Apple's 2018 iPhone Lineup May Include Second-Generation iPhone SE

[ignatius345]

I'm thinking company image: move forward (the iMac has been static for 5 years too).

Changing the design just to change the design is not "moving forward". The iMac is another good example of a form factor that works very well and look miles ahead of Apple's competitors. They've even been able to cram hot, high-performace hardware into the iMac Pro.

If they want to redesign the SE or the iMac to provide (say) a larger display to bezel ratio, that's one thing -- but doing a redesign purely because the design has been around for a while is backwards.

 

[truthertech]

Why does the 4" iPhone SE (or whatever it will be called) get shafted with older specs? It's a bit unfair if only the "flagship" big screened iPhones get all the newest tech.

"Why does the SE not have the same technology as the newest top of the line phone?" "It's unfair."

"Phone inequality" movement begins on MacRumors 2018.

 

[RobbyIdol]

Changing the chassis of the SE from it's class 5 design goes against the entire appeal of the device for most who own one. I'd hate to see a 4" phone with a 8 or X style chassis.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Changing the chassis of the SE from it's class 5 design goes against the entire appeal of the device for most who own one. I'd hate to see a 4" phone with a 8 or X style chassis.

The X style I'm somewhat more amenable to as it has touches and shades of the original iPhone but the slippery soap bar android looking 6-8 design language. Yuck. Worst of all the designs in my view.

 

[jasvncnt]

Can’t wait for the SE refresh. It’s the only reason I’ll buy another iPhone. If they don’t refresh it or if it’s bigger than I’ll switch to android.

Nobody's gonna cry after you

Why do people get so upset if someone mentiones they may leave Apple for a different phone? It's like you take it personally.

 

[Sciomar]

Why do people get so upset if someone mentiones they may leave Apple for a different phone? It's like you take it personally.

No one is getting upset, they're laughing that people think others care if they leave.

 

[turbineseaplane]

No one is getting upset, they're laughing that people think others care if they leave.

Well, whatever the motivation its just sort of childish and at times rude.
It's just not needed.

 

[brianvictor7]

A lot of people argue the form factor as ideal... near perfection. For example, even smallish stuff such as the ability to set up a timer photo and put it on it's side for the shot. Everything since went so rounded (edges) that it generally took a (select) case to try to do the same.

I'll chime in on the desire to keep the headphone jack too. Keeping it has no cost to those who favor bluetooth or lightning- they work too. But those of us that would like to share least common denominator headphones among our devices, headphone is still by far the king.

If we have to have an aesthetics change, what about keeping the form factor but shrinking the bezels? In other words, fill more of the available space on the front with screen while leaving the rest as is. That gets us the same compact form factor with a bigger screen.

I think the modern iPhones look sharp and all but I agree that 5-SE design was- in my opinion- the very best design to date. I wish I could get the X "front" & guts in that exact kind of case with a headphone jack. Instead, it's buy the X and then hope to get a comparable case that might also bring a headphone jack.

One thing I have appreciated more about the loss of a headphone jack is how easy it was to plug them in. Rounded is better than all corners
[doublepost=1514950158][/doublepost]

Changing the design just to change the design is not "moving forward". The iMac is another good example of a form factor that works very well and look miles ahead of Apple's competitors. They've even been able to cram hot, high-performace hardware into the iMac Pro.

If they want to redesign the SE or the iMac to provide (say) a larger display to bezel ratio, that's one thing -- but doing a redesign purely because the design has been around for a while is backwards.

Or is it a sign that they aren’t trying? Just thinking out loud.

 

[turbineseaplane]

One thing I have appreciated more about the loss of a headphone jack is how easy it was to plug them in.

So true. I fully acknowledge that there are definitely contexts (I have several) where you have Bluetooth set up and the situation can be seamless and very nice...

...but boy is it amazing how often I end up plugging a cable into my iPhone at different people's houses, cars, boats, even in a Cessna as a guest to tie into the radio stack. It's super handy to just "be able to connect" with no advance thought, notice or dongles.

I also plug in and use a splitter with my family on trips too.

Don't get me wrong, I use BT a lot also, especially my AirPods, but I'm still about 60/40 into wired usage as I type this today, now in 2018.

Sometimes and in some situations, it's so refreshing to just "plug it in" and it works with no problems or hiccups or hassle, ever. Plug. And. Play.

 

[Dropbrian]

I'm confused as to how people base their "predictions." The best prediction I could come up with is that Apple will do with the iPhone SE 2 what it did (at the time) with the iPhone SE. Logically, then, iPhone 6S CPU/Camera -> iPhone SE, so iPhone 8 CPU/Camera -> iPhone SE2.

It's the display that drives the expensiveness of the phone, though I sense a perverse glee, from some posters here, in the notion that iPhone SE2 users will somehow *necessarily* be saddled with an A10. Again, I don't claim to have any real knowledge beyond history, but if they could afford to put an A9 in the SE, I really fail to understand why they can't manage an A11 (which is in the iPhone 8) for the SE2.

I'm thinking of replacing my iPhone SE, and you can be sure I'll wait for a Spring announcement of an SE2, if there is one. An iPhone 8 (essentially) in an SE form factor is a deal I'd say yes to, even though I've been eying the Pixel 2 camera...

 

[boiporitto]

It will be an awesome step for Apple with the A11 Chip. The camera improvement and 3D touch will make thinks better.

 

[splitpea]

I get the need for a low-end phone they can sell in developing countries.

I don't get why small == low end.

Or if you want to continue using the small form factor for the low-end phone, why not also offer a high-end phone with the small form factor.

I would pay iPhone 8 money and maybe more for a 4" phone with iPhone 8 internals (including camera, etc), Touch ID, and a headphone jack. Doesn't even have to be water resistant. Just has to be small enough to operate with one of my woman sized hands and fit in the stupid tiny pockets they put on women's jeans.

Apple, why won't you take my money?
[doublepost=1514954371][/doublepost]

Thank you. But if his translation was accurate, it also mention low and medium priced markets. That could include the USA as a medium priced market.

Let's get a medium specced phone for the medium priced market, then, please?

 

[msp3]

What if this is all a faff over nothing and the new SE gets updated with iPhone 7 internals so the 6s and SE can be discontinued together? The 6s stayed in production when the iPhone 8/X came out, making it a whopping 4 generations being sold alongside each other: 6, 6s/SE, 7, and 8/X. With an update this could become 6, 7/SE, 8/X

 

[butterburger cookybutter]

When the iPhone SE was released in March 2016, it had the exact same internals as the iPhone 6S

iPhone 6s features LTE Advanced (LTE-A), so it is a 4G device. iPhone SE does not feature LTE-A, iPhone SE is not a 4G device.

 

[balcis]

I know apple won't do this but note that I asked.

https://9to5mac.com/2017/09/25/iphone-se-x-concept-oled-video-gallery/

 

[macs4nw]

.....it's a losing battle as I'm sure the 3.5mm jack will be phased out entirely in time. But then Apple needs to update their laptops with the same audio ports their phones use.

Wouldn't that be nice, but I believe Apple is most likely counting on the majority of users to have switched to Bluetooth headphones/earbuds going forward, to save them from adding yet another port to the ever shrinking laptops.

 

[PickUrPoison]

I'm confused as to how people base their "predictions." The best prediction I could come up with is that Apple will do with the iPhone SE 2 what it did (at the time) with the iPhone SE. Logically, then, iPhone 6S CPU/Camera -> iPhone SE, so iPhone 8 CPU/Camera -> iPhone SE2.

It's the display that drives the expensiveness of the phone, though I sense a perverse glee, from some posters here, in the notion that iPhone SE2 users will somehow *necessarily* be saddled with an A10. Again, I don't claim to have any real knowledge beyond history, but if they could afford to put an A9 in the SE, I really fail to understand why they can't manage an A11 (which is in the iPhone 8) for the SE2.

I'm thinking of replacing my iPhone SE, and you can be sure I'll wait for a Spring announcement of an SE2, if there is one. An iPhone 8 (essentially) in an SE form factor is a deal I'd say yes to, even though I've been eying the Pixel 2 camera...

The shortest answer to your question is margins. The iPhone 8 is a $700 phone, with a bill of materials cost estimated at about $250.

Just using a somewhat smaller body/screen/battery will save maybe $35. That’s not going to be near enough to drop the retail from $700 to $350.

So the SE2 won’t be a smaller 8. If you want the specs of the 8, you’d pay closer to $600.

Also, the SE shared the A9/2GB RAM of the 6S but almost nothing else except the rear camera. Slower modem chip (no carrier aggregation, so 150Mbps download vs. the LTE-Advanced 300Mbps of the 6S), 1.2MP front camera from the 5S, 1st generation TouchID from 5S, no 3D Touch, no barometer. Probably other differences. To get to $399 (then $349 a few months ago) they cut costs wherever they could.

 

[BvizioN]

If the SE 2 keeps Touch ID & the headphone jack then count me in. I’ll trade in “courage” for that!

2 things I will never miss. Combined with a tinny screen? Feels like 2011.
By the way, for all the people who are wishing for a headphone jack on a new iPhone model? All I can say is..... keep dreaming.

 

[subjonas]

Best news I’ve heard all year.

 

[freezelighter]

Everything bigger than 4 inch is simply sick.

I wish they would return to 3,5 inch and make another wonderful smartphone, not a phablet again.

iPhone SE is the only iPhone with acceptable size!

 

[dampfnudel]

Yes, I agree.

Ultimately, what I'm trying to convey is, because the article mentioned three target regions: India, Indonesia, and SE Asia, the SE 2 is logically a low-cost device. This should dispel the belief that the SE 2 will have fancy features like a new thin-bezel form factor, A11, or 3D Touch.

The top 3 selling phones in Q3'17 in India were all from Xiaomi:

1. Redmi Note 4 (5.5")
   
2. Redmi 4 (5")
   
3. Redmi 4A (5")

Given this fact, the SE 2 is not likely to be 4".

There’s a new rumor that the iPhone which replaces the SE will be the previously rumored 6.1” LCD iPhone coming in 2018.

 

[tresmith]

A 4" iphone X would be great. At the very least we should get a 4" iphone 8.

I can't help but to think that if Steve Jobs were still here we'd get an iPhone X with a 4" screeen.

 

[Dropbrian]

The shortest answer to your question is margins. The iPhone 8 is a $700 phone, with a bill of materials cost estimated at about $250.

Just using a somewhat smaller body/screen/battery will save maybe $35. That’s not going to be near enough to drop the retail from $700 to $350.

So the SE2 won’t be a smaller 8. If you want the specs of the 8, you’d pay closer to $600.

Also, the SE shared the A9/2GB RAM of the 6S but almost nothing else except the rear camera. Slower modem chip (no carrier aggregation, so 150Mbps download vs. the LTE-Advanced 300Mbps of the 6S), 1.2MP front camera from the 5S, 1st generation TouchID from 5S, no 3D Touch, no barometer. Probably other differences. To get to $399 (then $349 a few months ago) they cut costs wherever they could.

My point was that we don't know what now costs what; also, A11. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

By definition, a smaller 8 won't be the 8; if there is going to be an SE 2, I would at least HOPE Apple is taking the mid-range space seriously enough to do more than literally just swap out a CPU. Maybe you're right; maybe it won't be worth buying.

 

[dinojr]

From a Business point of view, instead of putting 7 internals into an SE body, why not just discontinue the SE and make the current 7 an SE price? i.e. No new designing of anything.

 

[Dropbrian]

From a Business point of view, instead of putting 7 internals into an SE body, why not just discontinue the SE and make the current 7 an SE price? i.e. No new designing of anything.

A big part of the appeal of the SE is the form factor; some people are willing to "put up" with inferior specs for something more pocket-able. Also, and I think some posters here continue to underestimate this, a smaller screen saves a LOT of money in manufacturing. Considering markup is almost 3x base cost, saving $40 on a screen can by itself potentially shave $100 off retail.

Maybe you're right that the iPhone 7 costs that little to manufacture; if you are right, I'd be interested in your sources. Again, I was posting from history, and the history is that the current iPhone's CPU and camera were shoehorned into the 4/5-form factor body. That's the history; everything else, including—it would seem—your conjecture about the cost (and popularity versus the iPhone SE form factor) is just guesswork.