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iPhone 13 mini The next iPhone SE should use iPhone 13 Mini as the base

S

senttoschool

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Nov 2, 2017
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Why?

  • Won't cannibalize large iPhone market for Apple. If Apple uses the normal-sized iPhone 13 as the SE base, then it will surely eat into premium iPhone sales because of the substantially lower price point. A $430 iPhone SE using iPhone 13 sized screen will eat into sales of $800 base iPhones.
  • Still a massive upgrade from the iPhone 8 base in screen size, screen quality, battery life, cameras.
  • An upgrade path for the minority small phone lovers like myself.
This idea came when I upgraded my father's iPhone 8 to an iPhone 13 Mini. He absolutely loved that the phone is physically smaller yet the screen real estate is still noticeably bigger. He loves the improved battery life and the improved camera system. To him, it was a substantial upgrade.

iphone-12-mini-vs-iphone-se-whats-the-best-iphone-for-smalle_m9ea.jpg
 
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I like that idea very much but sadly leaks are pointing to the next SE using the XR design in 2023. I do not mind that even though I would prefer the 13 mini to become the next SE. I currently use the iPhone SE 5G and I still love it because it is easy for my smallish hands to use with one hand. I also love Touch ID. I suppose the XR design will mean the next Gen SE will have face unlock and that is something I prefer not to have. Or better yet offer an option like on the Samsung Galaxy S22 where you can set up both face unlock and an in-screen fingerprint sensor.
 
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A lot of people have been hoping for that, ever since we heard that the Mini will be discontinued.

But i'm losing hope, now that there are rumors about the XR.
They probably don't want OLED on their cheapest device, but the Mini was never available with LCD. Might be more work than they are willing to put into it.

The Mini is also quite special in that it needed some smaller redesigned components, with a bigger device they might be able to use parts they use on current phones and have more equal parts, instead of keeping the parts going just for one device, that is also the cheapest. (I assume they would stop selling the Mini at that point)
 
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Nozuka said:
A lot of people have been hoping for that, ever since we heard that the Mini will be discontinued.

But i'm losing hope, now that there are rumors about the XR.
They probably don't want OLED on their cheapest device, but the Mini was never available with LCD. Might be more work than they are willing to put into it.

The Mini is also quite special in that it needed some smaller redesigned components, with a bigger device they might be able to use parts they use on current phones and have more equal parts, instead of keeping the parts going just for one device, that is also the cheapest. (I assume they would stop selling the Mini at that point)
Click to expand...
They could upgrade all premium iPhones to 120hz OLED and keep the Mini-based SE at 60hz OLED. It's about time that an $800 phone gets 120hz anyways.

Also, the Mini launched at a lower price than normal-sized iPhones. This suggests that the component costs to create such a small but powerful phone is either not much more or equal to big phones. And since these components have already been designed, there is zero R&D cost needed.

I had the XR for 3 years. It's a terrible phone. Heavy, thick, hard to hold, poor display relative to OLED. Although the battery life was really nice. I would not buy an XR with a new SoC for $400-$500 in 2023. No way.

It's been a few years since the iPhone XR was sold. Apple would have to restart the supply chain for it which would be risky and expensive.

But again, the biggest risk for Apple using the iPhone XR as the base is cannibalizing premium iPhone sales in emerging markets. In these markets, big iPhones are in high demand but if they could get a big iPhone for cheap, they would.
 
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Using the XR makes sense. Cheap LCD, single camera, cheaper materials. The 13 Mini is actually premium as small components are more expensive.
 
theriddler said:
Using the XR makes sense. Cheap LCD, single camera, cheaper materials. The 13 Mini is actually premium as small components are more expensive.
Click to expand...
iPhone SE using XR will compete with used iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models. I fail to see why anyone would buy a $450-$500 iPhone XR over a used iPhone 12/13. No OLED, no dual camera system, thick and heavy, and generally worse in every way.

The iPhone 8 that the SE is based on was a premium device too. So was the original SE that was based on the iPhone 5S.
 
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senttoschool said:
iPhone SE using XR will compete with used iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models. I fail to see why anyone would buy a $450-$500 iPhone XR over a used $400 iPhone 12/13.
Click to expand...

Because most of us want new, and the Apple store in a lot cities like mine do not offer renewed iPhones, but offer other stuff like used iPads.
 
I'd love an SE Plus built on the 7 Plus body, I'd equally take an LCD 13 Mini - maybe with touch ID on the power button so Apple can save pennies not using Face ID.

The rumoured XR SE would be a no go due to the 828p display and fisher price build. 😖
 
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I have the XR and it's... well it's fine. But if I had the choice between a XR based SE 2023 and a 13 Mini I'd always pick the older Mini. I'd buy it in 2023, and I'd still buy it in 2024. Even in terms of pricing with the Mini you get the "most iPhone" out of all the iPhones. The Mini's screen isn't that much smaller either, if 6" are enough then I can "endure" the higher res higher refresh rate OLED 5.4" screen.

I don't want to go back to the era where the screens were big but the resolutions low (there were so many of these 720p 6"+ phones...)... and I'd really like to keep FaceID - I specifically bought my additional phone, a Pixel, in the version that has a proper FaceID-like infrared camera instead of the cheap knockoff version that most Androids use where the regular front camera just takes a photo (since those can be tricked more easily and don't work in the dark).

I don't ever want to spend Apple amounts of cash for a phone where I have to take gloves off every time I want to check a notification. When I am biking and need to check the route I have exactly one hand free to hold the phone up to my face for automated unlock, check the GPS app and put it back in my pocket again.

And with the pandemic the issue for me isn't actually unlocking with the mask, it's that I am either wearing my bike gloves or that TouchID is inconvenient for some other reason. Also TouchID does not recognize my finger on the first attempt all of the times, whereas FaceID will always work on the first attempt. And with sunglasses and a helmet on it works just as well. (So does the Pixel.)
 
okkibs said:
I have the XR and it's... well it's fine. But if I had the choice between a XR based SE 2023 and a 13 Mini I'd always pick the older Mini. I'd buy it in 2023, and I'd still buy it in 2024. Even in terms of pricing with the Mini you get the "most iPhone" out of all the iPhones. The Mini's screen isn't that much smaller either, if 6" are enough then I can "endure" the higher res higher refresh rate OLED 5.4" screen.

I don't want to go back to the era where the screens were big but the resolutions low (there were so many of these 720p 6"+ phones...)... and I'd really like to keep FaceID - I specifically bought my additional phone, a Pixel, in the version that has a proper FaceID-like infrared camera instead of the cheap knockoff version that most Androids use where the regular front camera just takes a photo (since those can be tricked more easily and don't work in the dark).

I don't ever want to spend Apple amounts of cash for a phone where I have to take gloves off every time I want to check a notification. When I am biking and need to check the route I have exactly one hand free to hold the phone up to my face for automated unlock, check the GPS app and put it back in my pocket again.

And with the pandemic the issue for me isn't actually unlocking with the mask, it's that I am either wearing my bike gloves or that TouchID is inconvenient for some other reason. Also TouchID does not recognize my finger on the first attempt all of the times, whereas FaceID will always work on the first attempt. And with sunglasses and a helmet on it works just as well. (So does the Pixel.)
Click to expand...

Mini sales number is bad and SE3 does not sell well except Japan.
 
babyexercise said:
Mini sales number is bad and SE3 does not sell well except Japan.
Click to expand...
Precisely. See point #1 in my original post. Mini-based SE won't cannibalize big iPhone sales. But the screen size and quality will still be a substantial upgrade for current SE target audience.
 
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senttoschool said:
I fail to see why anyone would buy a $450-$500 iPhone XR over a used iPhone 12/13.
Click to expand...

We don't know what the prices will be for the next generation iPhone SE but comparing the current SE to the iPhone 12, couldn't the same question be asked? Why would someone buy a new 64GB iPhone SE for $429 when they can get a used 12 for around the same price?

Of course, one reason people do so is because they rather have new than used.
 
senttoschool said:
Precisely. See point #1 in my original post. Mini-based SE won't cannibalize big iPhone sales. But the screen size and quality will still be a substantial upgrade for current SE target audience.
Click to expand...

Apple like to have around 8 active phones in the sell list, I doubt their future plan includes any small screen model.
 
webkit said:
We don't know what the prices will be for the next generation iPhone SE but comparing the current SE to the iPhone 12, couldn't the same question be asked? Why would someone buy a new 64GB iPhone SE for $429 when they can get a used 12 for around the same price?

Of course, one reason people do so is because they rather have new than used.
Click to expand...

The renewed iPhone in Apple store is still pretty expensive
 
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Why compare it to a used phone when you can get a brand new iPhone 12 Mini for under 600 bucks? Sure it's still considerably more than the SE, yet it remains well below the price point of any iPhone from the now-discounted 13 series, let alone the 14 series. In Europe especially the difference between the two is around 120 Euro, so while the SE is still cheaper by a fair amount, it's a considerably worse deal with that SE hardware.
 
babyexercise said:
Apple renewed phone is with new battery, renewed or new case, having warranty. E- bay kind of second hand is not that level at all.
Click to expand...

The comment I had responded to simply referred to "used" phones but yes, Apple refurbished phones are practically like new and include 1 year warranty (like a new one), new battery and outer shell, etc.

Other sellers offer varying degrees of quality e.g., Amazon has Renewed and Renewed Premium, Gazelle has Fair, Good, Excellent, etc. Warranties and conditions can vary.
 
SE 2022 user here. I looked at the mini too. What kept me away from the mini was the notch, Face ID and the price. I love the fact that the mini is smaller with more screen though. I desperately wish Apple could do an under-screen Touch ID.
 
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