iPhone SE Sales Forecasted as 'Lackluster' Over First Weekend

[Rigby]

Tesla must be to blame. Too many people choose to pre-order a car instead of a phone.

I did both. But seriously, it was pretty obvious that this wouldn't sell as much as a new model in Apple's main product line. It addresses a certain niche. I hope it's successful enough for Apple to consider offering a small form factor option for new models going forward. Personally I'm really happy to have a compact phone again.

 

[Benjamin Frost]

I would have bought a 128GB SE if Apple had offered it.

In their wisdom, they decided not to, so I have decided not to buy it.

 

[BuffaloTF]

I would've bought this, had it been released at the same time as the 6S line... as it stands now, I won't bother even though I much prefer the size of it.

 

[Tech198]

I really hope there isn't anyone that's surprised by this. Sure, there's a market for a small phone. We've seen lots of people on these forums happy to be able to get an updated 4" device. But sales and marketing trends have clearly shown the larger form factor is, far and away, the preferred device size.

Well.... particularly, when users buy a bigger phone and are comfortable with it for so long ya... its tough to go back to a smaller device. Even i have my doubts.

I like small devices, but after upgrading from a 4-inch, i can't image using a smaller device again after seeing what a bigger display give you. Not for everyone....

 

[Nuvi]

Where are all the people that wanted a new 4 inch iPhone?

(yes, its not exactly 'new', its a refined 5s).

As said, it's just iPhone 5 on steroids. If one could get 4 inch iPhone 7 now then the sales numbers would be completely different. Even with the looks of iPhone 6 and naming convention in-line with iPhone 6 (iPhone 6 mini/minus/whatever) sales would have been much better.

 

[Deuce on the Clock]

These sales will happen over time. Its a niche product to gain more customers wanting smaller screens. It will do fine.

 

[gadgetguy03]

One of my friends, who was looking to upgrade but didn't like the size of the 6, hadn't even heard about the SE from her carrier when she looked at upgrade options. I told her about it and she has one on the way.

 

[555gallardo]

no 3D touch, old design -> crippled product when compared to flagship 6S. What is confusing about that?

3D Touch again.... The function nobody uses anymore.

 

[redscull]

but they gotta know about the fact that there are millions and millions of people out there just aren't smart enough to understand what this phone can offer just because it looks the same as a couple of years ago. A few small design changes to place it more in line with the flagships would go a very long way I tink.

But using that logic, wouldn't every "S iteration" flagship be a failure too? Who is buying the S models if these people don't recognize any value without a change to the appearance?

 

[yg17]

You mean people don't want a phone with last years guts shoved into 2012's enclosure? I'm shocked!

 

[avanpelt]

Not surprised. Most people who still use a 4" phone and don't want a larger phone are not the people who stand in line on launch day to get a new version of said phone. That's also why Apple probably won't be updating the 4" model every year like they will with the larger phones.

 

[cdmoore74]

Even at $300 (at Walmart on contract) it's a tough sale if you already own a 6S. And I still believe that the majority of people upgrade iPhones in the first month of release. You can blame Apple for this.

 

[spaceballl]

They would have had me if there were a 128GB option...

 

[rongleason]

Umm.. not sure about other countries, but it's proving difficult to get hold of one in the UK.
Order online, it's a 2 week wait.
And no stock in stores at the moment.

I would be an SE customer, IF I could actually buy one!

I went to the local Verizon store here in the US and they do not have any and the earliest it would ship would be April 11th.

Verizon could just be delaying these till April to be able to charge the new $20 phone switch charge

 

[AliMacs]

4" is too big - waiting for Apple to recycle the 3.5" display with iPhone 7 parts.

 

[e93to]

We can't judge a product by its sales over the first 3-4 days. The sales will catch up, but I doubt SE will take up significant amount of sales breakdown or market share. It will occupy the niche segment, and Apple probably won't have to update the phone in a long while.

I don't think general population really cares about "one-hand operability." People don't think that far ahead when getting these gadgets. All they think about is watching movies, taking/sharing pictures, playing games, etc. And big screens are excellent for those purposes. If they have to use two hands to use their large-screen phones, it is just a small price to pay to have that large screen. And my 5S gets laughed at by others when I'm with people with larger phones. Heck, even my mom with Galaxy Note 2 and dad with Galaxy S3(?) makes fun of my small phone. Yes, there is market for 4" phones, but day by day they are gradually disappearing.

Portability however is a different story... I hear complaints from guys (not females. They carry purses) that phones are too big to carry. But that wasn't enough for them to switch back to smaller phones. Again, they seem to learn to live with it, and it is a small price to pay to have the large screen.

Let's say there are two phones in front of crowd - a 6.4" phone and a 4" phone. Which do you think will get checked more? It is the 6.4" phone. When my friend whipped out his Sony Xperia Z 6.4", his phone was the center of attention. New iPhone 5S? Who cares! There is a phone with 6.4" screen! Gradually people in my social circle bought and preferred phones with large screens.

In the end, SE was never meant to make a splash. Its purpose is to serve those who prefer smaller screens for one-hand operability, portability and, most importantly, cheaper price. SE seems like a brilliant move by Apple. I bet its cost to manufacture is shockingly low due to existing 5S parts and other components from newer iPhones. There probably was no effort on Apple's part to develop SE. I won't be surprised executive/management meetings regarding marketability of SE cost more...

 

[springsup]

Not any surprise at all - I don't think anybody expected this to be a first-weekend blockbuster.

It's out-of-cycle, using an older design, without some of the latest features. It's clearly an option meant to appeal to both the lower-cost and smaller-screen demographics without sacrificing the premium of the flagship devices. It replaced the iPhone 5C in the product lineup.

There is no ambiguity: this isn't a flagship device. It's a very good device, very capable device, but it's not something with huge built-up demand that is going to translate in to round-the-block lines on launch day.

The value of this device to Apple is long-term, having a lower cost of entry to the iOS platform and more options when it comes to the size of device that suits you.

 

[BlandUsername]

Where are all the people that wanted a new 4 inch iPhone?

(yes, its not exactly 'new', its a refined 5s).

Waiting on our contracts to expire, I have a 5C and a 5S that expire this year, That is when I will pick up 2 SE's. Once again prognosticators open their yaps and BS flies out.

 

[RJayM]

I work for a Canadian Carrier, we sold a ton of them over the weekend. I would say we sold more of the SE then we did of the 6s at launch. Apple also knew this wouldn't be a 10 million weekend. Its a niche phone, like the 6+.

 

[yegon]

SE was never going to be quick out of the gates,

But it'll catch up with steady sales over time.

4th post nails it imo.

I've no desire for a small phone again, but there is clearly enough of a minority that are interested judging by that 30 million figure quoted by Apple in their keynote. Given that was 30m of a pretty old model, I see no reason why the SE won't completely eclipse that figure over a similar time frame. Although it lacks some headline features, the fast cpu/gpu/ram* and, crucially, the excellent camera means it's an attractive, largely uncompromised option if you don't want a big phone.

*I know, ram doesn't necessarily sell to the masses, but they're getting a much better experience because of 2gb. Apple never should have released 64bit devices with 1gb. The 5S was okay, but Air 1 & 6+ were the worst devices I've had had out of the box - unstable, constant app refreshing, laggy. The 3G was ropey looking back, but was killer for the first 12-18 months, helped probably cos we knew know better at the time.

 

[Freida]

3D Touch again.... The function nobody uses anymore.

Thats not the point and you know it!

 

[Cobra502]

iPhone se (iPhone suckered you in edition)

Personally I don't mind the 5s design...the design was great. at least you don't have to worry about bending phone or whatever.
It's not cool to sell this in the same year as iPhone 7 or new models. It's like double slapping at customers' faces.

Why is that? Can you explain how this is a double slap in customers face? IMO this allows customer who don't want or cant afford a $649 and up device to get one with performance of an iPhone 6S.

Processor
Memory (2GB of DDR4)
and Camera

The above features are all the same. Screen is smaller but with data plans opening up Tethering... I can hook up my iPad or my Mac Book Pro if I want a HUGE screen.

 

[AliMacs]

4th post nails it imo.

I've no desire for a small phone again, but there is clearly enough of a minority that are interested judging by that 30 million figure quoted by Apple in their keynote. Given that was 30m of a pretty old model, I see no reason why the SE won't completely eclipse that figure over a similar time frame. Although it lacks some headline features, the fast cpu/gpu/ram* and, crucially, the excellent camera means it's an attractive, uncompromised option if you don't want a big phone.

*I know, ram doesn't necessarily sell to the masses, but they're getting a much better experience because of 2gb. Apple never should have released 64bit devices with 1gb. The 5S was okay, but Air 1 & 6+ were the worst devices I've had had out of the box / unstable, constant app refreshing, laggy. The 3G was ropey looking back, but was killer for the first 12-18 months, helped probably cos we knew know better at the time.

LOL, Nailed what?

When in 4 months time the iPhone 7 is delivered, the iPhone SE will sales will tank even further than Donald trump's reputation for being a douche. You guys are just losing sleep when you realize you just got your reality distorted AGAIN.

 

[AZREOSpecialist]

What a shock that a 4 year old design is no longer appealing to consumers. This release shows a complete creative bankruptcy at Apple. They probably had a bunch of old iPhone 4S shells laying around and thought, what a great idea to repurpose and sell those old outdated pieces. Except, Apple, consumers are smarter than that. It seems Apple thought very little of its customers when it released this product. Apple is showing major signs of apathy and lethargy and is prime for disruption.

 

[617arg]

Apple made a strange decision in keeping the form factor of the 5s. I own a 5s, and I'm ready for a new phone. I prefer the smaller screen size because I keep my phone in my pocket most of the time, but it feels strange ordering a new phone that looks exactly like the one I've had for nearly two years already. They really should have given it a new, preferably slimmer, look.