But it makes more sense. Costs for the smaller parts like display or battery are much cheaper.
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iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Feature Action Button, USB-C, Face ID, and More
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My wife has small hands and will upgrade to a bigger phone from her 12 Mini next time around. I have small hands myself and I'm considering the same, despite not liking big phones.
The truth is that most people with small hands struggle to even reach the top of the 5.4" Mini comfortably. I can barely make it, my wife can't. So she needs to use two hands to use her phone most of the time anyway. In her view, and I can't really argue against it, she's having a lot of the disadvantages of a small phone (battery, smaller and less content etc) while not really reaping the benefits. She might as well get a bigger phone with better battery and a better video call and gaming experience, things she does daily.
Battery yes, but the smaller display may actually be more expensive for Apple as it is only used for one iphone model. The 6.1” and 6.7” displays are probably cheaper due to economies of scale.
With OLED and Face ID, there wouldn’t seem to be many reasons left to buy the regular iPhone instead of the SE. Except for the dual camera I guess.
Sounds like iphone 15 minus one camera.
I think this SE rumor is to close to the normal lineup. Why should people cash out a few hundred bucks more if SE give them same body, display and face ID
I think this SE rumor is to close to the normal lineup. Why should people cash out a few hundred bucks more if SE give them same body, display and face ID
No dual camera, probably a poorer sensor, omissions of key features (the SE still doesn't have nighttime photography), older SoC, maybe a weaker battery, 60hz and no LTPO, notch vs pill etc
They would probably streamline which models they sell to just SE, regular and pro (probably at different sizes) instead of selling an iPhone 12, an iPhone 14 and an iPhone 14 plus the SE and Mini.
If these rumours are true, it’s going to be hard for Apple to distinguish the regular iPhone model from the SE.
Is the dynamic island really that a compelling a feature?
I’m going to presume that this means that the regular iPhone - not Max - will get bigger.
And given how fast the A series chips are getting, that the SE will have a previous year’s chip. But it’ll be very likely that it’ll be hard to tell any difference.
You’ve got to assume that the rumoured periscope camera will be an ‘ultra’ feature only, too.
I struggle to imagine what will push prospective 2025 iPhone SE buyers who ‘just want a new iPhone’ up to the regular iPhone 17 though.
Is the dynamic island really that a compelling a feature?
I’m going to presume that this means that the regular iPhone - not Max - will get bigger.
And given how fast the A series chips are getting, that the SE will have a previous year’s chip. But it’ll be very likely that it’ll be hard to tell any difference.
You’ve got to assume that the rumoured periscope camera will be an ‘ultra’ feature only, too.
I struggle to imagine what will push prospective 2025 iPhone SE buyers who ‘just want a new iPhone’ up to the regular iPhone 17 though.
Sure, if you buy them in big quantities, which would not be the case for minis. In fact, Apple cut down their small panel orders quite early into mini 13 production cycle.
Also, do not neglect assembly costs, which might actually be higher for smaller devices. This is purely a guess, but I do not think mini production costs are lower than those of standard 6.1” 13s.
Unless Apple get rid of a notch by then or turn Dynamic Island into a must-have for more people.
You answered the questions I just posed. Thanks !
You have to imagine that the regular iPhone 17 will move to a variable rate display, given that most mid range android phones have already.
But launching a Phone with a single lens camera in 2025 would be very ‘brave’, given that the very cheapest and iOS phones have at least two cameras.
If they leave out the Face ID and put Touch ID in the power button, it would be fine and less expensive. If they had Touch ID within the display, that would be better. They should put a display capable of 1920x1080, so that movies can be shown properly.
Agreed. The SE is not an annual device so it makes sense for the long game.
It would certainly be a painful omission, but to tell you the truth the lack of night mode feels like a bigger reason for me personally to not get an SE than the lack of a second camera. It's neat to have the wide angle, but I'm definitely not using it as much as I thought I would.
Anyway, my main point was that there are plenty of ways other than screen size for Apple to set the SE apart from the regular phones.
In terms of broad user experience, there's almost no difference between the 14 and the 13 and, in all fairness, between the 14 and the 12 or the 13 and the 12. Yet people are still being upsold by better cameras and bigger batteries and satellite SOS.
I'm not particularly worried that Apple wouldn't find annoying ways to gimp an SE based on the 14 to set it apart from the regular 2025 phone.
They only thing I dislike about my current SE is the old camera technology. Sounds like Apple is keeping the old camera.
The Se, as Apple's entry level model, is designed to be a low costs basic phone for someone who just wants a phone and photography is not important. Adding dual cameras would raise the costs, which is counter to it's positioning.
I suspect there will be enough differences to allow people to differentiate the two models; such as size, camera capabilities, processor speed..
If it’s purported to be like a 14 (6.1”) how do you figure “The current iPhone Mini owners will appreciate the new design”?
The minis were 5.4”.
Nothing personal but your comment makes no sense.
I really do no care if it’s called a mini or an SE, but I really want Apple to continue to offer a smaller phone with updated features. The 13 mini has been perfect for me. I plan on keeping it until we get a new mini or something comparable.
My understanding is the iPhone plus didn’t sell as well as the mini line. Just give us a mini every 2-3 years.
My understanding is the iPhone plus didn’t sell as well as the mini line. Just give us a mini every 2-3 years.
It was recycled it used the iPhone 5 design.
Choice is a good thing, however I always liked the clean lineup of products Apple used to have, and I'd love a return to a more coherent look among the products.
I think 2024 will be the year, as we'll probably see the 9th Gen ipad and the M1 Macbook Air being dropped.
My dream would be for a 13" PRO to be updated with the latest design.
This way we'd have a full lineup of coherent looking products, including the SE.
I think 2024 will be the year, as we'll probably see the 9th Gen ipad and the M1 Macbook Air being dropped.
My dream would be for a 13" PRO to be updated with the latest design.
This way we'd have a full lineup of coherent looking products, including the SE.
I agree with you; considering the plus didn't seel that well I'd strongly consider getting back macking the mini, as it was a presigious and unique proposition in the smartphone landscape.
A true premium device, in a small package.
I personally shoot many videos with my iPhone via Filmic Pro, so I'll probably go Pro Max with the 15 series, but I sure love the idea of a mini iPhone.
And those with small pockets.
And therein, as the bard would tell us, lies the rub. 😉 Apple do not want our sympathy or enthusiasm when it comes to iPhones, they want us to buy them, plain and simple. Not enough people bought 12 and 13 minis for Apple’s liking, so they are scraping them (most likely). I would love to be wrong, however.