When to Expect the Next iPhone SE to Launch

[bousozoku]

What do you find so bad about it? Mine appears to be pretty good so far.

I can't view the display at regular intensity outside and I can barely see it at full intensity. The scrolling jerks terribly. The performance is adequate for a few years ago. What's worse is that someone with the Pixel 6 was telling me that hers was almost as bad.

I've been told that the Pixel 8a at full intensity is over double the nits and the refresh rate is better, but it's probably not enough for 2024, considering the other brands.

 

[knirirr]

I can't view the display at regular intensity outside and I can barely see it at full intensity. The scrolling jerks terribly. The performance is adequate for a few years ago. What's worse is that someone with the Pixel 6 was telling me that hers was almost as bad.

I've not encountered anything like that - the screen seems fine to me.
Assuming it continues to prove satisfactory I suspect I'll get one with a larger screen, which will be useful as I don't plan to buy any more iPads either.

 

[Plutonius]

I want to buy the current SE model before the next SE comes out so its good to know that I have until 2025.

People have different preferences and mine is for a small sized iPhone.

 

[.wojtek]

I just hate current design trend to remove home button (with touch id) on all devices - it worked perfect (I loved OnePlus3 and my iPhoneSE2) and was faster and more secure... but no... "fancy design" won... :🤦‍♂️

 

[Macaholic868]

The main selling point of an SE has always been price.

I remember when I was a broke college kid, the se was my gateway into getting iPhone land without spending a crap ton. The Se often are the models you see on special promo for carriers or prepaid that you can get as low as free.

Heck I alone actually owned about 5-6 different Se. Not because I was a fan of the phone. I used to be notorious for breaking or losing phones. For $100 all I had to do was go to metro by T-Mobile and got the Se for free.

Price has always been the main benefit of the SE

Then you’re clearly in their target market because those I know with it primarily wanted a smaller iPhone and the fact that it was cheaper was always just a nice addition to the underlying reason they bought one.

I thought I’d hate a larger screen on an iPhone too when they announced the iPhone 6 Plus because I refuse to carry around a phone that’s too big to fit along with my wallet in my front right pants pocket (with my keys, my work cell and chap stick in my front left pants pocket … I’m a creature of habit) but then the iPhone X was released with a bigger screen and a smaller bezel to offset it and that was a near perfect fit so I never gave a smaller screen size a second thought but I can see your point and don’t disagree in terms of needing a less expensive device to get your foot in the door in certain markets.

 

[turbineseaplane]

When they released the OG I was still naive enough to believe they were catering for people who wanted a smaller phone. We now know of course that SE has only ever been a way for Cook to recycle old designs and reuse production tooling that would otherwise go to waste. Misers gonna miser.

A really good point -- I also was in the naive camp along with you

In hindsight it's now clear what the SE was and always has been

 

[turbineseaplane]

Any screen bigger than 5 inch is too big for my hands. When will Apple understand that our hands are just like our feet, they come in different sizes. Apple believes BIG SIZE fits all.

Here is the ideal iPhone SE 4 for me:
+ Just like the iPhone SE 1, no notch, no FaceID
+ A nice 4 inch retina screen
+ Four new color options:
1. Pastel pink back, white front, and with rose gold edges
2. Sky blue back, white front, and with aquamarine edges
3. Dark purple back, black front, and with amethyst edges
4. Dark grey back, black front, and with granite egdes
+ Hardware spec bump, maybe even Apple M1
+ Standard 3,5 mm headphone hack
+ USB-C port instead of lightning port
+ Affordable price under $400

That is the ideal iPhone SE 4 for me, at least Apple should stop making TOO BIG phones.

Love it!
Never going to happen sadly - but I still love it!

One other concern would be how bloated modern iOS seems to be and what it would mean for battery life.

It just seems to get less efficient every year.
I'm not sure Apple are doing the best software efficiency work possible on iOS.

They seem to be "throwing specs at the problem"

I have an SE1 on iOS 10 and it's shocking how lightning fast and snappy everything is, even with that now really old hardware. If I could downgrade my SE1's I would do it for most all of them.

 

[scorpio vega]

Then you’re clearly in their target market because those I know with it primarily wanted a smaller iPhone and the fact that it was cheaper was always just a nice addition to the underlying reason they bought one.

I thought I’d hate a larger screen on an iPhone too when they announced the iPhone 6 Plus because I refuse to carry around a phone that’s too big to fit along with my wallet in my front right pants pocket (with my keys, my work cell and chap stick in my front left pants pocket … I’m a creature of habit) but then the iPhone X was released with a bigger screen and a smaller bezel to offset it and that was a near perfect fit so I never gave a smaller screen size a second thought but I can see your point and don’t disagree in terms of needing a less expensive device to get your foot in the door in certain markets.

Oh these days I rock a 15 pm and I can’t imagine ever using an Se. Using my dad’s se 2022 model it just feels foreign to me.

I could comfortably using any of the base model iPhones from the 11 to the 15. I probably could deal with a mini but the se is too small for me.

I’m a woman so I often wear tight jeans or dresses so my pro max is usually in my purse if i am carrying them. But my phone more than likely is always in my hand

 

[scorpio vega]

Any screen bigger than 5 inch is too big for my hands. When will Apple understand that our hands are just like our feet, they come in different sizes. Apple believes BIG SIZE fits all.

There is no market for small phones. So why would apple waste resources on them. The mini failed for this very reason.

In today’s worlds people are streaming. I had to fly to Paris two weeks ago. I’d be disgusted trying to watch a movie on

In hindsight it's now clear what the SE was and always has been

You folks really try to find a way to make apple the bad guy.

The Se has always been the cheapest iPhone. It has always been the “refreshed” not recycled phone as far as hardware. And each generation has built upon the last.

The original Se was a gimped iPhone 6s in a 5 body.

The 2020 Se brought the iPhone 11 features to the 8 plus body

The 2022 version brought the 13 features and 5g to the body.

And that’s okay. Anyone complaining about the Se clearly has no clue what the Se was meant to be.

It is a budget line apple device to compete with midrange androids WITHOUT having another 5c fiasco and cheapening the iPhone line.

It’s more insulting android oems are still selling android phones with terrible designs and lack of needed features with extremely old android versions in 2024. This isn’t some emerging market. This is America lmao.

Personally the Se is the best value budget/midrange and I’m glad it exists. It also is a good way to get apple more users into their services as well as to eventually upgrade to premium Devices.

Little 12 year old Jack is rocking an Se 2022 but by 2027 will be rocking an iPhone 18 because he wants something bigger and better than he had when he was a kid with the same reliability

 

[mikebenton]

If they can put FaceID on the iPhone SE, they can put it on the iPad Air.....just sayin'

 

[whateverest]

Its strange to always read the next SE is using this or that old chassis. If any company in the world has sufficient ressources to expand the line with a unique small phone, it has to be Apple. Preferably without notch or island as another unique selling point. Make it thick as required to fit a decent 2 day battery.

 

[Gasu E.]

It seems unlikely that they would completely abandon TouchID, which is the only reliable biometric for children under 13, and the only secure biometric for people with identical twins, or relatives that match their FaceID(uncommon). If someone in my household has a fingerprint that matches mine, I can just use another finger, I can't use a different face.

You might have to order that from a specialty place, as Amazon doesn't carry those.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Its strange to always read the next SE is using this or that old chassis. If any company in the world has sufficient ressources to expand the line with a unique small phone, it has to be Apple. Preferably without notch or island as another unique selling point. Make it thick as required to fit a decent 2 day battery.

Agreed

I have no idea why it's tolerated, if not outright defended!, by everyone in Apple land

It's nuts

 

[deaglecat]

Long overdue, if you want a full screen phone wiht 120Hz a large display and don't want to spent a lot then Samsung, Xiaomi, Honor, Nothing are currently the way to go.

Apple is all about the AASP, doesn't really cater for mid-range.

 

[sers]

Love it!
Never going to happen sadly - but I still love it!

One other concern would be how bloated modern iOS seems to be and what it would mean for battery life.

It just seems to get less efficient every year.
I'm not sure Apple are doing the best software efficiency work possible on iOS.

They seem to be "throwing specs at the problem"

I have an SE1 on iOS 10 and it's shocking how lightning fast and snappy everything is, even with that now really old hardware. If I could downgrade my SE1's I would do it for most all of them.

Sadly I have an SE1 on iOS 15 and it just kills the battery. Can't even get 1/2 day out of it.

 

[rembert]

If this report is accurate, then I guess my 13 mini is my last iPhone. It's the perfect size for what I need. If my 13 mini dies and can't be replaced, then I suppose I'll have to look elsewhere. If a 6.1" iPhone SE is the smallest phone on the market at that time, maybe then I'll finally get an Apple Watch.

Same here. And that 13 mini is actually a tad too big, I loved the iPhone-5 size.

If enough people stay on the 13 mini (or the SE-2020 / 2022) then Apple will notice, I'm sure. They made several marketing errors in launching the SE-2020, 12 mini, SE-2022 and the 13 mini. I had the SE-2016 and was happy the SE-2020 got launched. I bought it right-away but was really annoyed Apple then launched the 12 mini. I would have liked that one! Then Apple launched the SE-2022. That wasn't a serious improvement over that still pretty powerful SE-2020 and even the 13 mini didn't attract me enough. That changed when it became clear Apple would stop with iPhones in that size so I bought the 13 mini with a huge discount and I am still happy with it.

Apple noticed not a lot of people bought those individual phones and likely concluded there's no real market for such a phone. But isn't that a misunderstanding of the market? I guess one could also defend adding all figures together and have that sum being the market for the mini-sized phone. That market would then be even bigger than the market for the standard iPhone. Another misunderstanding of this market might be people buying a mini or even a budget SE aren't very fashion-sensitive or gadget-freaks. They just wish the iPhone to be a tool which helps doing ones daily job. They'll keep their iPhone as long as possible. Only when it breaks down they'll start looking for replacement.

I guess I'll be sticking to my iPhone 13 mini a long time. I'll enjoy seeing the new SE cannibalising the standard iPhone market share and I'll enjoy even more the resulting despair of the - IMHO rather ignorant - Apple iPhone marketeers. After this has happened, I just hope some new marketeers will have a new look on the statistics and discover real opportunities exist in the mini department. I guess we're talking 2027 by then.

 

[Jay Bly]

Maybe look into Assistive Access mode. Unlocking happens with an on-screen button there:

And all screens have a Back button:

Honestly, this is a fantastic mode. I’ve heard about it for a long time, but never really looked into it. So for just sake of it, I checked into it the other day. It’s actually pretty amazing for someone that just needs basic knowledge. You can pick and choose what you want on the grid style four buttons it’s gray for someone that’s has a hard time with your technology.

 

[iBreatheApple]

Small phones are getting harder and harder to find. I just want an iPhone that fits in my front pocket and does communication and control of things like my sprinklers, outdoor lighting and security. While I do occasionally use it for music, I don't watch video. I have an iPad and a computer. Just give me a small phone. I too was waiting on the new SE but am find with my SE2 as long as the battery lasts.

Same but they tried and it apparently failed right? And battery was abysmal, at least for me. Capacity was 88% within 6 months, Apple ran diagnostics, told me it was normal. But I do miss the mini form factor and would definitely give it another shot. Though I guess there is a difference between the SE and the mini.

 

[Bregalad]

We have three SEs (2x 2020 and a 2022). Battery life is atrocious on all of them, especially the 2020s. The rumoured size of the SE4 is roughly the same as my SE with a protective case so it'll fit in all the usual pockets and the battery life might finally be decent.

Thank you so much klasma for posting about Assistive Access mode. I didn't know it existed. It looks perfect for the octogenarians in the family. Unfortunately they're all super cheap. It took years to convince one of them to replace a 13 year old Mac with something newer so I'm not expecting to have any luck getting them to spend $500 on a phone.

The 92 year old in the family has one of those "senior" phones for people with low vision and it's the worst piece of junk I've ever seen. Even the young tech savvy people in the family can't figure out how to add numbers to the address book and then use that feature to call someone. The old fellow has no clue how to use it. To make matters worse it doesn't even charge reliably. Almost every visit I see the phone sitting on its charger, but if I pick it up to see if it's working the battery is dead. No wonder he's still paying an arm and a leg for a landline.

 

[henry72]

I think part of the objective entails phasing out all Lightning equipped iPhones, such as the SE 3, 13 and 14. The current line-up is too complicated IMO.

 

[yukari]

Glad I talked my dad into going from a 2nd gen SE to an iPhone 15 pro last week. He was wanting to hold out for the new SE but, he has been happy with his new phone. I think Apple is missing a lot of sales to the older crowd (70+) by extending the time frame of releases with the SE.

I agree - having gone from SE to Max Pro and being in that age range I regret it. The camera on the Pro Max was the biggest selling point and it doesn't get used as much as I had thought - tend to carry a mirrorless camera when I think there will be photo opportunities. But its just too large and heavy - especially in Spring/Summer when there is't a winter jacket pocket to carry the camera (the 15 Pro might have been a better choice but the SE would be enough it most situations).

IMHO it seems like you played right into Apple's hand in purchasing more expensive option than SE.

Those who can afford more expensive option will buy non-SE version because they get tired of waiting. Those who can't will wait until the next SE release.

Apple likely knows SE will cannibalize it's more expensive products if they release SE too quickly.

 

[Nebakanezer]

If this report is accurate, then I guess my 13 mini is my last iPhone. It's the perfect size for what I need. If my 13 mini dies and can't be replaced, then I suppose I'll have to look elsewhere. If a 6.1" iPhone SE is the smallest phone on the market at that time, maybe then I'll finally get an Apple Watch.

Yup, same with me. The 13 Mini was the first iPhone I bought since the 3G, and it's looking like it'll be the last I ever own. I'll never understand the fixation with ginormous phones.

 

[d686546s]

If enough people stay on the 13 mini (or the SE-2020 / 2022) then Apple will notice, I'm sure.

You mean all five of us?

I just don't see it and I'm saying that as someone who refused to buy anything but a Mini for a long time.

The amount of people who buy these for the size, particularly the SEs, is probably a lot smaller than you think. There's certainly a significant chunk of people who bought it for the lower price because they don't really need more, then there's people who dislike change and want to stick with the home button and TouchID and, finally, there's probably companies for whom the SE is an inexpensive company phone to give out.

With the exception of the second group, the rest will probably just whatever other device is good value for money. Even group 2 will probably just bite the bullet when their phone dies and get another iPhone (because switching to Android is even more change).

Which leaves the size-focused people and, as a former member of that group, you get used to a bigger phone if you eg want a better camera, which is what happened to me.

So in reality all but the smallest group of diehards will eventually just get another phone and move on with their lives. Coupled with the fact that particularly the Mini phones never sold well to begin with, I'm pretty convinced that Apple is fairly relaxed about this.

 

[d686546s]

The 92 year old in the family has one of those "senior" phones for people with low vision and it's the worst piece of junk I've ever seen. Even the young tech savvy people in the family can't figure out how to add numbers to the address book and then use that feature to call someone. The old fellow has no clue how to use it. To make matters worse it doesn't even charge reliably. Almost every visit I see the phone sitting on its charger, but if I pick it up to see if it's working the battery is dead. No wonder he's still paying an arm and a leg for a landline.

You're probably just better off buying a semi-decent Android phone and installing a simpler launcher.

 

[Nebakanezer]

Some points need clarification:

Size: iphone 14 is only 8 mms (0,32") longer and 4 mms (0,16") wider then SE2/3, and has a 36 mms (1,4") bigger screen.

But as a point of comparison:

The iPhone 14 is 15mm longer and 7mm wider than the Mini, all for a 17mm larger screen. The Mini was the perfect form factor for the next SE. Budget buyers don't prioritize latest, greatest, biggest and best of every feature. It's small, but there is a market for smaller size phones. And the majority of design work and tooling was already in place.

Seems like this is a missed opportunity to keep both budget conscious and smaller phone preferring customers in the Apple ecosystem. I wouldn't spend any more than I did on the SE2 on a phone for my children, who are far more likely to loose or damage it, and I wouldn't buy anything larger than the Mini for myself. So if the new SE is what it's rumored to be, Apple just lost our entire family.