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Demand for Smartphones is Slowing, Says Apple Supplier TSMC

MacBH928 said:
I know, they need to add a fourth camera lens to create higher demand for newly released phones!/s

honestly, the hardware is powerful enough and we have reached market saturation. Innovation is in the software now IMO
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So say the people who later bitch about “planned obsolescence”, because some new software features won’t work on older, under performing hardware.

Cameras aren’t as important as say the SoC, which is what will allow the phone to remain relevant in years to come. This is exactly the point of the SE. A durable, inexpensive, functional phone that’s going to last just as long as their $1000+ flagship models, but not have all the latest tech in it.
 
Relentless Power said:
Don’t you think this ‘bulky and heavier’ belief gets exhausting to keep commenting on? I mean, consumers use cases, do you really think they’re thinking about the weight of the phone when 99% of consumers are using bulky/heavy cases? I think it’s totally negated.

I think consumers welcome large smart phones, because the trade-off is a larger display for viewing content and battery expectancy is improved. If Anything, the major hindrance is the rising cost of smart phones, I don’t suspect the weight is an issue at all. The only people commenting on the weight/bulk of an iPhone, are generally people on here.
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I don‘t know. Pockets oy my jeans are limited. iP7 was perfect, iP11 is also ok with an ultra slim case. Maybe there is a difference between men and women? On the Android side of the table you have 1001 devices to choose from, with Apple you have to take what Apple thinks is best for you.

But when I have to decide buy/no buy it is more likely that I won‘t buy a new one, when it feels heavy and clumsy. Those things do not add enough benefit to justify the raise in weight.
 
turbineseaplane said:
I would have bought a new one years ago if they weren't all so large
Mini series isn't quite "mini" enough for me.

(SE1 user)

Everyone makes basically the same thing - same shape - same sizes -- not nearly enough interesting differentiation in this product category.
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The mini is the same size as the SE1….
 
I’d gladly update my 8+ to the new SE but the screen size is just too small. I want the fingerprint sensor but I need a screen I can actually see and use!
 
eric89074 said:
Modern smartphones are so fast most people are happy to keep them for 3-4 years.
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Truth, My day 1 X is still fast, crazy fast. I cannot believe how ancient in tech terms it is. Im just starting to itch for a better camera.
 
TheYayAreaLiving ? said:
I'm blaming the new iPhone SE. Jon himself made a very good point. Stretching the design to far out.

Watch the video from 0:32. Jon stated: Apple is using same old design from the iPhone 6 (September 2014) to sell them in 2022?

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If an unchanging physical design is the impediment to adoption of the latest iPhone model then it certainly gives support to the belief that iPhones are boutique items... where form is more important than function.

There's nothing wrong with that. People have different priorities. For some people, they dislike the older design because their friends can't tell whether it is the latest iPhone model... or a 6 yr old phone. This is why Apple will offer exclusive color options for the latest models when they look like a previous generation.

But blaming an industry-wide slowdown on the newly released budget Apple phone is...well... quite puzzling. ?
 
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I’m still using the XS I bought a few days after launch. I still don’t see a reason to replace it. It still feels as fast as the day I bought it. I don’t really use the camera so that’s all moot.
 
Zdigital2015 said:
My father-in-law is 81 and has my old gold 6s Plus. It does everything he needs it to do. God forbid I have to update the thing though because I cannot give him a Face ID phone at this point. He has had a hard enough time grasping the smartphone concept and using Touch ID. I need an SE 3 Plus, because his eyes are going and the SE 3 screen is too small for him. There are plenty of people who will end up with an SE 3 this year and next once they need to move on. An SE plus would make it easier for me, but I don’t see it happening.
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You might consider an iPhone 8 Plus.
 
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Rychiar said:
The mini is the same size as the SE1….
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No, it isn’t.
It bigger in every dimension, but is good enough, better then 6/X Family.
SE16 64gb (most capable at D1) buyed 04/05/16 for 609€ and 13 mini 512gb buyed yesterday for replace it for 909,90€ (new, with eBay bonus), while with Apple it cost 1189€: in 6 yrs they duplicate the price, but the point are crap iOS releases.
 
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eric89074 said:
Modern smartphones are so fast most people are happy to keep them for 3-4 years.
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Absolutely. Now that Apple doesn't illegally throttle my phone without my knowledge, it lasts 3-4 years.

I've always said, I'll pay about $300 a year for a phone. Back when they were subsidized, I would get one every couple years. When the subsidies stopped and Apple raised their prices, I took the cost of the phone and divided it into as many years as needed to keep the cost at $300. That's 3-4 years.
 
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Shasterball said:
Absolutely. Now that Apple doesn't illegally throttle my phone without my knowledge, it lasts 3-4 years.

I've always said, I'll pay about $300 a year for a phone. Back when they were subsidized, I would get one every couple years. When the subsidies stopped and Apple raised their prices, I took the cost of the phone and divided it into as many years as needed to keep the cost at $300. That's 3-4 years.
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How does that make your phone last longer?
 
AndiG said:
Oh that is an easy one:

Take the iPhone SE:
- Add full screen covering display
- Add integrated TouchId
- Forget about FaceID (makes it cheaper)
- Add USB-C
- Keep it lightweight at 13x gramms

=> Awesome product, Apple isn‘t able to deliver

Try a harder question ?
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That sounds like small incremental updates.
Perhaps we each have a set of changes we would like and when those are not addressed we feel like nothing is happening?
 
Tagbert said:
That sounds like small incremental updates.
Perhaps we each have a set of changes we would like and when those are not addressed we feel like nothing is happening?
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Yeah doesn’t sound particularly exciting. Apple would have to increase the cost to develop an in-display fingerprint reader at which point you might as well just include the better Face ID, whichll be getting cheaper and cheaper.

Seems crazy to me for Apple to spend money developing a technology when they already have a better alternative
 
imnotthewalrus said:
You might consider an iPhone 8 Plus.
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Unfortunately, Apple no longer sells them via the Refurbished Store and I won’t purchase an older device used. Once the 6s Plus reaches a point where it isn’t useable, I’ll most likely move my FIL to an SE3 and he’ll have to deal with the smaller screen. If Apple does release a larger screen version of the SE3, I’ll get that for him. I have no illusions that that will ever happen.

I also have no desire to have any device with an A11 in it either, so that’s really a driver as well. I’ve read about security vulnerabilities in the Secure Enclave and there’s zero reason for me to back up that far down the line when an A15 is available to me, just in a smaller package. Just my preference.

EDIT: Thank you for the suggestion, though.
 
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Rychiar said:
The mini is the same size as the SE1….
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The mini is significantly larger than the SE1. It is almost the size of the SE2/3. That is why when people were accusing the Mini of being “too small to be functional”, it was a silly comment.

SE1
H: 123.8 mm (4.87 in)
W: 58.6 mm (2.31 in)
D: 7.6 mm (0.30 in)

12 Mini:
H: 131.5 mm (5.18 in)
W: 64.2 mm (2.53 in)
D: 7.4 mm (0.29 in)

SE3
H: 138.4 mm (5.45 in)
W: 67.3 mm (2.65 in)
D: 7.3 mm (0.29 in)
 
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Tagbert said:
The mini is significantly larger than the SE1. It is almost the size of the SE2/3. That is why when people were accusing the Mini of being “too small to be functional”, it was a silly comment.

SE1
H: 123.8 mm (4.87 in)
W: 58.6 mm (2.31 in)
D: 7.6 mm (0.30 in)

12 Mini:
H: 131.5 mm (5.18 in)
W: 64.2 mm (2.53 in)
D: 7.4 mm (0.29 in)

SE3
H: 138.4 mm (5.45 in)
W: 67.3 mm (2.65 in)
D: 7.3 mm (0.29 in)
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13 mini is 7.65 mm deep, worst than SE 16.
2400 mAh vs 1600 mAh.
 
Menel said:
Truth, My day 1 X is still fast, crazy fast. I cannot believe how ancient in tech terms it is. Im just starting to itch for a better camera.
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Same, my X has been a workhorse. My battery is degraded and I'll probably upgrade when the 14 comes around but I could probably get at least another year or two out of it.
 
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Oh, wow... you mean people don't need to upgrade their iPhones? EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR.

I understand being innovative & staying competitive, but releasing a new model EVERY YEAR is just... ewaste.
 
cbass90 said:
Oh, wow... you mean people don't need to upgrade their iPhones? EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR.

I understand being innovative & staying competitive, but releasing a new model EVERY YEAR is just... ewaste.
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No, Apple can release new models each year. That doesn’t mean that all Apple customers upgrade each year. Customers are all on different upgrade schedules so some are ready to upgrade in each year. Individual users only upgrade every few years and for them the cumulative changes mean a noticeable improvement over their older phones.

It’s like cars. The manufacturer have updates each year and some people buy a car that year, but most people don’t.
 
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