iPhone SE 2 Predicted to Be Discontinued as Rumors Remain All Over the Map [Update: Corrected]

[JPack]

I think a quick look at the posts here would raise some doubts about your claims. Seem to be a lot of supporters for the smaller size (me included).

A quick look at the market says no. Which other manufacturer is selling a 4" smartphone product in 2018?

There are "a lot" of supporters yet no other manufacturer has capitalized on this gold mine? Even Apple has left the SE stale.

Either every other smartphone manufacturer is stupid or the market is really too small to deserve an update.

 

[WaxedJacket]

I was under the impression that the SE sold like crazy. No idea why they would be discontinuing it.

 

[skitidetdu]

The Mac mini is a 2010 design packed with 2014's technology in 2018... So there's at least another year before the iPhone SE gets discontinued?

I see it renewed in march 2019 since it has no place now. I refuse to believe they will drop it entirely .

 

[SuperHamster]

Nooooo hands of the SE! Best iPhone I've ever had. I downgraded from the iPhone X (piece of junk) to the SE and have never looked back. No crappy Intel modem (a total pain for all the newer European models) that needs 20 seconds to lock on to a new base station and never reaches above 50% signal. Perfect size w/o need for a two-hand grip. Rigid body that doesn't break down the internal components. Physical home button that you can find without needing to look at it. Earphone plug!! Gonna buy a stock of a dozen SE's if they are discontinued.

 

[JPack]

I was under the impression that the SE sold like crazy. No idea why they would be discontinuing it.

If it actually sold like crazy, Apple would be updating it every 6-12 months and showing it off every September.

The fact that it's a 2.5 year old phone tells you otherwise.

 

[Baymowe335]

4" replaced by 6.1" phone? Thats so so wrong. SE with iPhone X style screen would have been really good.

What’s the size of the entire phone?

 

[m00f]

To me the design looks a bit outdated. They should at least look like iPhone 6/7/8.

Not dated, “classic”. Like selling the original Mac design into the early 90’s as the Mac Classic. The 6 design is horrible. It’s slippery and easier to drop, also easier to shatter because of raised glass, AND makes side gestures/swipes very difficult when used with a case (again because of raised glass and curved sides). This is why utilitarian users with taste prefer the 5 style design

 

[Baymowe335]

Sure, discontinue the most widely-loved iPhone model.

Lol that you think this is the most widely loved model. Reality (sales) says otherwise.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I’d imagine the SE has been a good entry level iPhone for teens and others. Why wife adores hers, having upgraded from a 5s 16GB when she could no linger live with so little storage. Dropping in an A10 chip and I’d imagine there is still life and selling potential in the form factor. I offered my wife my old 6s 128GB for free when I got my X; she wanted to stop with her SE. I suspect she’s not alone.

Agreed.

My brother offered me his old iPhone 6, as work were giving him a new one; it was too big for me, and I bought the SE - which I love - instead.

Cost is not the only attractive feature of the SE iPhone - as this thread alone attests, many have bought this thing for its size, ergonomics and ease of use.

 

[bluecoast]

I'd also place my money on some internal spec updates. The SE size market is still large, for people who like smaller devices and for those who want budget prices. They'd be foolish to kill it off completely.

So apparently in India, there's two iPhone production lines:

One for the 6S and another for - yes, you guessed it - the SE.

It makes sense for the 6S line to move to produce the 7. That's not too big a jump, I'd imagine. It may even have less parts to worry about.

But it doesn't make sense just to stop the SE line, surely?

At this point, if the SE is going to stick around, I'd suspect that the SE will be spec bumped up to 7 era parts, where possible (if the rumours are true) so that one facility is (mostly) only receiving September era new phone parts and the SE gets to live but with the minimum effort on Apple's part.

I'd imagine that we'd only get the camera & processor updated now & maybe just maybe, the 7's screen (without 3D Touch).

But maybe Apple has data to show that really, people want a big phone and all they have to do is to make a phone at the correct price point.

Maybe it was that the SE was only really popular because it hit a particular price point (i.e. more than its size being a draw factor).

Even so, I'd find it odd to believe that Apple wouldn't have room in its line up for a product that appears to be pretty popular still.

Maybe though there's just not enough people who like a small phone to justify it, when you are looking at making tens of millions a quarter of a particular phone model.

Mind you, this is the company that still sells the Mac mini, so sometimes there's no rhyme or reason to what they do...

 

[fairuz]

Are you high? The design is timeless, it’s like a leica camera.

One way it's dated is the large bezels. Newer tech has made that unnecessary, so we can have a larger screen on the same size device.

 

[logicstudiouser]

I'm still very loyal to the Mac lineup, but I am not as loyal with iPhone and will look at other options if Apple abandons the SE with no equivalent. Currently using an iOS 9 SE and loving it. Super fast and great battery life. I'll hold on for as long as it still works with my daily apps.

 

[AronDraws]

They won't discontinue it, it still makes a decent profit for them. It'll likely get refreshed to a newer design but not until next year.

If they put out a new SE, I'll get it. If they axe it? I'll have to buy a discontinued phone. I just really don't want to have to carry around a giant phone.

 

[fairuz]

Why would you want a glass back? That's the worst design for a phone IMO. Easy to scratch, easy to crack, gets covered in fingerprints, and slippery.

At least it still looks cool if it cracks Also, idk. My iPhone 4 with its glass back doesn't really have any of those problems. I think they screwed it up on the 8 somehow.

 

[Ruggy]

We have two of them. Not everyone wants a bigger phone so I find it hard to believe they are going to discontinue it. Why would they? It costs almost nothing because it uses components from other phones and the rest is old technology thus very cheap.
By using common parts they increase the scale of production thereby reducing costs for newer phones.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if it isn't their most profitable model on that basis.
I don't think they will discontinue it as long as they can still get parts from current models.

 

[JPack]

So apparently in India, there's two iPhone production lines:

One for the 6S and another for - yes, you guessed it - the SE.

It makes sense for the 6S line to move to produce the 7. That's not too big a jump, I'd imagine. It may even have less parts to worry about.

But it doesn't make sense just to stop the SE line, surely?

At this point, if the SE is going to stick around, I'd suspect that the SE will be spec bumped up to 7 era parts, where possible (if the rumours are true) so that one facility is (mostly) only receiving September era new phone parts and the SE gets to live but with the minimum effort on Apple's part.

I'd imagine that we'd only get the camera & processor updated now & maybe just maybe, the 7's screen (without 3D Touch).

But maybe Apple has data to show that really, people want a big phone and all they have to do is to make a phone at the correct price point.

Maybe it was that the SE was only really popular because it hit a particular price point (i.e. more than its size being a draw factor).

Even so, I'd find it odd to believe that Apple wouldn't have room in its line up for a product that appears to be pretty popular still.

Maybe though there's just not enough people who like a small phone to justify it, when you are looking at making tens of millions a quarter of a particular phone model.

Mind you, this is the company that still sells the Mac mini, so sometimes there's no rhyme or reason to what they do...

Apple continues to manufacture and sell new iPhone 6 32GB units for select markets.

Many consumers in emerging markets want the iPhone 6 form factor but simply can't afford the price.

SE really exists just for the price point. If the SE was such a hot seller, Apple would have spent the effort updating it by now.

 

[ignatius345]

To me the design looks a bit outdated. They should at least look like iPhone 6/7/8.

Looks great to me, and the straight sides provide a nice surface for the beautifully designed volume buttons, mute switch, and lock button. Oh, and the headphone jack.

 

[mazz0]

I wish they’d do a new C - same size (for those of us who don’t like everything being a phablet) but with a X style screen, same lovely brightly coloured plastic shell which would be just as good as glass for wireless charging (not that I use wireless charging). Ideally with modern internals and camera - small doesn’t have to mean low-end.

 

[fairuz]

If they put out a new SE, I'll get it. If they axe it? I'll have to buy a discontinued phone. I just really don't want to have to carry around a giant phone.

Same, but I'm worried because there are security updates that don't make it to phones that are so old that they can't run the latest iOS. So buying an old phone might not be worth, but I'll gladly use a throwaway old phone someone in my family doesn't want until it starts becoming dangerously outdated.

Part of me wants to say "screw it" and run some old iOS and not care. And I can do away with my bad habit of keeping sensitive info on my phone.
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I wish they’d do a new C - same size (for those of us who don’t like everything being a phablet) but with a X style screen, same lovely brightly coloured plastic shell which would be just as good as glass for wireless charging (not that I use wireless charging). Ideally with modern internals and camera - small doesn’t have to mean low-end.

iPhone 5C was so cool, looked a lot nicer than the SE.

 

[PickUrPoison]

I don’t think it will be discontinued, rather it will continue to be sold (at least in lower cost markets) at $279-299. The 6S could drop to $349-379 and continue for at least another year, until they can hit that price point with the 7.

Both the SE and 6S are much better performing than the iPhone 6 that Apple is still selling in certain Asian markets. At a $349 price point, the 6S would be a home run.

re: the SE2, I don’t see the need to continue selling a 4.0” phone as the least expensive iPhone, when the 4.7” iPhones like 6S and later the 7 will sell better to those who se cell phone is the only computer they own.

Instead, I think in March 2019, Apple will debut a smaller brother to the 6.1” LCD model. It be larger than the SE, but smaller than the the current 4.7” iPhones 6/7/8. Something around 5.0” in the 19.5:9 aspect ratio.

 

[fairuz]

Apple continues to manufacture and sell new iPhone 6 32GB units for select markets.

Many consumers in emerging markets want the iPhone 6 form factor but simply can't afford the price.

SE really exists just for the price point. If the SE was such a hot seller, Apple would have spent the effort updating it by now.

Well Apple also neglects updating the most popular laptop in the world.

 

[GoodWheaties]

That iPhone 5 design still look great.

I still think the 5S looks the best. The polished chamfers still look fresh compared to the matte on the SE. I suspect it was done on purpose.

 

[JPack]

Well Apple also neglects updating the most popular laptop in the world.

The most popular notebooks in the world are branded HP, Lenovo, and Dell.

For Apple, total revenue for Mac represents about 10% for them.

 

[gnipgnop]

Maybe the SE is like the Mac mini: everyone swears that they love it but nobody actually buys it.

 

[bluecoast]

I will miss that form factor. The rounded edges from the iPhone 6-on look beautiful but the edges of the SE allow for an infinitely more secure grip.

That's really true. I used to use my SE without a case most of the time.

Sometimes I take my 7 out of it's case to use, but it feels like living dangerously - that thing wants to jump out of my hands!

The curved sides are great for swiping in from either side, but terrible for gripping.

I do think that Jonny Ive should reread Dieter Rams 10 Principles of Good Design again. The SE's edges were useful i.e. they stopped you from dropping your phone. The 6 onwards make it easier to drop your phone.

Doing your utmost to make it easy for the user to keep a hold on their phone and therefore not to drop their phone is surely a key attribute of a smartphone's product design, right?

I'm getting tired of having to swaddle my iPhone in a case just to use it. What's the point of the design and thinness if over 90 percent of your users have to protect their phone by immediately putting it in a case? Isn't that immediately a failure of good design?