The only reason they can manufacture the SE dirt cheap is that it's an old simple design, if they were to actually modify it to support newer features like USB-C and wireless charging they'd need to make significant changes to it at which point they might as well throw this previous-decade design in the trash where it belongs. It's a disgrace for the Apple brand to call this thing an iPhone. How can you as a consumer/Apple customer argue in favor of that old design?Personally I would make the distinction between the SE and iPhone line crystal clear by retaining the home button design for the SE. [...] USB-C and Qi2 on all, of course.
Apple could drop the price of the Mini further and just make that the new SE. Leave it at the older hardware level of 2021 and there's an entry level iPhone that can actually compete with the entry level hardware of other manufacturers. SE and Mini have the same A15 SoC anyways. The 128GB storage, solid camera and OLED panel are already offered in budget smartphones like the Pixel 6a for a while now and are no reason to charge a premium any longer.
I really want to update to a newer iPhone sometime in the future, but I am not willing to spend 999 bucks on a smartphone, period. Last year I was willing to give that a try with the Pro Max and Apple gave me a bugged phone that I was forced to return due to many issues, amongst them what I consider a health hazard where the volume would suddenly be switched to a deafening 100% when getting calls.
So in between the lackluster standard iPhone and Plus version (not even 90Hz panels? even the cheap Pixel 6a has that...), the terrible SE and my bugged Pro experience with the stupid notch/island extending downwards further, I just don't see myself being interested in any latest gen iPhone. There are reasons the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro are still selling well in the past couple months. I have also been recommending friends and family to get a 13 Pro over the 14, and 14 Pro.