too. Just as how I’m already using a wired mouse on my Windows PCs.
Its my form of Simplification.
Hear! Hear!
Apple, if you did all of these, I would forgive all your sins inflicted on us (well most of them…. well, probably…. well, perhaps…)
I too deliberately chose to rely on wired and secured headphones (I have a few BT devices but BT is finicky)
How about an iPhone Nano that is just a phone for calling and texting only (with contacts) – maybe some music thrown in? Very small and inexpensive. Good for developing world and for luddites and/or recovering smartphone addicts and/or those who simply want to disconnect a bit from social media and tech and focus on face to face connections with real people. Just a thought…
How would that be worthwhile for Apple? There are many companies that make low-end phones. They seem to make either VERY little profit or lose money.
@solafide
Then again, I used to have a Nano iPod and it was great. Might not be such a bad idea.
push the tech world forward
inside a SE sized body
I just need something I can work one-handed and fits inside my EMT trouser pocket.
I want the phone as advanced as possible and will pay.
Exactly. The SE/5/5s form factor is pocketable and easy for one-handed operation. Pack the current chipsets into that small form factor, and I’m buying. The larger phone sizes have steered me away from upgrading.
The SE is an excellent size for many people – like my wife who refused an iPhone until the SE came out. That was the first iPhone that was comfortable in her hand. A perfect replacement for flip phones for many people. specially those who don’t; want to play a lot of games.
A new SE can ditch the button as Face ID works far better. Improved engineering can increase screen size, basically making it by shrinking a XR.
You can have my 3.5mm headphone jack when you pry my audiophile headphones from my cold, dead ears.
Cheers! I feel the same way. F the anti-headphone-jackers, just because one can remove vital quality audio output functionality doesn’t mean one should.
It’s also worth pointing out that the headphone jack is not solely for output, it’s also an audio input jack.
When I’m working, I carry with me a very short adaptor lead with a jack plug wired to two XLRs and one BNC ( with an attenuator built into one of the XLRs ). I can plug that adaptor into my iPhone SE to read SMPTE timecode, analyse a frequency spectrum and generate test signals, along with other tasks too.
There’s no way I could carry in my pocket a selection of instruments able to do that, but the custom adaptor lead fits in the smallest of pockets and is always available wherever I am.
As far as I’m concerned, an iPhone with a 3.5mm jack is invaluable and the fact that the SE is compact enough to fit into my shirt pocket is a huge bonus.
mdn-
as we have repeatedly seen over the past many years for all of its innovative products, mr apple has a bad habit of clinging far too long to dogmas that have outlived their once useful lives.
recall “no stylus” -which rather belatedly gave way to the ipen or whatever it is called.
still operable are
the mantra of “premium products/prices/customers” which is leading to $1,000 iphones which is absurd and pricing itself out of the common mans market – although i am certain that all apple execs can afford them.
“thinner is better” leading to bendgates –
“this the age of mobile computing” (a paraphrase) leading to a focus on i phones that makes wall street see the company as a one trick pony….
…. and allowing the mac line of desktop computers to languish, left for years without updating or any advertising support !
there is a place in this world for phones like the s.e. it has a wonderful form factor, is convenient for one handed operation and fits in pretty much any pocket – and it is quite affordable….
what the hell is wrong with affordability ? the more people who can afford it as an entry level iphone should translate into more sales.
don’t be blinded by “premium products/prices/customers” foolishness – there are way more people of modest means who want an affordable i phone than wealthy people who can easily afford a thousand dollar phone.
Apple deliberately makes many of its second string products less popular in cycles, the SE is just one of the present ones to not to be updated thus inevitably reducing its appeal and sales below what it potentially could be. Sometimes it uses that as an excuse to junk the product to force people into its more profitable products. Other times it does it to build up latent demand ie those it can’t push to pay more but are desperate for a replacement product or to enthuse attempts at attracting new customers to the platform, so that if sells more when it eventually launches a new or equivalent product. It’s whatever earns them the most by doing as Little as possible. I find it a little sad even if I can see some logic in it. Drawing the line correctly is always the big test in terms of marketing.
I just can’t understand why anyone would want an earphone what isn’t truly wireless today. Now that tw weahones have been out on the market for over two years and have developed into some really outstanding earphones, the need for 35. Headphone jacks is like saying the need for a Boeing 707 is still needed for flight in the US. Move with the times. And, be patient, the wanted thumb print under the screen is soon to come which will accommodate both Face ID and touchID. But, it’s expensive to make and time to get it to market. Either be happy with what Apple gives us, the best products on the market, or buy cheap Korean or Chinese crap for a few dollars that need replacing every 6 months.
For people who care about sound quality, wireless just doesn’t cut it. I use Grado headphones for my music listening. There’s nothing on the market that approaches their sound quality for under $100. Grado introduced a wireless model, but I’m not going to shell out another $250 just to lose the wires.
And BT devices can be inconsistent with audio latency. Plus, wireless headphones are yet another device to worry about charging.
Just like most of Apple’s hardware sku’s under Pipeline Tim Cook, WAY WAY WAY overdue. ANOTHER of MANY MISSED opportunities made by Tim Cook
4″ size is wanted by more people than Apple thinks.