Kuo: Apple to Cancel or Postpone 2024 iPhone SE 4

[AppliedMicro]

I say use the 13 mini form factor. Put on a cheaper display. Only have 1 camera on the back and sell it for $300. Use a great form factor, good battery life, with an affordable price and capture that market.

Not the worst idea - but dropping the front camera is. There are people that want to get in touch with friends and family over FaceTime. Not to forget taking the oh-so-popular selfie pics to put on social media.

A family member just upgraded from the SE2 to the 14. Her reasoning: The SE was too small.

Fhe SE2 offering obviously fulfilled the role perfectly that it has in Apple’s lineup.

Apple have long been very good at providing attractive entry prices while somehow (16GB iPhones, 32GB iPads, 256GB on Macs, etc) making an upgrade from the entry-level choice very attractive.

 

[Leshita]

iPhone SE 4 = iPhone 5 body with modern specs

Thank you… in my dreams.

 

[dandyryan]

It should've stayed $399.

 

[FattiesGoneWild]

Apple needs to troll and just cut the whole iPhone line. Only selling Pro and Pro Max models. They would do just fine and make even more money.

 

[vipergts2207]

Apple needs to simplify their lineup. It’s so bloated these days with 8 models. Do a Pro and Pro Max, a standard and mini, and the budget option can be the previous year’s mini. Reduces complexity, makes it easier for consumers to pick a phone, and still hits a wide variety of price points and sizes.

 

[dampfnudel]

I think China becoming increasingly unreliable for manufacturing may have factored in as well. Maybe India, Vietnam or some country will get to produce all or at least the majority of SE 4 production at a later date (2025 or 2026)?

 

[Kissmo1980]

Hmmm I want that wallpaper.

 

[Mega ST]

Apple should just do one big phone (luxury, prestige), one normal one and some cheap one, SE style.

 

[v0lume4]

Kuo also said that the full screen design that Apple has in mind for the iPhone SE 4 will require higher costs and selling prices

Right. But other manufacturers can do THIS at a $450 price point? ($300 during sales, to boot).

If Apple can’t get their 200% profit margin on their phones, then they don’t want any part of it. It’s that simple.

Now, I’m surprised what Kuo said about lower than expected sales for the SE. In 2021 it was in the top 10 highest selling smartphones in the world. What metric is Apple using to determine success?

I have the 2022 SE and while it’s a terrible value compared to the competition at its price point, it’s awesome. I LOVE having a device so small. It’d be a huge bummer to see Apple abandon the value segment like they have for most of their existence.

 

[koelsh]

Wondering if for giggles they could do an "iPhone 13 mini" with upgraded internals in a 5c like setup. So many people put their phones in cases anyway so we don't feel or see the back glass or frame most of the time anyway.

 

[v0lume4]

But there is no way Apple will listen to me. Which means that no matter how much I hate it, my next phone will be an Android, if Apple discontinues selling the current SE.

That’s why I’m on an iPhone currently. Can’t get a small phone this small anywhere else.

I actually ordered a Pixel 7. Love it. Best phone I’ve ever used. I prefer Android as an OS too. But I’m actually considering returning it because I love this small iPhone too much.

So Apple currently has a customer (me) that they may otherwise lose if they abandon their small phones entirely (which it appears they almost certainly are). Surely I can’t be the only customer in this position?

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

I think the iPhone SE is a great phone. Excellent entry point level on an iPhone mode. It's perfect for teenagers and an incredibly cheap replacement.

 

[N69AP]

I don't think it's a surprise that the SE 3 underperformed. It didn't improve on the SE 2 in any meaningful way and Apple still increased the price by $30. They could get away with recycling 2017 hardware once but doing it a second time and then asking for even more money is a slap in the face to customers.

I think Apple anticipated that they could increase sales by expanding the iPhone lineup, but what is actually happening is that they're selling the same number of phones across more models. The problem with that is that it costs more in R&D and manufacturing to create 4-5 new iPhones each year, compared to 2014-2016 when they only made two phones.

Apple either needs to adjust its expectations or it needs to simplify the iPhone lineup. The current lineup makes sense on paper: regular or Pro, in two sizes each. But it falls apart because only the Pro models get meaningful updates while the mainstream iPhone gets last year's leftovers. It doesn't make sense to spend $799 on a recycled iPhone 13 when you can buy the actual iPhone 13 for $699. By that point, the gap between the 13 and the 14 Pro is wide enough that it doesn't work as well for selling you up the price ladder.

 

[v0lume4]

I think Apple anticipated that they could increase sales by expanding the iPhone lineup, but what is actually happening is that they're selling the same number of phones across more models. The problem with that is that it costs more in R&D and manufacturing to create 4-5 new iPhones each year, compared to 2014-2016 when they only made two phones.

Very interesting and thought-provoking take.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

I don't think it's a surprise that the SE 3 underperformed. It didn't improve on the SE 2 in any meaningful way and Apple still increased the price by $30. They could get away with recycling 2017 hardware once but doing it a second time and then asking for even more money is a slap in the face to customers.

I think Apple anticipated that they could increase sales by expanding the iPhone lineup, but what is actually happening is that they're selling the same number of phones across more models. The problem with that is that it costs more in R&D and manufacturing to create 4-5 new iPhones each year, compared to 2014-2016 when they only made two phones.

Apple either needs to adjust its expectations or it needs to simplify the iPhone lineup. The current lineup makes sense on paper: regular or Pro, in two sizes each. But it falls apart because only the Pro models get meaningful updates while the mainstream iPhone gets last year's leftovers. It doesn't make sense to spend $799 on a recycled iPhone 13 when you can buy the actual iPhone 13 for $699. By that point, the gap between the 13 and the 14 Pro is wide enough that it doesn't work as well for selling you up the price ladder.

Excellent points! Well said! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

 

[one more]

Probably going to grab a 13 Mini to replace my iPod touch then.

You can also get SE2022 which is still selling.

 

[subjonas]

Apple, re-release the SE1 body (or the 4 body) with as much new guts as you can cram in there. I may be the only one who’ll buy it, but I’ll make it worth your while $$$$$$💰💰💰💰💰.

 

[one more]

I remember buying at least 5 of the original iPhone SE’s. They were $99. I also paid $99 for the iPhone SE2.

Would never pay more than $300 for an SE. They’ve pushed it too far, too close to flagships. Of course it isn’t going to sell for those prices. And the mini was a non-starter from the get go because of the name itself. No one buys anything titled “mini” which implies that a bigger and or better version exists. The pricing of the mini was also unintelligent, $100 less than flagship? Really? No brainer.

Mini is still a great compact phone, which is important for some people, including me.

 

[Mega ST]

Apple, re-release the SE1 body (or the 4 body) with as much new guts as you can cram in there. I may be the only one who’ll buy it, but I’ll make it worth your while $$$$$$💰💰💰💰💰.

This will only bring up the costs. They should simply relabel one of the existing ones if production costs are a concern. If the 13 mini did not sell well enough compared to expectations they could use the intended production run to build it as a SE4.

The SE3 is a great value I have one.

Or is this related to Apple sort of moving out of China?

 

[zapmymac]

There goes the entry price of iPhone 🆙📈💲💲💲

 

[ghanwani]

Maybe it’s because they want to wait until they are ready for USB-C.

 

[Odessa]

I love the concept of iPhone SE, basic, no nonsense phone with massive compute power and OS support for many years.
Really great for people that want to have a snappy phone for 5+ years. Less technical but also frugal users love this.
I wish they would make something more akin to the fairphone, with replaceable parts. It would be my dream phone. I know it won't happen, I am just saying.🥲

 

[darktux]

After my third iPhone SE has a broken battery again, I am now getting the iPhone 13 mini. It's a huge size increase, but what should I do if Apple doesn't provide a properly sized smartphone for users who don't consume media or games on a phone and just require something for secure messaging, audio and navigation? I fear the time when the 13 mini will break and there is no replacement in the Apple ecosystem. That might mark the point of return to Android for me. The success of the original SE wasn't only its price but also its size. And just because the mini didn't sell as much as the other variants, doesn't mean it was bad. It was just set up for failure by Apple.

 

[JapanApple]

I don't think it's a surprise that the SE 3 underperformed. It didn't improve on the SE 2 in any meaningful way and Apple still increased the price by $30. They could get away with recycling 2017 hardware once but doing it a second time and then asking for even more money is a slap in the face to customers.

I think Apple anticipated that they could increase sales by expanding the iPhone lineup, but what is actually happening is that they're selling the same number of phones across more models. The problem with that is that it costs more in R&D and manufacturing to create 4-5 new iPhones each year, compared to 2014-2016 when they only made two phones.

Apple either needs to adjust its expectations or it needs to simplify the iPhone lineup. The current lineup makes sense on paper: regular or Pro, in two sizes each. But it falls apart because only the Pro models get meaningful updates while the mainstream iPhone gets last year's leftovers. It doesn't make sense to spend $799 on a recycled iPhone 13 when you can buy the actual iPhone 13 for $699. By that point, the gap between the 13 and the 14 Pro is wide enough that it doesn't work as well for selling you up the price ladder.

wait for a foldable phone that cost double its small-factor design.

 

[David1964]

Maybe the reason iPhone SE 3 shipments have been lower than expected is because prospective SE buyers want an iPhone that's

(1) lower priced (relative to the flagship iPhones)
(2) has a decent sized screen that's large enough but not too large
(3) small enough to easily fit pants pockets without half of it sticking out and maybe even allow 1-handed operation

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This makes the iPhone 12 mini / iPhone 13 mini the best candidate to take the next iPhone SE spot.

Does Apple have the courage to do it though?

Lol, Jeans sold in the US must have mighty shallow pockets 😂