Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPhone SE Unlikely to Receive Refresh in Early 2017
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
They might choose to do a "one step behind" thing again, like with the iPhone 5C. So the 2017 SE might be the iPhone 7's processor, RAM, camera, etc. If they go OLED next year, I'm hoping the SE still gets that at least. It would help the battery life situation.
Oh dear...
Yea, that's the thing, most of the world just assumes the current products are the "latest and greatest." That's may true in "Apple's world," but necessarily not what's available in the "outside world."
And with these dongles, it does complicate things. I mean if you're going somewhere and you forget a dongle, you're not going to be able to connect something to your MacBook Pr- "amateur 2016." It's something else you have to remember. The best way you get a dongle are one of those all-in-ones that have most ports you'd need. But nothing beats the simplicity and elegance of having your stuff plugged directly into the port IMO.
I went from the 5s to the 7 a week ago and it took all of a couple of days to get used to the larger screen and now it just feels normal and pretty much the same as the 5/5s. Going back to the 5s now however would probably feel jarring and very frustrating. I'd had my eye on the 4.7" models for a while but the 7 was a good time to upgrade for me. I expect the 7 to last me even longer than the 5s.
It's marginally harder to type single-handedly and I find myself occasionally using my other hand or "reachability" to tap UI elements quicker, but still worth it to have a higher quality and less-cramped screen. There's no doubt that 4" is the king for comfortable single-handed use but for a device where interacting with and viewing content is one of its main features I feel like the slight trade-off in comfort is worth it.
Now I wonder whether I could've gone even bigger, but 4.7" is at the upper limit of single-handed use so I'm definitely going to keep it. Some people claim it's possible to use the Plus size comfortably with one hand but I don't believe them. The 5.5" model requires constant manual acrobatics if you're trying to use it with one hand.
Battery life on the 7 kills the 5s. I got 15 hours of Safari Wi-Fi browsing in one test. My 5s was down to 3-4 hours of use if I'm lucky.
I do wish MacRumors increased the size of its forum font for the mobile site though!
Last edited:
Considering the SE has the A9, which is still faster than the Snapdragon 820, I think the others were the one that are complacent and greedy (charging premium price for phones that cannot even outperform a $400 iPhone).
[doublepost=1478327304][/doublepost]
The SE has the A9 chip, and Apple is still selling the 6S with the same chip as a middle of the lineup offering. If Apple updated the SE before the middle lineup, it will be a weird segmentation of product, where the lowest end is more powerful than the middle, just like with the SE and iPhone 6. I don't think Apple will do that again.
Apple will not refresh the iPhone SE in the first half of 2017, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The lack of refresh comes as Apple attempts to maintain high margins on its high-end iPhone models, Kuo said in a new research note.
Kuo forecasts that total shipment volume of iPhones will decline in the first half of 2017 due to tepid demand in China, slow shipment volume of 4.7-inch iPhones and the lack of an iPhone SE refresh in the second quarter of the year. Kuo argues that shipment volume came in higher in the first half of 2016 due to "upbeat demand for the iPhone SE."
Instead, Kuo believes Apple will exert pressure on its iPhone component makers to drop prices in an effort to maintain its margins. He expects suppliers to begin price reductions on components in either November or December of this year.
However, Kuo notes that not all suppliers will cut prices. Most iPhone component makers, like those that make the device's panels, have weak bargaining positions with Apple due to fierce competition amongst suppliers. Some suppliers, like Samsung, are the main supplier of certain components for iPhones and have stronger bargaining positions than Apple. Kuo believes Samsung may even raise its prices. And finally, Kuo says there are a few suppliers like TSMC that are unlikely to be affected by Apple's attempt to maintain its margins.
Overall, Kuo forecasts that iPhone shipment volume will drop year-over-year in the second quarter of 2017, sitting between 35 to 40 million, less than last year's 40.4 million in the second quarter of 2016.
Apple introduced the iPhone SE in March 2016, packing in many of the iPhone 6s' features and component into a 4-inch frame similar to that of the iPhone 5s. It's unclear what kind of upgrade schedule Apple will adopt for the device, but it's internals are powerful enough to remain a capable phone for a couple of years.
Article Link: iPhone SE Unlikely to Receive Refresh in Early 2017
On the other hand, I want at least for Apple to update the front facing camera and the Touch ID on the SE. I don't mind the A9, but the low resolution front facing camera is quite embarrassing in the selfie-world today. Just do small updates to match the rest of the lineup (eg. starting storage 32GB) will surely make this a very attractive phone.
If I ever get a new phone, it'll be the SE. It's like someone at Apple realized they were screwing up the flagship iPhone line and decided to keep a fork of nice ones like the 5 that still have awesome performance. The 6/7 screen is definitely way too large to use with one hand, hold comfortably, or fit in one's pocket. This is what happens when you cater to Android users. And then they took out the headphone jack from the 7.
Only reason I have a 6 is my parents randomly got it for me around when it came out to replace my handed down 5 whose battery was toast, and we thought the new larger screen was the standard for iOS development because the SE hadn't even been rumored yet.
Only reason I have a 6 is my parents randomly got it for me around when it came out to replace my handed down 5 whose battery was toast, and we thought the new larger screen was the standard for iOS development because the SE hadn't even been rumored yet.
Last edited:
Exactly...simplicity.
I was kidding about 2-3 years. I'm thinking next year. Stock is bleeding.
So, MacRumors is setting expectations for the SE to go unchanged for another 2 years? And making that sound okay? So, by that reasoning, you must think the iPhone 7 won't be updated for 4 or 5 years, since it's internals are so powerful?
Bringing the iPhone SE into the normal lineup as just another size for the flagship internals would be ideal, and what we needed all along.
Tru. The iPhone SE feels solid, exudes quality, and is better designed that the 6, 6s, and 7. Plus, the power button is in the right place, so it doesn't oppose the volume buttons, causing inadvertent actuation!
Right. A flagship 4" would be the killer product, so probably no chance of Cook approving it.
no idea what the "new" Touch ID is, guess I missed it.
That would be perfect - 3 sizes with the flagship internals.
yep. After the disastrous intro of the 2016 MacBook Pro, I rushed to the Apple Refurb store and bought a 2015 top-spec MacBook Pro to get the last of the quality Apple notebooks. I figure it'll get me through 3 years, and if Cook and Schiller are still driving Apple into the ground, I can jump ship with my next upgrade.
Right. It's like an open secret that Apple's best iPhone is also the cheapest. It's the sleeper flagship that Apple doesn't want anyone to know about.
All they really have to do is add a native "I am rich" app and call it a day. Can somebody please come into this thread to remind us Apple is a corporation and not a charity? Because as it stands now they are beginning to blur that line.
HAHA, a bit relieved...but with Apple I wouldn't be surprised especially with the almost 3 year old Mac Pro.
But yea the only thing that will truly make Apple make a move is money. And they've been seeing a decrease in revenue this year for the first time in, what, 10 years...? Either update the products (and ideally not neutered) and give them a reasonable price, or get some new leadership in. Something has to give eventually...
You know why I like these type of forums? All these people who are "whining" are actually making the difference. The editors are reporting our frustrations and medias are spreading about our complaints. As long as we, the community, are speaking up, Apple would be scared. Look what happened to dongle prices....it was discounted....TEMPORARY...to get us to buy those crap.HAHA, a bit relieved...but with Apple I wouldn't be surprised especially with the almost 3 year old Mac Pro.
But yea the only thing that will truly make Apple make a move is money. And they've been seeing a decrease in revenue this year for the first time in, what, 10 years...? Either update the products (and ideally not neutered) and give them a reasonable price, or get some new leadership in. Something has to give eventually...
Yeah..I'm waiting for the next mac pro...and I hope Apple learned their lesson to not to go cheap on us.
Hope it does get an update sometime next year. Love my SE.
Good. The SE is a good size, but not on the cutting edge. The missing 4" screen size in the iPhone 6 / 6S / 7 generations is becoming a critical problem. I'm not the only one holding onto my 5S until Apple comes out with 4" versions of the latest models.
I don't know what happening at Apple these days....
iPad Pro 12 Inch release lacks Ture Tone and 256 GB option..
iPad Pro 9.7 has less RAM and no USB3
iPhone 7/7+ kept the Lightening, same old design and lacks headphone jack
MacBook Pro lacks 32Gb RAM and every other port...
and now we can add iPhone SE, they released it in the middle of the iPhone life cycle and now they don't know when they are gonna upgrade it, cause after a year, it's duo an upgrade but they wanna maintain high margins on its high-end iPhone models!!
Phew...what a year really....!
iPad Pro 12 Inch release lacks Ture Tone and 256 GB option..
iPad Pro 9.7 has less RAM and no USB3
iPhone 7/7+ kept the Lightening, same old design and lacks headphone jack
MacBook Pro lacks 32Gb RAM and every other port...
and now we can add iPhone SE, they released it in the middle of the iPhone life cycle and now they don't know when they are gonna upgrade it, cause after a year, it's duo an upgrade but they wanna maintain high margins on its high-end iPhone models!!
Phew...what a year really....!
Then he could have at least kept the iPod Classic around.
The iPhone lineup is already fragmented due to the varying screen display sizes. Apple might as well launch a brand new 4" variant of the new iP8 next Fall alongside the others. Are they really scared of potentially cannibalising sales of the larger and more expensive iPhones? I think the 4" iPhone SE has certainly proven out a niche market already. (My hunch that this is what happens due to lack of SE refresh.)
The 2nd Generation Touch ID is a lot faster on the 6s/7 than it is on the SE.
The OP might be referring to latest Touch ID sensor found in the 7?
Personally I think it's likely we'll see an updated SE in March 2017 with specs on par with the 7.
When Apple has the courage to remove the headphone jack from the SE and charge $70 for a colored dongle with a matching $300 Hermes watch band then, and only then, will people will flock to buy it!!!!
What are you talking about? The iPhone SE frame isn't similar to the iPhone 5s, it's the same frame with the same screen. Which is why the budget phone can have high margins. Old components are the business model of this phone. It's highly unlikely that it will ever be refreshed. The question is, will we see a new expensive small phone from Apple, with a new design and a new screen? Or how much bezel can they shove off the iPhone 6 and will that be enough to improve its small hands ergonomics noticeably?
I guess the battery is almost worn out. iPhone battery's are only rated to 500 cycles until they see not expected to hold at least 80% of their original capacity (iPad and Mac's are 1000 cycles). Plug it into a computer and use ibackupbot to get the cycle count out of the device.
That's ok. Apple is unlikely to receive any of my cash in the 2017 either...