Apple's Upcoming Low-Cost iPhone Could Launch as Early as March

[primarycolors]

As a current SE user I'm really looking forward to this phone. This is no doubt another iteration of the 6 design (case makers must be so happy, LOL) but I have faith Apple will change just enough to make it distinguishable from an 8. Like the way they mattified the edges and made the Apple logo inlaid on the original SE to modernize it.

I'm not really sure where this notion is coming from that the SE was phased out because of poor sales. It was strongly praised in its time, it just spent its time in the market. It was the lowest tier model in Fall '17-Fall '18, and simply got pushed out just like each lowest tier model does every new generation.

Deny it or not, there is a huge market for people who want to get in on the Apple ecosystem on a limited budget. I'm a college student, and though I'm really interested in tech, can't afford to spend $1k on a phone. And I know I'm not alone on this and it makes total sense for Apple to capitalize on this market.

Small phones also definitely have a place that can't go forever ignored. People should have the ability to comfortably use their phone while holding onto a bus rail, a sandwich, or a tool. User interface could also be improved to keep informational content towards the top but make interactions closer to the bottom (swiping from top right to invoke Control Center on a massive full screen phone just isn't great).

 

[Deep Dish]

🤔 Hmmm? ✋😐🤚 Naaa!
My 6S still works great!

I'm jealous. My 6S has been on its last leg for like 6 months. The camera and flash (and flashlight) stopped working a month ago, and I finally broke down and bought a battery case because I was getting like 3 hours on a charge. If Apple doesn't release a new SE in March, I'll finally be giving Android a shot.

 

[JBGoode]

I feel sad for the poor people that have to use iPhone‘s with such an outdated design. Sort of an Apple tag on less furtunate people. Well done Apple.

I feel sad for the pretentious people that feel the need to flaunt the latest gadget when no one else really cares (except for other pretentious people and maybe some teenagers who don't know any better).

 

[FamVR]

We appreciate your concern but speaking for myself, I don’t give a crap what anyone thinks about my TouchID 6s. Anyone who would judge people based on the phone they carry has problems I don’t need. Even if someone likes Android, why the hell would I care? 🤷‍♂️

It’s not about people like you and I. It’s also not a matter of me looking down on people with outdated hardware. I don’t judge people based on things that they own. Like a silly phone. I don’t care, but tell that young people who cannot use the latest version(s) of iOS.

 

[FamVR]

I feel sad for you thinking that it is about price tag only. Also, the way you structured your sentence tells me that you are not so "wealthy" as you present yourself. In fact, I would dare to say that I'm better off than you but at the same time I still rock my iPhone 6.
Think what you want but your attitude could need some adjustment. Surely you don't feel sad for people that use iPhones and surely you feel bad for people that actually don't have access to drinkable water, food, etc.
Regardless, you make yourself look silly ;-)

Where did I even mentioned a price tag? Seriously. You are making thing up.

And sure enough I care about people in need, but since this is Macrumors.com I’m sure that you understand it.

Also. Please don’t pretend to know me. I just donated 20 years of income to charity. Go figure. I think this also shows who I really am. I’m not just words. I’m glad that you are even doing better than me. Awesome. Good for you!

Thing is. Many young people see, let’s just say rich people here, with expensive cloths and hardware, and are jealous. I know. They shouldn’t, but people should also not get sick and die. Anyway. Some of these kids even end their life because it makes them feel sad that they can’t get it. It’s sort of a cultural thing with youngsters these days. We are blessed with healthy children. Which after all is what really counts. At least to us, but does that mean that we should ignore others and do like these people don’t even exist?

Fact is that Apple lowered the prices in certain countries, but there are people in so called rich countries, where parents can’t efford expensive stuff like iPhones, and these folks feel left out.

By the way. I’m only use my iPhone when I want to. There is literally nobody on this planet that makes me use it when they want me to use it. I guess that’s how poor I am /S
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I feel sad that you have such a sad opinion .

My mum has an SE because it was the only phone I could find with decent spec at a size she was comfortable with, if it wasn't for the smaller size she would likely have just stuck with the Moto G line at half the price which would have done what she wanted.

I hope that my previous replies here will clear things up. But no. It’s not about people who chose to use older models. Which is perfectly fine, as long as you, or you’re mom in this case, is fine with it.

Thing is. I’ve just finished a study/report about the alarming rate of people in need of help. And a large number of people are having trouble with their phone bills. But God forbid to speak out in public, because before you know it, it’s you being bad and having a bad attitude. No worries. I can handle it

 

[jdiamond]

Still hoping for an iPhone HPJ edition. (It's like an iPhone 8, but they add a headphone jack to it. Like an iPhone 6SE. Heck, even the iPhone 12 doesn't have one, so this would be absolute premium.)

 

[PickUrPoison]

-SE Size
-No Bezel
-No glass back
-11 Pro Internals
-11 Pro Camera
-USB-C
-You pick the screen
-Take my money

-SE Size — none. Smallest, the 5.4” OLED, will be a little smaller than the 8, according to rumors.
-No Bezel — All four fall 2020 models will have a notch, but minimal bezels otherwise.
-No glass back — none, even the lowest end iPhone rumored for March will have wireless charging.
-11 Pro Internals — All four fall 2020 models will have better internals than the 11 Pro
-11 Pro Camera — The two 12 Pro fall 2020 models will have better cameras than the 11 Pro, and the new time-of-flight depth sensor as well. The two non-Pro models are only dual camera.
-USB-C — none rumored.
-You pick the screen — several choices
-Take my money — If you’re first six are all requirements, you’ll be keeping your money for many years 🙂

 

[Think creative]

if it has the wide angle Lens from the 11, the same video camera, and night mode, I'm all over this at the larger SSD size. if it doesn't, i'll wait till the fall and see what the smaller iPhone 12 is like. I'm coming from an iPhone 6s+ btw. I'm ready for a smaller form factor.

 

[jdiamond]

You might not have been convinced, but many others were. The year Apple released the 6 was peak iPhone. Many wanted the bigger screens that were finally available.

The SE (and my 6s) are A9/2GB iPhones and they still perform well. But sometime the future, Apple will stop supporting them. At that point, it will be wise to update.

Until then, there may not be a compelling reason to upgrade, it’s an individual decision. Different things are important to different people.

Dude, the iPhone 6S absolutely rocks! Every phone Apple released since the 6S simply removed another physical feature. Some modern upgrades to the 6S form would be nice - like a better camera and maybe a 256GB option. But you're absolutely right - the 6S can't live forever. For me, iOS13 already drains the battery pretty fast.

That being said, I still can't help thinking about those new unlocked iPhone 6S's being listed on eBay for under $300. It's just really a hard phone to beat.

 

[Freida]

So, thank you for the explanation.

I've re-read your post and I can see where it went wrong. You mentioned "poor people" which kinda implied money -> price tag.
Reading your response I've realised that you didn't mean it that way but unfortunately it came across that way and hence why I said what I said.
I really don't mind (nor care) how much people make. It was just a response to something you said (not meant I believe) and therefore I went for such "label".

Anyway, next time be careful with "poor people" as that is almost always going to give you responses that you may not even be after.

;-)

Where did I even mentioned a price tag? Seriously. You are making thing up.

And sure enough I care about people in need, but since this is Macrumors.com I’m sure that you understand it.

Also. Please don’t pretend to know me. I just donated 20 years of income to charity. Go figure. I think this also shows who I really am. I’m not just words. I’m glad that you are even doing better than me. Awesome. Good for you!

Thing is. Many young people see, let’s just say rich people here, with expensive cloths and hardware, and are jealous. I know. They shouldn’t, but people should also not get sick and die. Anyway. Some of these kids even end their life because it makes them feel sad that they can’t get it. It’s sort of a cultural thing with youngsters these days. We are blessed with healthy children. Which after all is what really counts. At least to us, but does that mean that we should ignore others and do like these people don’t even exist?

Fact is that Apple lowered the prices in certain countries, but there are people in so called rich countries, where parents can’t efford expensive stuff like iPhones, and these folks feel left out.

By the way. I’m only use my iPhone when I want to. There is literally nobody on this planet that makes me use it when they want me to use it. I guess that’s how poor I am /S
[automerge]1579725805[/automerge]

I hope that my previous replies here will clear things up. But no. It’s not about people who chose to use older models. Which is perfectly fine, as long as you, or you’re mom in this case, is fine with it.

Thing is. I’ve just finished a study/report about the alarming rate of people in need of help. And a large number of people are having trouble with their phone bills. But God forbid to speak out in public, because before you know it, it’s you being bad and having a bad attitude. No worries. I can handle it

 

[TracesOfArsenic]

I'll probably get one begrudgingly and I'll be one of the idiots that feeds Timmy's on-stage narrative about how well it sold. In reality I bought it only because I desperately needed a new phone and they didn't make the phone I actually wanted.

 

[PickUrPoison]

I already explained why multiple times, not sure how else to explain it to you. They are in the business of selling the products that make them the most money - marketshare isn't and never has been their goal. While some people would prefer smaller phones Apple already knows that many will give in and purchase/upsell the larger phones anyway which makes them more money in the end. Now if or when the equation changes and people are not upgrading then the demand builds up then it makes sense for them to try and recapture that group.

You’re trying to explain, but your explanations aren’t logical. That’s not on me 🙂

I never said it was about market share. It’s about moving on from products customers aren’t interested in and trying to be responsive to changes in demand. To offer something they will want to buy.

The SE is a perfect example. In 2016, Apple introduced an iPhone at $399. They were able to do that by reusing a combination of mostly older parts with a current CPU.

In 2017, Apple cut the price to $349, squeezing profits—which according to you is all Apple cares about—to the bone. Did they do that because the SE was selling so well during the previous year? Not likely. More like it was getting clobbered by $449 4.7” iPhone alternatives.

Now here we are in 2020. Apple’s releasing another $399 iPhone. Why, if all they care about is profits and upselling customers to more expensive iPhones?

And do they release another 4.0” iPhone, an SE2 they could just pop an A13 into and make max profit? No, been there done that. Instead they move up to a 4.7” platform based on the iPhone 8, where they’ll undoubtedly make less profit, but it’s an iPhone they think they can sell. First year expectations are 30 million units.

These actions by Apple aren’t consistent with your theory that Apple only wants to sell the products that make the most money. They simply need to be able to sell enough of them. Apple’s hardly in the business of killing off viable products, but according to you they stop updating them in order to do just that. That doesn’t hold water.

 

[oVerboost]

Think I will be keeping hold of my 128GB SE until the smaller rumoured model is released (if it is in fact real), it was bought recently brand new (to replace my older 64GB SE) and with 100% battery and for my needs, it's a great device mainly based on size, not specs. Cheap isn't what everyone wanted, I'd of paid top money for a smaller iPhone with decent specs. I did buy the iPhone Pro 5.8" which is a great device, but for my needs it is overkill so luckily I have recently sold it for pretty much what I paid for it new - and returned to my SE.

I do think the new device will sell well though if priced right with decent storage options.

 

[PickUrPoison]

Dude, the iPhone 6S absolutely rocks! Every phone Apple released since the 6S simply removed another physical feature. Some modern upgrades to the 6S form would be nice - like a better camera and maybe a 256GB option. But you're absolutely right - the 6S can't live forever. For me, iOS13 already drains the battery pretty fast.

That being said, I still can't help thinking about those new unlocked iPhone 6S's being listed on eBay for under $300. It's just really a hard phone to beat.

It’s kind of shocking how well my 6s still runs, since iOS 12 it seems faster than new. But the end of the road is in sight, in terms of support 🙁

This new so-called SE2 is perfect for 6, 6s and 7 users though, and will easily have a five year life, so at $399 it’s a great deal. But we’ll be losing 3D Touch and the headphone jack. (Personally, I rarely use either.)

I’ve actually been considering the 5.4” OLED model coming this fall, though it’ll be almost twice the price. But OLED, FaceID, 5G, dual camera, 4GB RAM and A14 combine to make it an attractive alternative. Plus, I carry my phone in my front pocket so the fact that it’ll be smaller than the 8 is a nice bonus. Decisions, decisions. Nice “problem” to have though!

btw my battery life on iOS 13 has been fine, but then again I had my battery replaced last August. Still at 100% capacity too 🙂

 

[speechmaker]

Apple sells the products that make them the most $. They make more $ selling larger more expensive phones than they do selling less expensive smaller phones. It has also been shown that people with larger phones spend more at the App Store. That doesn't mean that there isn't a demand for smaller phones or more people wouldn't chose smaller phones if given a viable choice. They also know that a large percentage of those people who would prefer a smaller phone will just give in and buy the larger model anyway. Apple also has a history of letting products stagnate, then claiming they are discontinued because people aren't buying them.

This.
Also, making the bigger phones is easier with more space inside for arranging things and being able to charge a premium for a larger display, hence getting a larger margin. Making a small phone with (almost) the latest tech is very hard engineering work. This makes it economically more viable for Apple to gravitate towards larger and larger phones, not necessarily because people wanted larger. I am interested in the iPhone8 owners in the last 4-5 years who held it in their hands and thought, "this is no good, I want a larger phone!" A few will have thought that, but most will have been of the opinion that the size was adequate or just right. Some might even thought it was too large! (one of them right here, and was the reason I bought the SE when the 8 was available for only slightly more).

But like I said, we have already spent too much time discussing what will be or won't, time to put our keyboards aside and wait for what Apple has decided instead. Peace all!

 

[azentropy]

You’re trying to explain, but your explanations aren’t logical. That’s not on me 🙂

I never said it was about market share. It’s about moving on from products customers aren’t interested in and trying to be responsive to changes in demand. To offer something they will want to buy.

The SE is a perfect example. In 2016, Apple introduced an iPhone at $399. They were able to do that by reusing a combination of mostly older parts with a current CPU.

In 2017, Apple cut the price to $349, squeezing profits—which according to you is all Apple cares about—to the bone. Did they do that because the SE was selling so well during the previous year? Not likely. More like it was getting clobbered by $449 4.7” iPhone alternatives.

Now here we are in 2020. Apple’s releasing another $399 iPhone. Why, if all they care about is profits and upselling customers to more expensive iPhones?

And do they release another 4.0” iPhone, an SE2 they could just pop an A13 into and make max profit? No, been there done that. Instead they move up to a 4.7” platform based on the iPhone 8, where they’ll undoubtedly make less profit, but it’s an iPhone they think they can sell. First year expectations are 30 million units.

These actions by Apple aren’t consistent with your theory that Apple only wants to sell the products that make the most money. They simply need to be able to sell enough of them. Apple’s hardly in the business of killing off viable products, but according to you they stop updating them in order to do just that. That doesn’t hold water.

Sorry if it is over your head. I've and others have answered your questions numerous times and you aren't following.

 

[PickUrPoison]

<snip>
But like I said, we have already spent too much time discussing what will be or won't, time to put our keyboards aside and wait for what Apple has decided instead. Peace all!

Why keep making long drawn-out comments, followed by exhortations that “we” all stop talking about this?

How about you stop talking about it if you feel you’ve spent too much time doing so, and let the rest of us continue to discuss it, without your attempts to cut-off debate. Cool?

In any case, Apple seems to think they’ll do better with 6.1” and 6.7” at the top of the line rather than 5.8 and 6.5”. And 4.7” instead of 4” at the sub-$400 price point 🤷‍♂️

 

[speechmaker]

How about you stop talking about it if you feel you’ve spent too much time doing so, and let the rest of us continue to discuss it, without your attempts to cut-off debate. Cool?

Gladly!

 

[PickUrPoison]

Sorry if it is over your head. I've and others have answered your questions numerous times and you aren't following.

It’s not over my head, I understand exactly what you’re saying. I just disagree, and your argument is not persuasive. It’s illogical, as I’ve explained. Just repeating the same flawed argument doesn’t make it any less flawed.

Do you have any substantive response to my post? I explained in detail why I think you’re wrong, using this very SE2 product as an example.

 

[azentropy]

It’s not over my head, I understand exactly what you’re saying. I just disagree, and your argument is not persuasive. It’s illogical, as I’ve explained. Just repeating the same flawed argument doesn’t make it any less flawed.

Do you have any substantive response to my post? I explained in detail why I think you’re wrong, using this very SE2 product as an example.

I already had, either you didn't read my previous post or your are just trolling.

 

[PickUrPoison]

I already had, either you didn't read my previous post or your are just trolling.

No you haven’t. Your previous post was content-free and completely non-responsive to my post #162.

If you don’t want to respond that’s fine. But just because I don’t agree with you doesn’t mean I’m trolling, just as you not agreeing with me doesn’t mean you’re trolling.

 

[azentropy]

No you haven’t. Your previous post was content-free and completely non-responsive to my post #162.

If you don’t want to respond that’s fine. But just because I don’t agree with you doesn’t mean I’m trolling, just as you not agreeing with me doesn’t mean you’re trolling.

I already explained why in #150 as to what you wrote in #162: "Now here we are in 2020. Apple’s releasing another $399 iPhone.. Why, if all they care about is profits and upselling customers to more expensive iPhones?"

Again I wrote in #150 "Now if or when the equation changes and people are not upgrading then the demand builds up then it makes sense for them to try and recapture that group."

 

[PickUrPoison]

I already explained why in #150 as to what you wrote in #162: "Now here we are in 2020. Apple’s releasing another $399 iPhone.. Why, if all they care about is profits and upselling customers to more expensive iPhones?"

Again I wrote in #150 "Now if or when the equation changes and people are not upgrading then the demand builds up then it makes sense for them to try and recapture that group."

That would make sense if Apple was releasing another 4” iPhone. They aren’t, and they’re not recapturing any small phone SE market demand.

They’re introducing an updated, improved iPhone 8, a 4.7” model, at an even lower price—and even lower profit for Apple. That’s contrary to your Apple only cares about profits and trying to upsell you theory.

 

[dewski]

I will be heartbroken ( and i am expecting to be) if this is a bigger form factor than my SE. It is finally starting to feel slow on ios 13.

 

[azentropy]

That would make sense if Apple was releasing another 4” iPhone. They aren’t, and they’re not recapturing any small phone SE market demand.

They’re introducing an updated, improved iPhone 8, a 4.7” model, at an even lower price—and even lower profit for Apple. That’s contrary to your Apple only cares about profits and trying to upsell you theory.

The 4.7 IS a small phone, not the smallest but not a full inch smaller screen and smaller in every dimension and considerably lighter than the next smallest recent iPhone Apple sells. Even though the 8 looks more lke the 11 pro there is actually more of a size/volume difference and weight difference between it and the 11 pro and the SE and the 8!