Dear Mr. Cook,
Thank you in advance for taking the time to read my letter.
Over more than a decade, I've purchased for myself and family dozens of Apple products, including desktops, laptops, phones, and accessories to match. Apple's industry-leading design and craftsmanship inspire intense brand loyalty, and I enthusiastically take every opportunity to recommend your company's products for both professional and personal uses. While I've routinely applauded Apple's willingness to shed legacies from its products in pursuit of exciting new features, I remain disappointed by the iPhone SE's elimination from Apple's lineup.
The market clearly demands phones with big displays, and it is, of course, reasonable Apple should eagerly supply that demand. But for myself and—I'm inclined to believe—millions of others the iPhone SE is nearly perfect in its form and function. Its aesthetics are attractive. It can be gripped comfortably and operated with one hand. It fits easily in a pocket.
I have tried one of Apple's larger phones (an iPhone 6s) and found its form factor awkward, and returned it after a week. I couldn't get used to it. Having owned almost every iPhone model from the original up to the SE, I haven't wanted for much more besides updated processor and memory specifications. With Apple now only offering what I feel are miniature tablets, I'm suddenly reliant on a dwindling aftermarket supply of my favorite device.
As you've
observed in your September 2018 keynote address, our phones are integral parts of our lives, and you've expressed Apple's desire to serve everyone with the iPhone. Such a personal device needs to fit well with an individual's needs, and I sincerely hope you'll reconsider serving this segment of the market. We're not customers clamoring for a lower price, just a smaller device.
Yours respectfully,
Michael Ahlers