Quick Takes: Apple Music Debuts K-Pop Ad, iPhone SE 2 Concept, and More

[MacRumors]

In addition to our standalone articles covering the latest Apple news and rumors at MacRumors, this Quick Takes column provides a bite-sized recap of other headlines about Apple and its competitors on weekdays.

Wednesday, March 21

1. Apple Music ad released with Korean girl group TWICE: The 15-second video features their 2017 single Heart Shakers and is accompanied by a link to an Apple Music playlist with their other k-pop songs.

2. Apple is an exception to nearly every rule: Dutch entrepreneur Haje Jan Kamps explains how using Apple as a template for how to build a startup is not a great idea due to its unparalleled hardware design, logistics, and even packaging.

Commentary: As the world's most valuable company, Apple has tremendous leverage over its supply chain and logistical partners like Foxconn and UPS respectively. Given how valuable a contract with Apple can be, these companies will bend over backwards to accommodate the iPhone maker in any way.

3. 3D designer Martin Hajek shares iPhone SE 2 renders: The concept imagines the iPhone SE with a glass back for wireless charging, in the same color as the gold iPhone 8. Overall, the device looks like a refined version of the current iPhone SE, which is likely what we can expect if it does receive a refresh.

For more Apple news and rumors coverage, visit our Front Page, Mac Blog, and iOS Blog. Also visit our forums to join in the discussion.

Article Link: Quick Takes: Apple Music Debuts K-Pop Ad, iPhone SE 2 Concept, and More

 

[Dekema2]

After having an iPhone 5s for 5 years, I bought a used 64 GB iPhone SE a couple weeks ago for $210 in the hopes that Apple doesn't release an upgrade this spring. Unfortunately that may have been an unwise investment.

 

[44267547]

After having an iPhone 5s for 5 years, I bought a used 64 GB iPhone SE a couple weeks ago for $210 in the hopes that Apple doesn't release an upgrade this spring. Unfortunately that may have been an unwise investment.

I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I don’t think Apple will be releasing an iPhone SE 2 anytime soon. The current iPhone SE performs excellent on iOS 11 and will remain in Apples line up for at least another year I would assume. If the SE is updated, I don’t believe it will be in 2018.

 

[PickUrPoison]

When the SE does get refreshed (maybe not until next year) I don’t think it’s likely we’ll see a glass back and wireless charging.

 

[44267547]

When the SE does get refreshed (maybe not until next year) I don’t think it’s likely we’ll see a glass back and wireless charging.

If Apple wants the retain the price point of SE, functionality like wireless charging or 3D Touch would increase the cost. The iPhone SE is a global iPhone not just meant for the US market, but also for Asia and India. By increasing more hardware features, it only increases the cost, which would also defeat the purpose of the SE partially.

 

[EightyTwenty]

No headphone jack, no purchase.

 

[scrapesleon]

SE can’t be released this year it would have to Face ID and also it would upset even more sales for the iPhone X

 

[PickUrPoison]

Right. An SE2 with A10 and better camera(s) would ideally come in at a slightly lower price like $319-329. I could see them retaining the current SE in certain markets, dropping it to $299.

If the SE2 stays at $349 maybe there’d be room in gross margin to rev the screen to support a somewhat larger display (with slightly smaller bezels). But I really don’t expect any major changes.

If it isn’t refreshed until next year I guess it would have the A11 and not the A10 that was rumored for this year. It seems like overkill for the SE but an A11 makes sense to provide for a 2019/2020/2021 shelf life, for it to be performant through 2024(!) or so.

 

[UnusedLoginID]

If you’re “using Apple as a template for how to build a startup”, you’re definitely doomed to fail and not for the reasons listed. Apple is a 42-year old company with 130,000 employees and no one in their - hopefully bright - mind would use such an ‘old’ and large company as a blueprint for a small startup. And if you look back at Apple’s history when they were a 100-person “startup”, the business environment then was much different from today (for starters the Internet did not exist, think about it!)

 

[mtneer]

The SE 2 does not look any different from the current SE? Or am I missing something..

 

[BMcCoy]

The SE 2 does not look any different from the current SE? Or am I missing something..

He’s made the rear camera lens stick out, rather than being flush with the rear...

Which of course would be a catastrophic fail.. as one of the reasons for the SE popularity is the flush rear... rather than the ugly protruding lens of the core iPhone line.
[doublepost=1521671548][/doublepost](And he’s taken away the headphone jack. Fail #2)

 

[5105973]

The weird thing is a couple of weeks ago I was looking through some photos that were bright and sharp and clear and gorgeous. I thought they had been taken with my 7 Plus. No, they had been taken with my SE. And I still have the SE and some of the photos it takes, at least in bright light, look a bit nicer than those taken by the X I had and the 8 Plus I have now. The highlights aren't as blown out, mainly. They're of similar scenes in my yard in very similar lighting conditions, so they are comparable. I got that phone for around $200 after trading in a 5s that was on its last legs and had been passed around the family. So it was a really great purchase that has served me well. I'm glad it's still viable.

 

[PickUrPoison]

He’s made the rear camera lens stick out, rather than being flush with the rear...

Which of course would be a catastrophic fail.. as one of the reasons for the SE popularity is the flush rear... rather than the ugly protruding lens of the core iPhone line.
[doublepost=1521671548][/doublepost](And he’s taken away the headphone jack. Fail #2)

While I don’t agree with the flush camera being a significant reason for the SE’s popularity, a camera bump just isn’t necessary with an iPhone as thick as the SE. And yeah the lack of a headphone jack would be a huge fail. The SE2 will have a headphone jack.

 

[TheRealTVGuy]

I just wish they offered a phone with the tech of the X with the form factor of the SE. Even if it has a smaller screen, the latter is so much easier to hold.

 

[KazKam]

"Wireless" charging is possibly THE worst, most useless feature they could add to the SE line. It's completely contrary to the simplicity, elegance ,and function of the SE.

Why would you add a feature that replaces the back with a highly breakable material and further limits the internal space for a decent-sized battery, all for a feature that requires strategically placed, expensive table fodder that very few people actually buy/use?