They didn't do that because Apple's intent with the SE is an entry level phone not a small phone, the iPhone 12/13 mini cater to that.
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Apple Reportedly Cutting iPhone SE Production Just Weeks After Launch Due to 'Weaker-Than-Expected' Demand
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They didn't do that because Apple's intent with the SE is an entry level phone not a small phone, the iPhone 12/13 mini cater to that.
The whole point of the iPhone SE is that it ISN'T sexy - it doesn't look new, it uses technology already released, and it can't do anything new compared to existing phones.
As such, it's perfectly logical that there isn't a huge pent up demand for it. Very few people are eagerly awaiting the new iPhone SE the way they await the next flagship iPhone.
I expect the iPhone SE to have strong, steady demand rather than the "peak demand that trails off" pattern that flagship iPhones usually experience.
"Newness" is not - and never was - the selling point of the SE.
As such, it's perfectly logical that there isn't a huge pent up demand for it. Very few people are eagerly awaiting the new iPhone SE the way they await the next flagship iPhone.
I expect the iPhone SE to have strong, steady demand rather than the "peak demand that trails off" pattern that flagship iPhones usually experience.
"Newness" is not - and never was - the selling point of the SE.
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I think the SE3 has more to do with Tim than anything else.
Last week was the first time, and on Twitter nowhere else, did he even mention iPhone + mini in the same sentence. And it was about a pic taking on the iPhone 13 mini in India as a press pic. He was more than happy to talk about the iPhone SE at the last event though. Never did for the 12 nor 13 mini at all.
How many times have we seen this kind of headline before?
To my mind, this is a misreading of Apple’s practices.
From what I can see, Apple runs full tilt pre launch production schedules to fill its pipelines and warehouses of its partners. Thus the phones are generally available without delay. This is necessary to take advantage of lunch buzz advertising and media coverage.
Once the initial surge is satisfied, apple does two things, it expands availability into secondary markets and throttles back on production.
Because a models design and tech specs are frozen in stone forever, they begin to age vis-à-vis the competition so it is essential to try and fill demand at full price early on because as the competition brings out competitor models, both sales volume and price point will drop.
Thus it is essential to capture the bulk of lifetime sales at full launch wholesale price even if production has a long tail with lower wholesale prices (which even if they don’t have largest margin they basically amortize the investments*.)
* which is also an interesting thing in and if itself. The SE uses a previous generation housing and hardware package to take advantage tooling and production lines amortized by the previous non-SE generations (SE1 from 5S, SE2 from 6/7/8, etc.). So the investments and expenses an SE has to amortize are much smaller that those of a new non-SE generation.)
To my mind, this is a misreading of Apple’s practices.
From what I can see, Apple runs full tilt pre launch production schedules to fill its pipelines and warehouses of its partners. Thus the phones are generally available without delay. This is necessary to take advantage of lunch buzz advertising and media coverage.
Once the initial surge is satisfied, apple does two things, it expands availability into secondary markets and throttles back on production.
Because a models design and tech specs are frozen in stone forever, they begin to age vis-à-vis the competition so it is essential to try and fill demand at full price early on because as the competition brings out competitor models, both sales volume and price point will drop.
Thus it is essential to capture the bulk of lifetime sales at full launch wholesale price even if production has a long tail with lower wholesale prices (which even if they don’t have largest margin they basically amortize the investments*.)
* which is also an interesting thing in and if itself. The SE uses a previous generation housing and hardware package to take advantage tooling and production lines amortized by the previous non-SE generations (SE1 from 5S, SE2 from 6/7/8, etc.). So the investments and expenses an SE has to amortize are much smaller that those of a new non-SE generation.)
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this SE embodies tim cook's soullessness. how better Apple could have been by not firing Forstall but that moron instead! 
I have the same phone as you, and the battery is shot. I’m ready to upgrade when T-Mobile has a no-cost upgrade offer like they did 2 years ago.
Thats because the target audience, android users, can buy cheaper phones with a larger screen. Nobody really cares if it has A999 Bionic chip inside. They want big screens.
Same sort of play with iPhone 12 & 13 mini models. Barely any marketing.
Purposely done not to hurt other models like the 11 or the SE being sold. Now watch both models (mini and SE3) get butt hurt in sales.
It feels that the rumor mill recently have been just random, throwing everything to see which one sticks.
Although the XR body will help a lot in the battery department, I have a feeling Apple won't be replacing the current SE that quick. Seems like the current Apple likes to drag the entry level segment as long as they can (See Apple Watch S3 ?)
wow I hadn’t checked the iPhone 11 price for some time, yeh they’ve really balls it up with the SE.
Although I'm sure there are people who look at the SE that way, imo people buying iPhones don't care about the spec. They buy an iPhone because it's an iPhone. They don't care about the specs as long as it has an Apple logo. That Apple logo carriers more prestige than anything else. In my country, many people willingly buys used iPhone 6s/7 just to get that Apple logo.
It’s criminal that they still sell that. ?⌚️?
I get that they want to offer an affordable iPhone, there's nothing wrong with it. But what they did with the new SE is just super lazy and they shouldn't get away with it. And it seems like they aren't, which is good. That only means they will think twice when it comes to next SE's features. Even people that don't want to spend a fortune on an iPhone still want a phone that's somehow a good phone. And the SE just isn't that in so many way.
In the end and actuality, Apple does prefer you to buy the higher tier iPhones. That's why they kept the SE in the dated design and increased the price. A person looking at it and then looking at the full-screen iPhone 11 besides it for less than $70 more might be tempted to just get the 11. Upselling tactic.
People buying the SE will be quite specific segment, either people who simply want the cheapest iPhone no matter what, or those with specific demands (eg TouchID).
Did anyone read the linked article before commenting about the SE design? AirPods and the iPhone 13 (is that different because it's "seasonal"?) were included in the article too. Is that market saturation? Is that an “old” design? Maybe but there are also other factors here.
Is it geopolitical and economic forces? Does the fact that there is a war in Eastern Europe displacing millions have anything to do with this? A pandemic, supply chain issues, etc.?
Ignoring the article and other factors than “design” is being myopic. The design might be a factor but we also can’t ignore inflation (which doesn’t necessarily mean people buy a cheaper iPhone, it can mean people who would have bought a cheaper iPhone don’t buy anything or they buy a much cheaper Android-based phone), a war, worrying about food and gas supply, and more. Flagship models tend to have a huge spike in demand initially, then level off. Models like the SE tend to have lower, steadier demand over time.
Is it geopolitical and economic forces? Does the fact that there is a war in Eastern Europe displacing millions have anything to do with this? A pandemic, supply chain issues, etc.?
Ignoring the article and other factors than “design” is being myopic. The design might be a factor but we also can’t ignore inflation (which doesn’t necessarily mean people buy a cheaper iPhone, it can mean people who would have bought a cheaper iPhone don’t buy anything or they buy a much cheaper Android-based phone), a war, worrying about food and gas supply, and more. Flagship models tend to have a huge spike in demand initially, then level off. Models like the SE tend to have lower, steadier demand over time.
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I believe the goal is not to offer an affordable iPhone, but to push up their ASPs. Thus the increased price to close the gap with the 11. So those who would've gone with the SE for $399 might now be tempted to just get the 11 for just $70 more (instead of $100 more previously).
I expected this and sold my Apple stock when the “current global conflict” started.
Not surprised. When we order iPhones for our employees, the number one comment we would always get is "When can I get one with a larger screen?"
We just order the iPhone 12 now that we can get it at the same price as the SE with a two-year contract.
We just order the iPhone 12 now that we can get it at the same price as the SE with a two-year contract.
Apple adjusting production orders is normal. This is why Tim Cook is paid the big bucks, to have a tight inventory so less is wasted on warehouses and store shelves. Besides, the SE has not launched in some markets yet.
Unlike the flagship iPhones where a boatload of people would buy them around launch month, imo the sales of the SE would be more spread out throughout the phone's shelf-life.
In my country, the Galaxy A53 would roughly be $150-$200 cheaper than the SE. They're not even in the same price segment. The 2022 SE will be competing with the S21 FE.
Its got nothing to do with the design. Porsche have been rehashing the same car design for more than 70 years and it is called a 'classic' rather than 'dated'.
The issue is timing and upsell. Apple launch the SE at the end of the tax year right before a lot of western bills are about to jump up: local taxation, energy pricing etc. If you are in the market for a low-end phone you can grab a Pixel 4a for £300 in the UK or the frankly ludicrously good Xiami Redmi Note 10 Pro for £229, both of which blow the SE out of the water.
Or you could pay Apple an extra £70 and get an iPhone 11 which has a better camera, wide angle lens, better display and a much better battery.
The issue is timing and upsell. Apple launch the SE at the end of the tax year right before a lot of western bills are about to jump up: local taxation, energy pricing etc. If you are in the market for a low-end phone you can grab a Pixel 4a for £300 in the UK or the frankly ludicrously good Xiami Redmi Note 10 Pro for £229, both of which blow the SE out of the water.
Or you could pay Apple an extra £70 and get an iPhone 11 which has a better camera, wide angle lens, better display and a much better battery.
As Luke Miani pointed out, people interested in the SE at this point just might as well buy the 2020 model. It’s cheaper, and at least you get more for what you pay for. This SE is horrible proposition value for its price, especially outside the US, where the Apple exchange rate is making things really expensive. The price bump makes it compete with mid-range Android phones. Barely better battery, 8yo design, prioritized 5G of all things on the feature list, and a price bump on top of that. Not surprised the excitement isn’t there.