Permanent SE?

[anon(10210323)]

Here's an interesting thought. Or, at least, to me lol.

Apple pretty much does upgrades and launches on an annual basis. For example September is the month where we see a new iPhone every year, and an iOS upgrade. If this forum (and other forums) is any indication, the 5S/SE size and appearance is wildly popular.

So, the SE was launched in March 2016, and was upgraded to 32/128gb models in March 2017. Is it a coincidence that it was a year, or are we going to see the 5s SE design update specs annually? It would be nice when my 2 year contract with TMO is up to be able to upgrade to the newest, fastest SE variant.

It may not be just a coincidence that the new 128/32 models came out 1 year after its initial launch.

 

[Just_Me_D]

As you've stated, the 4" size iPhone is still quite popular and it could prove beneficial to Apple if they continued offering that particular size option, in my opinion.

 

[Garz]

I'm thinking we don't see another SE. Not if we start seeing bezeless phones.

 

[cuttheredwire]

They just released another device with the A9 chip. It will be another year before we *might* see an update on the iPhone mini.

 

[Rob Phillips]

I never thought we would see the iPhone SE on an annual refresh cycle. It's a nice phone but it's not a flagship iPhone. I'm guessing the recent storage bump only occurred because there was a demand for it.

 

[Matty]

@RefrigeratorRaider That's a good observation. It's always tough to say with Apple. The 4" model is definitely still popular but i don't think it's popular enough for Apple to do yearly updates. Maybe every 2 years there will be a update. I wouldn't really count a storage size bump an 'update' The last budget iPhone that was released was the 5C in Sept, 2013 then the iPhone SE in March, 2016 So I'm predicting a new 'SE' model either late this year or early next year with updated hardware internals.

 

[bcandiolo]

I hate phablets, including any fancy bezel less phones like the Samsung S8 and others.
They are visually 'nice' but a pain to the pocket, they need larger batteries, fast charging, larger covers.
I use my iPhone SE as a phone, the size is perfect and, yes if I need a larger screen for a movie or media, I use Chromecast or Apple TV in my 49" screen 4K TV.
I won't upgrade to ANY larger phone, it doesn't make any sense to me.
A phone should be a phone, a tablet should be a tablet.
I still remember when the market struggled to make them smaller and smaller, almost the size of a nut, the smallest I used was a Motorola StarTac

 

[anon(10210323)]

I hate phablets, including any fancy bezel less phones like the Samsung S8 and others.
They are visually 'nice' but a pain to the pocket, they need larger batteries, fast charging, larger covers.
I use my iPhone SE as a phone, the size is perfect and, yes if I need a larger screen for a movie or media, I use Chromecast or Apple TV in my 49" screen 4K TV.
I won't upgrade to ANY larger phone, it doesn't make any sense to me.
A phone should be a phone, a tablet should be a tablet.
I still remember when the market struggled to make them smaller and smaller, almost the size of a nut, the smallest I used was a Motorola StarTac

↑↑↑Hear Hear!!↑↑↑

My last phone was a Galaxy Note 4 phablet, and going to a smaller device is a revelation. The small size of the SE is so much more convenient in nearly every imaginable way, and the "smallness" of the screen is not an issue at all, as I thought it might be, and my family/friends think it should be. The SE is also much more powerful and quite a bit faster than the Note 4 to boot. I am excited by the fact that Apple launched updated versions of the SE (32 and 128 instead of 16 and 64) 1 year after the initial launch - and with their track record of annual launches for other devices, I'm hoping this means annual updates/launches of small screen devices too.

 

[fourthbase]

It won't be such a 'Special Edition' if it becomes a regular part of their product line. I'm curious to see what Apple do in the smaller screen market going forward though because the interest will always be there.

 

[xanadome]

I still remember when the market struggled to make them smaller and smaller, almost the size of a nut, the smallest I used was a Motorola StarTac

Ah, StarTac....
I have a fond memory. The best phone of the era. I thought someone finally figured out a truly pocketable phone. I particularly liked the idea of detachable "external" battery. Can't somebody apply that idea to modern smartphones (so that call ?