The new iPhone SE has arrived

[iMore.com]

Apple's new iPhone SE

Full story from the iMore Blog...

 

[Annie_M]

Finally... real story, and no more rumors... for now, that is.

 

[Just_Me_D]

It looks like an iPhone 8.

 

[parker5011]

It has the A13 and dual sim capabilities. All at $400. I’m in!

 

[wilber1]

Just what people need in these trying times a updated iPhone 8 at a reasonable cost ,should sell well .

 

[mogelijk]

It looks like an iPhone 8.

It uses the iPhone 8 chassis -- just includes updated internals (like the A13 chip) -- to the point that iPhone 8 cases fit the new SE perfectly.

 

[Just_Me_D]

It uses the iPhone 8 chassis -- just includes updated internals (like the A13 chip) -- to the point that iPhone 8 cases fit the new SE perfectly.

I know.

 

[anon(50597)]

I understand they are using the iPhone 8 body but it would have been sweeter if it had an updated one.
It’s still an excellent value and will sell well.

 

[scruffypig]

Looks nice and comes in Product Red.

 

[BreakingKayfabe]

Seems like a solid device but I’m shocked at all the fanfare I’ve been seeing on this phone the past 2 days. I think we’re all just reaching for something to look forward to at this point in time.

 

[mogelijk]

Seems like a solid device but I’m shocked at all the fanfare I’ve been seeing on this phone the past 2 days. I think we’re all just reaching for something to look forward to at this point in time.

There is more than that going on. I think to really understand, you have to start with how flagship phones keep getting more and more expensive -- $1000 or more, including from Apple. This is causing "sticker shock" for the average consumer, while at the same time not giving them much in the way of upgrades. Then, the day before, to make matters somewhat "worse," the brand that had been giving a quality phone without quite all the bells and whistles announced their new flagship -- and it was $1000.

So, the day after OnePlus announces a $1000 flagship, her comes Apple -- basically known as the most expensive phone that started the high priced flagships -- with a $400 phone. The phone has a simple, but quality and well liked design, the iPhone 8. It updated the camera (adding portrait mode) and the processor and kept most of the rest the same. The only feature it "lost" is the one that Apple has removed from its new flagships, 3D touch (giving the same Haptic Touch it put in the iPhone 11 Pro).

There have been plenty of Apple users that have not upgraded from the iPhone 8, for a variety of reasons. For some, they didn't like the new $1000 price of the flagships, others didn't like Face ID but wanted to keep Touch ID; there are several reasons. And Apple has given these people a phone that gives them a solid upgrade path. Even better, the SE is about priced the same as the iPhone 8 was last week, despite its improvements over the iPhone 8.

Last, it made Apple a real contender in the mid-to low range phone market, even against mid-range (and even lower range) Android phones. While there are mid-range Android phones that are less expensive; the iPhone gives to marked advantages. First, the iPhone has flagship performance, whereas most mid-ranged Androids have less powerful processors. Second, the supported "lifespan" of an Apple vs. an Android -- mid-range Android phones will be lucky to get 2 years worth of Android updates -- in fact, many will not even get a single new Android release, many will never see Android 11 (and some won't even get Android 10). By contrast, the SE is likely to get at least 4 years of iOS updates -- not just security releases but it will likely get iOS 17, and it even has a good chance of getting iOS 18. It not only will get these updates, but internally with the A13 chip it should still run the later versions of iOS well. And third, there are those that have wanted an Apple phone and just not been willing to pay "Apple prices," and they now have a cheap but still powerful Apple alternative; and this is doubly true in markets like India and China.

This, from what I'm seeing, is why the iPhone SE is getting so much "fanfare,"

 

[Wotchered]

If I needed a new phone I would buy this, because honestly the XS I have and Apples flagship phones recently,have been offering not very much that I need for too much money. Like most people I don’t use half of the features I’ve paid dearly for. If Apple had offered the new SE in it’s original size with a maximised screen I would have ordered one already. Maybe next time !

 

[BreakingKayfabe]

There is more than that going on. I think to really understand, you have to start with how flagship phones keep getting more and more expensive -- $1000 or more, including from Apple. This is causing "sticker shock" for the average consumer, while at the same time not giving them much in the way of upgrades. Then, the day before, to make matters somewhat "worse," the brand that had been giving a quality phone without quite all the bells and whistles announced their new flagship -- and it was $1000.

So, the day after OnePlus announces a $1000 flagship, her comes Apple -- basically known as the most expensive phone that started the high priced flagships -- with a $400 phone. The phone has a simple, but quality and well liked design, the iPhone 8. It updated the camera (adding portrait mode) and the processor and kept most of the rest the same. The only feature it "lost" is the one that Apple has removed from its new flagships, 3D touch (giving the same Haptic Touch it put in the iPhone 11 Pro).

There have been plenty of Apple users that have not upgraded from the iPhone 8, for a variety of reasons. For some, they didn't like the new $1000 price of the flagships, others didn't like Face ID but wanted to keep Touch ID; there are several reasons. And Apple has given these people a phone that gives them a solid upgrade path. Even better, the SE is about priced the same as the iPhone 8 was last week, despite its improvements over the iPhone 8.

Last, it made Apple a real contender in the mid-to low range phone market, even against mid-range (and even lower range) Android phones. While there are mid-range Android phones that are less expensive; the iPhone gives to marked advantages. First, the iPhone has flagship performance, whereas most mid-ranged Androids have less powerful processors. Second, the supported "lifespan" of an Apple vs. an Android -- mid-range Android phones will be lucky to get 2 years worth of Android updates -- in fact, many will not even get a single new Android release, many will never see Android 11 (and some won't even get Android 10). By contrast, the SE is likely to get at least 4 years of iOS updates -- not just security releases but it will likely get iOS 17, and it even has a good chance of getting iOS 18. It not only will get these updates, but internally with the A13 chip it should still run the later versions of iOS well. And third, there are those that have wanted an Apple phone and just not been willing to pay "Apple prices," and they now have a cheap but still powerful Apple alternative; and this is doubly true in markets like India and China.

This, from what I'm seeing, is why the iPhone SE is getting so much "fanfare,"

I mean absolutely no disrespect or trying to start a flame war here. Absolutely none of this matters to me. We’re patting Apple on their back for making a budget phone in 2020 with practically a dated design from 2014? The big bezels on the screen date back to 2007 when the iPhone didn’t even include MMS messaging. The guts of the phone are good, but what does it matter with a design like this? That’s great if it works well for many who are waiting to buy. But this coverage like these people found about about the invention of the wheel is ***-kissing at best.

Look at their marketing campaign when the iPhone X was released leading us to believe that this is the iPhone design-type going forward.
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2017/11/iphone-x-what-reviewers-are-saying/#mn_p

 

[Annie_M]

I am excited about the new SE. Is it for me? No. I prefer all the features that come on flagship phones. That said, I still recognize that it's prudent for a company such as Apple to have an entire line of phones, from budget to luxury. Automakers have been doing this for years. The SE seems to be a good quality iPhone, and I have recommended it to my sister, who needs a new phone and is currently laid off thanks to COVID 19. She has to sons who are both getting married this year and doesn't want to spend a lot of money on a new iPhone. She also isn't "in to" all the features that a flagship iPhone offers. So she is delighted.

 

[kataran]

I was a quick adopter of the Original iPhone SE and really loved that phone and was waiting for the SE2 with the same form factor but it never came to fruition.

I’m now comfortable with my 11 Pro Max and will stay with Apple’s Flagship devices going into the future

 

[parker5011]

I mean absolutely no disrespect or trying to start a flame war here. Absolutely none of this matters to me. We’re patting Apple on their back for making a budget phone in 2020 with practically a dated design from 2014? The big bezels on the screen date back to 2007 when the iPhone didn’t even include MMS messaging. The guts of the phone are good, but what does it matter with a design like this? That’s great if it works well for many who are waiting to buy. But this coverage like these people found about about the invention of the wheel is ***-kissing at best.

Look at their marketing campaign when the iPhone X was released leading us to believe that this is the iPhone design-type going forward.
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2017/11/iphone-x-what-reviewers-are-saying/#mn_p

While you are right, for most people do not care about bezeless displays. I know some who love the older form factors. This is the phone for them. They want a phone that is familiar and will last. My kids will be getting this. They don’t care if it has bezels or not.  knows what it is doing and is doing a great job. I’d rather have an older form factor that can last for years than a newer one that won’t. Also you have to realize things like OLED displays cost a lot of money and so if we want to put those on budget devices they’re going to have to cut corners elsewhere that’s just the nature of the game.

 

[mogelijk]

I mean absolutely no disrespect or trying to start a flame war here. Absolutely none of this matters to me. We’re patting Apple on their back for making a budget phone in 2020 with practically a dated design from 2014? The big bezels on the screen date back to 2007 when the iPhone didn’t even include MMS messaging. The guts of the phone are good, but what does it matter with a design like this? That’s great if it works well for many who are waiting to buy. But this coverage like these people found about about the invention of the wheel is ***-kissing at best.

Look at their marketing campaign when the iPhone X was released leading us to believe that this is the iPhone design-type going forward.
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2017/11/iphone-x-what-reviewers-are-saying/#mn_p

Sorry it took me a few hours to respond. While I respect your opinion, the fact remains that your average buyer just doesn't care about the "2014 design" and many of them even prefer the larger bezels -- provided it comes with TouchID at the bottom. I even know "Techies" who miss being able to use their fingerprint to unlock their iPhone while the phone remains sitting on their desk -- rather than having to pick up the phone to get it to recognize their face. The larger point, though, the SE is not for people like "us" -- people who care about the "latest and greatest."

I think the best response, that sums up my thoughts, comes from Marques Brownlee's video today -- starting about the 6:15 mark:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UK8HH3_q4yI&t=316s

And, as he states, this is "one of the best deals in all of tech."

 

[anon(50597)]

I mean absolutely no disrespect or trying to start a flame war here. Absolutely none of this matters to me. We’re patting Apple on their back for making a budget phone in 2020 with practically a dated design from 2014? The big bezels on the screen date back to 2007 when the iPhone didn’t even include MMS messaging. The guts of the phone are good, but what does it matter with a design like this? That’s great if it works well for many who are waiting to buy. But this coverage like these people found about about the invention of the wheel is ***-kissing at best.

Look at their marketing campaign when the iPhone X was released leading us to believe that this is the iPhone design-type going forward.
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2017/11/iphone-x-what-reviewers-are-saying/#mn_p

I said this on Android forums and I’ll repeat it here, we are not the average consumer so most of the opinions we have mean little. Many of the average consumers don’t care about bezels or the highest quality camera. They care about value. They are tired of paying high prices. This was needed and I applaud Apple for finding a way to produce a very good phone for a fair price. It has been needed for a while.

 

[BreakingKayfabe]

I said this on Android forums and I’ll repeat it here, we are not the average consumer so most of the opinions we have mean little. Many of the average consumers don’t care about bezels or the highest quality camera. They care about value. They are tired of paying high prices. This was needed and I applaud Apple for finding a way to produce a very good phone for a fair price. It has been needed for a while.

This is why I emphasized “we” and “we are” referring to us, the enthusiasts. It’s great for the average consumer but this whole over-satirization of Apple doing something super-duper ZOMGBBQ around these parts is what I’m referring to. It’s a great option for a phone but let’s keep things in perspective here. It’s a phone with a 6 year old design with the most recent processor crammed in it.

While we’re on the subject, I think the notion of “budget” phone for $399 is funny. I would have been much more impressed had this phone been exactly what the XR is but the same size footprint of the overall device as the iPhone 8 at $399 would be much more impressive.

 

[BreakingKayfabe]

I now would like Apple to make this same model shape, but, in the size of the iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Please and thank you!

Unless you want bezels and a home button, I think you already have your desired device.