They missed the mark because it’s not $300
$430 would be an “ok” price for a plus version, but Apple dares not resurrect that astonishingly good LCD screen, which puts their highest end $1500 phone to shame.
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Budget Phone Comparison: Apple's iPhone SE vs. Samsung's Galaxy A53 5G
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$430 would be an “ok” price for a plus version, but Apple dares not resurrect that astonishingly good LCD screen, which puts their highest end $1500 phone to shame.
From a price perspective you can certainly argue this is a fair comparison to make since the list price is similar, but in terms of why the SE exists it's just wrong to consider the SE as the "budget phone" when Apple sells the modern-style iPhone 11 for about $70 more.
The iPhone 11 is Apple's budget phone. $500 is fairly expensive for a budget phone, but that's the position it holds in Apple's lineup. Apple sells high end phones, so yes, even the cheap one is fairly expensive.
The SE is Apple's change-averse-user phone. It also happens to be cheap, but that's a side effect, not its reason for existing. Treating it like the budget iPhone intended to compete against more modern-style budget phones misses the point. It's like calling a sedan a budget SUV with an undersized cargo area just because the price is lower and it can basically be used for the same things, or saying a manual transmission on a modern car is a budget option with outdated features just because it happens to cost a bit less than an automatic.
There's a very substantial difference between the 11 and the SE; the SE doesn't have a small screen and home button because it's cheap, even if they do make it cheap. It has those features because it's specifically targeted at users who like their old-school phone and just want to replace it when it breaks. It's very clearly designed for users who say "I just want another one of what I already have, maybe with newer guts."
The SE is the manual transmission sedan of iPhones. If you want a modern phone from Apple without top-of-the-line prices--the no-frills automatic transmission crossover of iPhones, that is--the 11 is in the lineup for you.
I am not the target market for either of these devices, but I really appreciate that Apple has kept an "old-school" iPhone in the lineup, with fully modern guts, for change-averse users, particularly older ones to whom specs are meaningless but familiarity is critical. I know more than one person in that exact category, and I'm glad there is a phone they can buy when they inevitably break their 6, or 7, or 8, or older SE and need to replace it.
The iPhone 11 is Apple's budget phone. $500 is fairly expensive for a budget phone, but that's the position it holds in Apple's lineup. Apple sells high end phones, so yes, even the cheap one is fairly expensive.
The SE is Apple's change-averse-user phone. It also happens to be cheap, but that's a side effect, not its reason for existing. Treating it like the budget iPhone intended to compete against more modern-style budget phones misses the point. It's like calling a sedan a budget SUV with an undersized cargo area just because the price is lower and it can basically be used for the same things, or saying a manual transmission on a modern car is a budget option with outdated features just because it happens to cost a bit less than an automatic.
There's a very substantial difference between the 11 and the SE; the SE doesn't have a small screen and home button because it's cheap, even if they do make it cheap. It has those features because it's specifically targeted at users who like their old-school phone and just want to replace it when it breaks. It's very clearly designed for users who say "I just want another one of what I already have, maybe with newer guts."
The SE is the manual transmission sedan of iPhones. If you want a modern phone from Apple without top-of-the-line prices--the no-frills automatic transmission crossover of iPhones, that is--the 11 is in the lineup for you.
I am not the target market for either of these devices, but I really appreciate that Apple has kept an "old-school" iPhone in the lineup, with fully modern guts, for change-averse users, particularly older ones to whom specs are meaningless but familiarity is critical. I know more than one person in that exact category, and I'm glad there is a phone they can buy when they inevitably break their 6, or 7, or 8, or older SE and need to replace it.
Except Apple refuses to do anything but bare minimum r&d for iPhones SE.
It’s only ever going to be an old model with mostly old components but the latest soc, not a new design or a combination of parts from different Apple devices.
I get that some people want Touch ID.
But the option Apple is offering for Touch ID fans here is a bad one
-Just because someone wants Touch ID doesn’t mean they don’t want camera upgrades or a 1080p display.
SE 2022 is an unnecessarily bad compromise.
First time I've ever heard someone argue the SE isn't a budget phone. Apple couldn't make it more clear with their own advertising. There is nothing "manual transmission" about the fact that iPhone SE doesn't have Night mode or uses the same front camera as iPhone 7. It's simply a low-cost iPhone.
"The most affordable iPhone features the powerful A15 Bionic, 5G, better battery life, improved durability, and a new camera system with advanced features like Smart HDR 4, Photographic Styles, and Deep Fusion."
Apple announces the new iPhone SE: a powerful smartphone in an iconic design
The most affordable iPhone features the powerful A15 Bionic, 5G, better battery life, improved durability, and a new camera system.
www.apple.com
One of the things I find frustrating about comments like this on this board is that so. many people believe this. Low cost for an iPhone but too expensive for many people. Being an old man that has been at varying income levels most of my life, there were times I would drop that much on video games, but now? No way.
I got both my son and I a last Gen SE a week before the new one was announced for $199 outright each. Sure I would love 5G and the other "upgrades", but not worth double the cost.
This is just a hit piece on Samsung A53. Shame on you, MacRumors. Last year’s A52 was the number one selling Samsung phone by model, and will probably continue to be so. It sold more than SE 2020. I am willing to bet that the new SE 2022 won’t even make it to top ten this year. Please write about why this was the case next year, Juli, and why the masses chose A53 instead of the SE 2022.
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Why is the camera crap? All iPhone models only have 12 Megapixel camera. Even my iPhone 8 has the same camera. Everything else is just software processing. ?
Yep, that's one of my biggest grips with my iPhone 13 pro max. It seems that iOS gets a bit worse every year for that kind of stuff.
The A5x series are Samsung's most popular phone for a reason.
In my country:
- 128GB iPhone 2022 SE, 4.7" LCD, 1 camera lens, 2000mAh battery, 5 years of software updates, ~$580-$600 (estimated price)
- Samsung Galaxy A53 5G 128GB, 6.5" Super AMOLED, normal and ultrawide lens, 5000mAh battery, 4 years of software updates, $420.
- Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, 128GB, 6.4" Dynamic OLED, triple lens camera, 4500mAh battery, 4 years of software updates, $600
The 2022 iPhone SE is not even in the Galaxy A53 price bracket. It is competing with the S21 FE. The Galaxy A53 is $200 less than the iPhone SE, with a much larger OLED screen and modern look. For a typical consumer on a budget, the A53 is the obvious choice unless they just must have an iPhone.
The only thing the iPhone will win is in gaming and software updates. The A15 is a flagship chip, and the iPhone SE is giving flagship gaming performance on a budget, albeit on a tiny screen. But for the rest of consumers for a typical phone usage, the A53 is giving more comfortable daily use for the money with the large AMOLED screen and multiple lens cameras.
In my country:
- 128GB iPhone 2022 SE, 4.7" LCD, 1 camera lens, 2000mAh battery, 5 years of software updates, ~$580-$600 (estimated price)
- Samsung Galaxy A53 5G 128GB, 6.5" Super AMOLED, normal and ultrawide lens, 5000mAh battery, 4 years of software updates, $420.
- Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, 128GB, 6.4" Dynamic OLED, triple lens camera, 4500mAh battery, 4 years of software updates, $600
The 2022 iPhone SE is not even in the Galaxy A53 price bracket. It is competing with the S21 FE. The Galaxy A53 is $200 less than the iPhone SE, with a much larger OLED screen and modern look. For a typical consumer on a budget, the A53 is the obvious choice unless they just must have an iPhone.
The only thing the iPhone will win is in gaming and software updates. The A15 is a flagship chip, and the iPhone SE is giving flagship gaming performance on a budget, albeit on a tiny screen. But for the rest of consumers for a typical phone usage, the A53 is giving more comfortable daily use for the money with the large AMOLED screen and multiple lens cameras.
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Apple sold 24.2 million units of the SE 2020 in only 7 months (it being announced in April).
They sold more than the iPhone 12, 12 Pro, & the 12 Mini.
The idea that nobody wants this phone is ludicrous. It’s insanely popular, it doesn’t matter how old the design is. It was a better design.
“The iPhone SE 2 was so popular with consumers that it’s one of Apple’s seven iPhone models in Counterpoint’s Top 10 for 2021. With a 1.6% share, it even outsold the iPhone 13 Pro Max. And it outsold every version of the Galaxy S21, which didn’t even make the list.”
“Selling more than 22 million iPhone SE units in 12 months isn’t as impressive in selling over 24 million units in 7 months. But, again, the iPhone SE outsold each of Samsung’s three Galaxy S21 models last year.”
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It'll be interesting to see the SE3 numbers for 2022. Kuo estimates 15-20M.
The definition of success for Apple is different from Samsung because Apple's lineup is far smaller.
Exactly. And the data from your post proves that. The general public doesn't look at a phone and think "omg that looks so outdated". For a large (silent) portion of the population, a phone is exactly what it should be - a tool.
I don't think it will sell as well as the SE2, which was a nice change/bump from the original SE. The SE2 took a lot of people that hadn't upgraded in years and gave them a reason to upgrade. Those people don't need another reason yet.
You hit the nail on the head here.
Best example I can think of. I have a family member who’s older who has an iPhone 7.
This family member has had this iPhone 7 for probably 5 years at this point.
Eventually, that iPhone 7 is going to need to be replaced. Either the battery will be so degraded that it isn’t useful anymore, or Apple stops supporting it with iOS updates, or The carrier starts shutting down the bands the phone uses, or some reason or another.
Now this person absolutely does not want to have to get used to gesture controls or anything like that, they want a phone that works just like their old one.
That’s where the SE3 comes in.
Basically the same form factor, but brand-new battery, brand-new processor, 5+ years of support.
Just read The latest Twitter update completely stop supporting the iPhone 6… the SE3 is the perfect upgrade for people who are still on that phone, love the design, but want to be futureproof.
Those looking for a *modern* budget friendly iPhone can easily find the XR and 11 online or from carriers for about the same price, sometimes less than the new SE.
Best Buy has an opened box 128GB XR for $399
This shows the power of the Apple brand. It's not that people wanted the SE specifically, but people wanted an phone with Apple's logo on it, and if they don't have the budget for the 11, the SE is the next best thing on the lineup. For most people out there, the brand is the most important thing than anything else, and Apple brand is at top.
I'd pick the A53 all day of the lackluster SE. Then again, I own a 13 Pro Max and a S22 Ultra.
You got jokes. There's a reason Apple just slashed production of SE's...NOBODY WANTS IT. They'be also increased production of 13's. The SE is a flop.
Analyst says Apple is increasing iPhone 13, slashing iPhone SE production to meet demand
Apple is reportedly slashing its iPhone SE orders in an attempt to deal with unexpectedly low demand, according to a report. The company is said to be increasing iPhone 13 orders as a result.
www.imore.com
It's not the brand - I hear PC fanbois try the brand argument with me all the time while disparaging Apple hardware. I have been a Mac fanboi since the Mac was released and had one of every generation - at one point my kids had their own II series in a local talk network connecteed to a Laserwriter IIg.
Simply put the Apple ecosytem is second to none. I would be much better served with a windows PC ( and I have been using them since the late 80s as well and have PC certification through the 2000s so I DO know how to use and service them). I would be better serverd witha cheaper Android phone (I was android until the Iphone 6 when the I could finally get an iphone that came close to being big enough in my hands). ROku's are cheaper than my Apple Tv.
However, for stupid things like 2 factor authentification, being able to copy on my phone and past on my mac is nice. Using my iPad to input text for my Apple TV is tremendously better than using a remote to type into a Roku (or Apple TV ). Answering texts when on my mac and not having my phone near me is great. Using my iPad as a secondary monitor when needed is nice.
If ANYONE made things just work togtether like Apple does, I would be there. It's just no one does.
Suspending manufacturing a week after release tells us everything we need to know about this SE.
The chip means little in the low-cost category, and certainly not enough to compensate for the outdated nature of the rest of this SE. How much does the chip matter if the rest of the phone isn’t designed to take full advantage of its capabilities? Even if someone was able to jury-rig an M1 to work on an Apple II, that wouldn’t make it a modern computer.
The chip means little in the low-cost category, and certainly not enough to compensate for the outdated nature of the rest of this SE. How much does the chip matter if the rest of the phone isn’t designed to take full advantage of its capabilities? Even if someone was able to jury-rig an M1 to work on an Apple II, that wouldn’t make it a modern computer.
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The SE's absurdly small screen and iOS's dated home screen makes this an embarrassment.
Go ask most lay users on why they buy an iPhone. They will simply tell you that it's because it's an iPhone, and/or because it's Apple. Most people have no clue about the hardware, but they trust the Apple brand.
The ecosystem is part of Apple's effort in building that trust of the brand. It tells consumers that all they need to rely on is the Apple brand and things will work fine together. People have no clue how Airdrop works, but they do know as long as they buy things with the Apple logo, things will "just work."
I would say maybe you are not the target audience for this phone. I probably am the taget audience, but it's just too expensive for me - thats why I paid $199 for a brand new last gen SE at Wal-Mart. 6 month $30 per month contract (which was twice what I was paying with Mint but I used my yearly phone budget +$20 to buy a new phone outright)
I mainly use a phone to call and text and some basic work stuff. Any camera today is more than I need. If I am going to game, I am going to do it on a real computer and not play kiddie games that are even a step below consoles (which ae a huge step below computers games).
I guess I just don't understand what everyone NEEDS a $1500 phone for
Some of us have seen it first hand since syatem 7 and dos 6.22 / windows 3.11
If you actually use more than one OS you realise how good OS X is. My biggest drawback right now is upgradability, lack of GPU power and lack of gaming titles (but my favorites still work)
In the end, whatever Apple is building, it is to give more value to the brand, so people will be willing to buy whatever Apple is selling.