SE 2 Predictions?

[KingslayerG5]

It's strange how compact phone are now niche and phablets is now standard. Six years ago, it was reversed. I remember seeing the 5" Dell Streak in 2010 and thinking what a gigantic phone that was. This was over a year before first Note (5.3") was released. Even the HTC Evo with a 4.3" was gigantic to me back in 2010 while I used an iPhone 4.

iPhone SE is an entry-level phone like MacBook Air is still being sold. Don't expect specs closer to the 8/X. Got to keep the price low for developing countries. I expect A10 and the rear camera of the smaller 7 at best. No Telephoto. No Face ID. Maybe 3D Touch. Gen 2 Touch ID. Keep the price below $400 before you can get it for prepaid plans over a year later for $150-$200.

The upgrade cycle with the smallest iPhones will be every two years. Maybe longer. There really is no interest for them anymore and Apple focuses on the demographic that can make them the most money. Similar to how they treat the Mac and iPod people is how they will treat the compact iPhone fans.

 

[bufffilm]

If Apple wants to continue making a cheaper phone for the Indian market beyond the SE, I see them perhaps keeping the 3.5mm jack.

 

[EnderBeta]

Well firstly I think there will be an SE 2. I reckon even Apple is surprised by how popular a small, fast, affordable phone is and how timeless the design has become.

Release date?
Form factor?
Headphone jack?
Water resistant?
Internal specs?

Here's my stab at it:

March 2018 release
Same form factor as SE
No headphone jack this time
Not water resistant
Internals like the 7
Better screen with wide color display

Thoughts?

Why remove the headphone jack if it isn't water resistant?

 

[Legionnaire]

I personally used 5s for 4 years, just bought an SE (129 dollars) att prepaid from bestbuy 32gb one and I love it. I will not be getting rid of 4 inch phones, i have small hands and i like the form factor. I think there are a lot of people like me out there. I dont play games and I dont watch shows on it. I just surf web, music, text and banking.

 

[bwApple! fwApple!]

It's strange how compact phone are now niche and phablets is now standard. Six years ago, it was reversed. (...)
The upgrade cycle with the smallest iPhones will be every two years. Maybe longer. There really is no interest for them anymore.

Well, let's see how well the iPhone X will do, and the X+ next year.
Because covering a much larger portion of the iPhone with screen is exactly the sort of thing that might make enough people long for smaller phones again. You can now have a big(ger) screen and a small(er) phone.

 

[manni]

I would love to see them keep the same body and give us some more colour options - imagine bringing back the original black of the iPhone 5 or something like the jet black from the 7. Add in the A10 chip and the camera from the iPhone 7 or 8 and you would have another great phone that Apple could produce using parts from other iphones.

I do however find it hard to imagine such a phone being released while the 6S is still being sold though. Which makes it hard to imagine a new SE before next september but I hope I am wrong.

 

[thedeske]

I personally used 5s for 4 years, just bought an SE (129 dollars) att prepaid from bestbuy 32gb one and I love it. I will not be getting rid of 4 inch phones, i have small hands and i like the form factor. I think there are a lot of people like me out there. I dont play games and I dont watch shows on it. I just surf web, music, text and banking.

Much the same here, although I don't have small hands. Just like the size for carry.
An iphone 7 spec'd SE would sell like crazy, 5 or 7 body style is up for debate.

 

[JPack]

The 5/SE form factor is too dated to receive another update.

This is the iPad mini debate all over again. There will always be niche customers seeking small phones, but it's not enough to release another SE device.

Apple can de-feature an iPhone 6s by removing 3D Touch and bring down the price to US$399.

 

[mattopotamus]

The 5/SE form factor is too dated to receive another update.

This is the iPad mini debate all over again. There will always be niche customers seeking small phones, but it's not enough to release another SE device.

Apple can de-feature an iPhone 6s by removing 3D Touch and bring down the price to US$399.

I’ll disagree. I think the SE sold much better than Apple was anticipating, and it really just enforced there is still a strong market for smaller phones.

 

[TrickyTreeRed]

Unfortunately, I do not see a new version of the SE, in it's current form, on the near horizon.

I can't see Apple investing any money stuffing a marginally larger screen into the current chassis nor replacing the current four inch screen with a higher resolution version. This would require a large initial capital outlay - money Apple does not need or (most likely) does not want to spend.

And if it is true that Apple will do away with the physical 'home' button, then a brand new redesign will be required.

As for updating the current internals with the A10 or A11 chip along with more recent camera technology, this will just lead to cannibalized sales from Apple's higher profit margin 4.7" and five inch plus offerings.

I think next year Apple with offer two size options of their new body iPhone X style - 5.8" and something just under five inches. Apple will stop selling the 6s and SE next autumn and drop the iPhone 7's price by about $100 USD to make it the entry price-point iPhone.

Hopefully I will be proven wrong. While it has only been just over a week, I'm really enjoy using my SE and find the size perfect usable and unbeatable in terms of portability.

 

[JPack]

I’ll disagree. I think the SE sold much better than Apple was anticipating, and it really just enforced there is still a strong market for smaller phones.

When the $399 iPhone SE was launched, it captured the small wave of iPhone 4 and 5 stragglers that were unwilling to pay more than $500 for an iPhone. At the time, the iPhone 6 and 6s was $549 and $649.

Today, the 6s, 7, and 8 are available at $449, $549, and $649.

If the SE form factor were so popular, Apple would have refreshed it by now. Instead, they chose to drop the price of the SE and double the storage. Most importantly, Apple chose to keep the 6s as a current product in their crowded iPhone lineup. Their efforts could have been spent updating the SE. That tells you plenty about the SE form factor.

 

[subjonas]

Here’s what I want them to do:

Same classic body
Upgraded internals
Upgraded camera (but no bump)
Waterproof
Qi charging
3D Touch
Larger storage
And if they can get around to it—laminated screen, 2nd gen Touch ID, fast charging, and upgraded speakers.

It won’t get all of that of course because it will require too much resource and make the phone too expensive. Probably just the usual spec bumps.

It’s a low priority for Apple (relatively low profit), but I do think Apple will keep the 4” around as a bone for small-phone-loving people and update it sparingly. Maybe only every 3 years or so. I will be surprised if it’s updated next year.

It's strange how compact phone are now niche and phablets is now standard. Six years ago, it was reversed. I remember seeing the 5" Dell Streak in 2010 and thinking what a gigantic phone that was. This was over a year before first Note (5.3") was released. Even the HTC Evo with a 4.3" was gigantic to me back in 2010 while I used an iPhone 4.

iPhone SE is an entry-level phone like MacBook Air is still being sold. Don't expect specs closer to the 8/X. Got to keep the price low for developing countries. I expect A10 and the rear camera of the smaller 7 at best. No Telephoto. No Face ID. Maybe 3D Touch. Gen 2 Touch ID. Keep the price below $400 before you can get it for prepaid plans over a year later for $150-$200.

The upgrade cycle with the smallest iPhones will be every two years. Maybe longer. There really is no interest for them anymore and Apple focuses on the demographic that can make them the most money. Similar to how they treat the Mac and iPod people is how they will treat the compact iPhone fans.

I agree and it depresses me.

 

[44267547]

I’ll disagree. I think the SE sold much better than Apple was anticipating, and it really just enforced there is still a strong market for smaller phones.

This is just my anecdotal opinion, and I'm taking in consideration of a fairly large city that I reside in and I feel I pay close attention to the tech world. But I never see the iPhone SE ever anywhere in public. I don't even know anyone that owns the iPhone SE, given that it is widely available and heavily discounted. As others have indicated, I think iPhone SE is a great device, but likely was a one time iteration. The more I think about it, I don't believe Apple will update it.

Ironically, even my local cell phone carrier, it's the one phone they say they don't sell at all. The reason being, is consumers want the latest specifications and the demographic for a 4 inch iPhone is very small in today's smart phone world.

 

[fokmik]

i think its preatty clear, Apple will adopt faceID, and since lcd now can get to edge 0.5mm, we will have edge to edge 4.5" iPhone SE

 

[mattopotamus]

This is just my anecdotal opinion, and I'm taking in consideration of a fairly large city that I reside in and I feel I pay close attention to the tech world. But I never see the iPhone SE ever anywhere in public. I don't even know anyone that owns the iPhone SE, given that it is widely available and heavily discounted. As others have indicated, I think iPhone SE is a great device, but likely was a one time iteration. The more I think about it, I don't believe Apple will update it.

Ironically, even my local cell phone carrier, it's the one phone they say they don't sell at all. The reason being, is consumers want the latest specifications and the demographic for a 4 inch iPhone is very small in today's smart phone world.

To be fair, would you be able to tell the difference between the 5S/SE in public. You would literally have to read the back.

 

[44267547]

To be fair, would you be able to tell the difference between the 5S/SE in public. You would literally have to read the back.

My point is, is I don't really see a 4 inch iPhone Hardly at all. It's not just about the SE, it's the rarity of a 4 inch iPhone in general. It's primarily the iPhone 6 and up.

 

[geta]

Said it before and will say it again, if new SE will come next spring They’ll keep the same shape, plus A10 (if not A11), 2nd Gen TouchID, front \ rear camera from iP7, same RAM (2GB), and same storage option (32GB \ 128GB).
Unless they’ll redesign it, it will be internal bump only - no bigger\higher rez screen, no 3D touch, and the headphone jack will stay.

Hopefully one day we will see Mini X (4”-4.5” screen) with toughID under the screen instead FaceID…

 

[umbrokhan]

i think the screen will be 4.7 inch. with A10 chip
no headphone jack. 3D touch and touch ID 2

 

[Hater]

My point is, is I don't really see a 4 inch iPhone Hardly at all. It's not just about the SE, it's the rarity of a 4 inch iPhone in general. It's primarily the iPhone 6 and up.

Dunno where you're from, but around here they're everywhere

Either that or people are holding onto their 5S's....

Although there's a lot of Rose Gold ones around too, they're not 5S's

 

[oldmacs]

Dunno where you're from, but around here they're everywhere

Either that or people are holding onto their 5S's....

Although there's a lot of Rose Gold ones around too, they're not 5S's

Same with me. I see 4 inch iPhones a LOT. I know many with SE's. Very popular phone in my part of the world.

My ideal SE 2 would be the current form factor with A11 and 3GB of ram. The RAM part will never happen though. Put in new Touch ID, maybe 3D touch, A11, 2GB of ram and a headphone jack and I'll be happy.

 

[bufffilm]

To be fair, would you be able to tell the difference between the 5S/SE in public. You would literally have to read the back.

I'd also ask that.

No matter...as said before though, I doubt the SE will get updated.

Nothing would please me more to see a SE2 with updated A10/11, touchid v2, etc.

 

[mattopotamus]

My point is, is I don't really see a 4 inch iPhone Hardly at all. It's not just about the SE, it's the rarity of a 4 inch iPhone in general. It's primarily the iPhone 6 and up.

Gotcha. Maybe it depends where you live. I see a lot of 4” iPhones on a regular basis.

 

[Tulani]

http://www.iphonehacks.com/2017/09/iphone-se-iphone-x-concept.html

 

[ThunderMasterMind]

Headphone jack will stay unless they decide to add 3D touch with the taptic engine. Taking out the headphone jack will give no extra room for a battery unless they wrap it around the lightning port, which wouldn't happen because that is way too small to make any difference.

 

[Applejuiced]

I'd like to see a new smaller factor iphone with nice and fast hardware, a solid design and good price tag.
I will predict that such device will do great and will give more available options to people not willing to dish out $700-$1200 for the other high priced released iphones.