Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Could also be some of these factors (they're all part of why I love it anyway):

No notch
The flat edges
No camera bump
The choice of being able to use a built-in headphone jack socket
Easy to charge and plug in headphones at the same time, no adapters or dongles required
Home Button
TouchID
Bezels to hold onto whilst not obscuring the screen
Sharp square corners on the display instead of rounded corners
Arguably the last true product of the Steve Job-era iPhone designs...

But yeah, the small form factor and low price are probably two of the most popular reasons people who love this phone love this phone.
Well, all those things are true, but, save the edges, not unique. Inexpensive & small are singularly SE, and frankly I’d pay way more to have an SE-sized iPhone with modern guts.
 
Did Apple lose money on iPods, iPod Nano, iPod touch and all those iPhones before the 6 series? No.

The profit margin may not be as vulgar as the iPhone X series and up, or the various recent MacBooks, but they did survive.

For each adult buying an iPhone XS or XR or XS Max, there is at least one kid under 16 who the parent/s would prefer to use a lower cost (still premium) iPhone.

New comers to Apple will also prefer $500 iPhones and $750 MacBooks (Air); there is enough iPad family to experiment with, though typically for FaceTime and browsing. $1500 iPad Pro is there for the hardcore users.

Just because I like a 5.8"+ iPhone doesn't mean I should insist Apple only manufacture those sizes - who am I to deny them the 4-4.5" iPhone that Apple maybe eyeing?

For that matter, who is Tim Cook to deny the people the smaller iPhones - yes, other than being a misguided or out-of-touch CEO of the company!
 
Last edited:
The iPhone X is the same size as the iPhone 6, 7, and 8. Maybe wear looser pants?

Name a large company selling a lot of 4 inch phones? People don't want them.

Edge to edge in an SE sized phone would be 4.7 inches. We both know that Apple would sell a ton of those phones, only partially at the expense of sales of the bigger ones. I understand that they would rather remove the choice and push people to more profitable units but your beloved service division depends on shifting phones and they are not doing that with the current line up.

If you take out app sales, Applecare and Apple music there's nothing left in services so if Apple wants to rescue its share price it needs a rethink of its phone line up. It could do a lot worse than catering for people that want a smaller phone.
[doublepost=1548368991][/doublepost]
Since apple discontiued SE I switched to Google Pixel and it blows iphone to pieces in many aspects but I still miss the size of SE, even slighlty smaller would be nice; these large phones are OK once in a while for larger screen but carrying them all day almost like a brick and unable to use with one hand just kills it for me; Hmmm if these companies dont start making smaller phones I may just switch to those Palm or whatever its crazy man, crazy

What do you like about the Pixel 3? Pretty much decided that if my SE dies I would get a Pixel, it's still quite comfortable to hold. Most of the apps I use would be indistinguishable on Android.
 
  • Like
Reactions: wbeasley
Regardless of the tech involved, this is the price point they need. If you totally ignore the low end, people dont have a gateway to the ecosystem.

I've had friends with old Apple phones that need upgrading. But they can't even consider a A$1000 phone. Apple will lose these people to Android.

Something in the A$399 range is still top end to some people but it isnt the stretch to what Apple considers bottom end.

Samsung high end Note and S9 have had massive price cuts here lately. Phones are just too expensive for most people (we forget how expensive the first mobile phones were!) but the market sets expectations. You can buy a very capable phone for $50 to make calls. It's a mature market so parting people from their money is hard. Apple has pushed the price limits and it kept profits up. I upgraded this year even though it was an outrageous price. But also held onto my previous phone for 3 years. That was a first. I will keep this one for 3 or maybe 4 years. If everyone did that there is suddenly a huge drop in demand. We need to get into replacing batteries not phones. But that deoesnt meet shareholder expectations.
 
Why not just leave the 'Clearance' up ? Apple is going to go round again anyway..

Better to say "Currently unavailable", than not knowing if there will be another one. Apple knows. I guess the guy in charge of web development doesn't
 
I Think you are thinking too much to what i said. Plain and simple: outdated product.
Well, it is not. If it still runs the latest OS, does everything fine and getting support from the manufacturer.
[doublepost=1548372620][/doublepost]
The iPhone X is the same size as the iPhone 6, 7, and 8. Maybe wear looser pants?

Name a large company selling a lot of 4 inch phones? People don't want them.
6, 7 and 8 are all too big. Just because there are other big ones out there does not justify that they are the right size.
And who said the pants' pockets? Have you tried a shirt chest pocket?
Name a large company selling a small phone WITH top spec. The companies always cripple the specs on the smaller phones and then say no one buys them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: KPandian1
Data to support that?

Here is my data: No major company makes a 4 inch phone.

I would call that specious reasoning, not "data".

I can only speak to my anecdotal experience, but I have spoken to many people around the world who either use smaller phones, or express interest in buying one if one were sold that met their needs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: B4U
Maybe wear looser pants? Name a large company selling a lot of 4 inch phones? People don't want them.

Se is outdated.

Change my wardrobeo_O - even if I do it these phablets won't fit. Why should I replace my wardrobe to accommodate the short-sighted mega-corp?:mad:

The large company selling 4" smartphones - Apple.:):p

Who are these "People" you talk about? Three of the four iPhones in my household are 5S/SE models. All the SEs were bought in 2018 second half.

Apple supports all of its 64-bit iPhones today - that starts with the iPhone 5S! Even if :apple: wants to ditch the 5S/SE line, they will have to specifically target their oblivion in the code they write for the iOS that retires them. In this mix - the iPhone 6S.:D

So, the iPhone SE is NOT outdated. It can last as long as the user wants, if they do not update the iOS - say from iOS 12.

If Apple never releases another 4" model, people are going to cling on to the current models until … no, the "cold dead … " doesn't apply here, but the gist is the same;).

Remember, people are still buying the iPhone SE as of last night.
 
  • Like
Reactions: B4U and Oldfash33
Well, it is not. If it still runs the latest OS, does everything fine and getting support from the manufacturer.
[doublepost=1548372620][/doublepost]
6, 7 and 8 are all too big. Just because there are other big ones out there does not justify that they are the right size.
And who said the pants' pockets? Have you tried a shirt chest pocket?
Name a large company selling a small phone WITH top spec. The companies always cripple the specs on the smaller phones and then say no one buys them.
Well it is. The chip is old.
[doublepost=1548374409][/doublepost]
Change my wardrobeo_O - even if I do it these phablets won't fit. Why should I replace my wardrobe to accommodate the short-sighted mega-corp?:mad:

The large company selling 4" smartphones - Apple.:):p

Who are these "People" you talk about? Three of the four iPhones in my household are 5S/SE models. All the SEs were bought in 2018 second half.

Apple supports all of its 64-bit iPhones today - that starts with the iPhone 5S! Even if :apple: wants to ditch the 5S/SE line, they will have to specifically target their oblivion in the code they write for the iOS that retires them. In this mix - the iPhone 6S.:D

So, the iPhone SE is NOT outdated. It can last as long as the user wants, if they do not update the iOS - say from iOS 12.

If Apple never releases another 4" model, people are going to cling on to the current models until … no, the "cold dead … " doesn't apply here, but the gist is the same;).

Remember, people are still buying the iPhone SE as of last night.
Lol the tech is old. Come on now.
 
Edge to edge in an SE sized phone would be 4.7 inches. We both know that Apple would sell a ton of those phones, only partially at the expense of sales of the bigger ones. I understand that they would rather remove the choice and push people to more profitable units but your beloved service division depends on shifting phones and they are not doing that with the current line up.

If you take out app sales, Applecare and Apple music there's nothing left in services so if Apple wants to rescue its share price it needs a rethink of its phone line up. It could do a lot worse than catering for people that want a smaller phone.
[doublepost=1548368991][/doublepost]

What do you like about the Pixel 3? Pretty much decided that if my SE dies I would get a Pixel, it's still quite comfortable to hold. Most of the apps I use would be indistinguishable on Android.
Well, why don’t you just take everything out of services? If you take out everything from services, there would be nothing left. Ridiculous.

Their Q1 services business just grew 25% y/y despite “poor” iPhone sales in China, so evidently, weaker unit sales doesn’t slow down services growth very much. 25% is insane.

Apple has the data on the market. At this huge scale, not enough people want the iPhone in a small form factor, or it would exist. That’s just the bottom line.
 
Sony's making a fairly well reviewed 5" phone with decent specs that's smaller overall than the iPhone 6-8. Samsung's even coming out with a slightly smaller version of the S10. So there's two companies that are still considering the smaller phone market.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: B4U
Many here keep saying there is no demand for the SE and that’s why Apple doesn’t make them, that no one wants a 4 inch phone etc.. According to Apple back in 2016 that was not the case. See below...

“Apple hasn't divulged sales numbers for the recently released iPhone SE, but during today's second quarter earnings call, company executives said that demand for the device was "very strong" and higher than expected.”

“According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, the iPhone SE puts Apple in a strategic plan to attract new customers with its affordable price point and powerful internal specifications. Cook says Apple is working hard to meet demand and improve shipping times for the device.”

https://www.macrumors.com/2016/04/26/iphone-se-demand-is-strong/

Of course I can only speak for myself in that I have been waiting for an SE2 since the SE released. With the hopes of a better screen and updated processor. For some reason Apple just ditched the whole device (I assume its money related) rather than low demand. Certainly there is more profit in larger phones, however the addition of an updated 4 inch phone doesn’t necessarily mean they have to build a cheap device next time. I'd certainly buy a few if Apple ever made them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: B4U
At this huge scale, not enough people want the iPhone in a small form factor, or it would exist. That’s just the bottom line.

Upon what do you base the lack of demand of the 4" iPhone" statement?

Apple pulled that form factor iPhone just like that when the 6 series was floated, without any transition to know if anyone was still buying them. It was a "My way or the Highway" move, just for the USA customers.:mad: Still continues selling it abroad, still manufacturing it in India!

There is no scientific or market share study to base this move. No data.

I've said this several times and a few others have too - release the 4" form factor alongside the 5+and 6+ models, OLED or not and then assess the market.

Even if the 4-4.5" models are priced at $600 range, they will sell.
I say that with the same certainty and conviction you have been saying "not enough people want the iPhone in a the small form factor!"
 
Edge to edge in an SE sized phone would be 4.7 inches. We both know that Apple would sell a ton of those phones, only partially at the expense of sales of the bigger ones. I understand that they would rather remove the choice and push people to more profitable units but your beloved service division depends on shifting phones and they are not doing that with the current line up.

If you take out app sales, Applecare and Apple music there's nothing left in services so if Apple wants to rescue its share price it needs a rethink of its phone line up. It could do a lot worse than catering for people that want a smaller phone.
[doublepost=1548368991][/doublepost]

What do you like about the Pixel 3? Pretty much decided that if my SE dies I would get a Pixel, it's still quite comfortable to hold. Most of the apps I use would be indistinguishable on Android.
I was sceptical about switching to something bigger (and I tried before with Iphone x and xs and iphone 7s but always returned it and went back to se) but my friend coworker had Pixel 2 and he sweared by it (he had Iphone prior to it) and he was showing me on many occasions the benefits, from camera to ease of use, unlcuttered, not locked in, have 3 years of free unlimited google cloud (but that wasnt my primary reason even though it helped) it was just the it was easy to use like..and many things are so automatedI dont need to type many things it just automatically recognizes choices that would fit in there for you to fill in..hard to explain as english is not my primary language but believe me this Google Pixel 3 is just way above all Iphones that I have tried; Only Iphone SE is worht any recognition in my opinion the rest are just copies of old Samsung phones..anyway try checking some out from someone they are the best just wish they had one smaller then the 3 so I can use it with one hand otherwise I never thought I would leave apple but it was so siple to transfer all info with provided cable etc etc
 
Well, it is not. If it still runs the latest OS, does everything fine and getting support from the manufacturer.
[doublepost=1548372620][/doublepost]
6, 7 and 8 are all too big. Just because there are other big ones out there does not justify that they are the right size.
And who said the pants' pockets? Have you tried a shirt chest pocket?
Name a large company selling a small phone WITH top spec. The companies always cripple the specs on the smaller phones and then say no one buys them.
Yes it does. People want bigger screens. Proof, that’s what’s available.

The iPhone 6,7,8 probably sold 600M units combined, many of those being PLUS models which are even bigger. What about that indicates they were “too big?”

Not sure how you can think the regular 6,7, 8 are too big.
[doublepost=1548377131][/doublepost]
Upon what do you base the lack of demand of the 4" iPhone" statement?

Apple pulled that form factor iPhone just like that when the 6 series was floated, without any transition to know if anyone was still buying them. It was a "My way or the Highway" move, just for the USA customers.:mad: Still continues selling it abroad, still manufacturing it in India!

There is no scientific or market share study to base this move. No data.

I've said this several times and a few others have too - release the 4" form factor alongside the 5+and 6+ models, OLED or not and then assess the market.

Even if the 4-4.5" models are priced at $600 range, they will sell.
I say that with the same certainty and conviction you have been saying "not enough people want the iPhone in a the small form factor!"
Apple has all kinds of market studies, agree? Or you think Apple doesn’t understand the market?

All the proof I need is that it doesn’t exist. That’s the difference between our arguments.

All you are doing is speculating how well it would sell and have no data to support that. My data is the 1B iPhones sold in the last 4 years that all have a 4.7” screen or larger.
[doublepost=1548377286][/doublepost]
Change my wardrobeo_O - even if I do it these phablets won't fit. Why should I replace my wardrobe to accommodate the short-sighted mega-corp?:mad:

The large company selling 4" smartphones - Apple.:):p

Who are these "People" you talk about? Three of the four iPhones in my household are 5S/SE models. All the SEs were bought in 2018 second half.

Apple supports all of its 64-bit iPhones today - that starts with the iPhone 5S! Even if :apple: wants to ditch the 5S/SE line, they will have to specifically target their oblivion in the code they write for the iOS that retires them. In this mix - the iPhone 6S.:D

So, the iPhone SE is NOT outdated. It can last as long as the user wants, if they do not update the iOS - say from iOS 12.

If Apple never releases another 4" model, people are going to cling on to the current models until … no, the "cold dead … " doesn't apply here, but the gist is the same;).

Remember, people are still buying the iPhone SE as of last night.
“People” could mean the 20,000 units that were available. When you sell over 200M, you give the market what they want and what they’ll buy.

It’s not just Apple. Samsung doesn’t make small form factors. Neither do LG, Google, Huawei, or Xiaomi. Guess how I know it’s not in demand?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Shark5150
They are just too big; people look like clows in the 1980s holding a brick next to their ears its pathetic looking; and then in their pockets looks horrible especially females in thein 5 cm haha long jeans back pocket almost complete phone is hanging out of their ass its ridiculous...but infortunately this trend is holdng for too long as these companies have stopped innovating and cant seem to make anything smallish which maybe unfolds or extends when needed for viewing something on larger screen and otherwise should be tiny and small enough to ext and talk on phone...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Aston441
I would call that specious reasoning, not "data".

I can only speak to my anecdotal experience, but I have spoken to many people around the world who either use smaller phones, or express interest in buying one if one were sold that met their needs.
My argument is much stronger. Companies deliver what people will buy and they have all the data possible on the subject.
 
My argument is much stronger. Companies deliver what people will buy and they have all the data possible on the subject.

Ha, the Communist model, "this is the best thing for you, comrade!"

Or the authoritarian Capitalist dictum - "You can buy it any color as long as it is black!" No data.

People want bigger screens. Proof, that’s what’s available.

Apple has all kinds of market studies, agree? Or you think Apple doesn’t understand the market?

That is not proof - it is just what is available in the USA, as per Apple's leap of faith.

No, I don't agree Apple has all kinds of studies - the just imitated the Android Piper.

You are just doing a systematic analysis of everything that happened after the iPhone 6 was released!
 
  • Like
Reactions: B4U
Ha, the Communist model, "this is the best thing for you, comrade!"

Or the authoritarian Capitalist dictum - "You can buy it any color as long as it is black!" No data.



That is not proof - it is just what is available in the USA, as per Apple's leap of faith.

No, I don't agree Apple has all kinds of studies - the just imitated the Android Piper.

You are just doing a systematic analysis of everything that happened after the iPhone 6 was released!
Apple sold $266B in stuff in 2018 and made $60B in profit. The most of any company, ever. It was nearly 3X more profit than the second most profitable company, Google.

Apple is the best company in the history of the world at giving the people what they want, evidenced by the numbers.

The truth hurts sometimes, but you couldn’t be more wrong.
 
It's weird how they go in and out of stock.

That's called build-to-order (BTO) in manufacturing.

They're not finding these in-between sofa cushions relatively speaking like some are suggesting.
[doublepost=1548379492][/doublepost]
What the hell is going on here? In and out of stock every couple of hours today?

Could be artificially simulated to spur sales or interest. Tactic seems to be working well.
 
Apple sold $266B in stuff in 2018 and made $60B in profit. The most of any company, ever. It was nearly 3X more profit than the second most profitable company, Google.

Apple is the best company in the history of the world at giving the people what they want, evidenced by the numbers.

The truth hurts sometimes, but you couldn’t be more wrong.

What on earth are you talking about? Oh, forgetaboutit?
 
  • Like
Reactions: B4U
What the hell is going on here? In and out of stock every couple of hours today?

Maybe they have to be reconfigured in some way considering they were meant for India and now being sold in US. Are they all unlocked or were they originally locked to a carrier, etc. So they work them up in batches... ? Or they just like to see if the fish are still biting every day now for awhile. If they put up enough, over a period of time, the resellers will grow tired of shelling out for possibly marginal gain, and Apple can test demand from end user sort of buyers if that's their actual aim past just ditching inventory.
 
Maybe they have to be reconfigured in some way considering they were meant for India and now being sold in US. Are they all unlocked or were they originally locked to a carrier, etc. So they work them up in batches... ? Or they just like to see if the fish are still biting every day now for awhile. If they put up enough, over a period of time, the resellers will grow tired of shelling out for possibly marginal gain, and Apple can test demand from end user sort of buyers if that's their actual aim past just ditching inventory.

The one time I got thru, the SE was not with any carrier. Don't remember any providers.

People pay above $500 for the brand new one that Apple sold - not so much the other ones on eBay.

So, Apple if you are reading, there is your price point for the next SE, aka, small form format. Make the screen 4.5" - a good jump up that will fit in this size case.
 
Yes it does. People want bigger screens. Proof, that’s what’s available.

The iPhone 6,7,8 probably sold 600M units combined, many of those being PLUS models which are even bigger. What about that indicates they were “too big?”

Not sure how you can think the regular 6,7, 8 are too big.
Again, avoiding my point.
Did they put in the top spec in the small phone?
Even the SE is still lacking the 2nd gen touch ID from the 6S.
A number of people get a new phone every 2 year but the are no smaller phones with the latest spec, so they had to get what is available. Had the SE launched with the 6S together, Apple would have to pay me to get the 6S over the SE.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.