iPhone SE (2016) iPhone SE 2 in 2018?

[ghanwani]

^ its a given that a small phone is not going to be as easy to type on (if you have large hands) and not as easy to see (if you have aging eyes). That’s a tradeoff small phone owners make for an unobtrusive size and weight.

I’m usually not in any hurry, so for me it works great. I have no desire to own a bigger phone. But once someone has gone bigger, unless one has small hands AND good vision, it’s going to be hard to downsize.

 

[Ermir444]

Apple should introduce a cheaper 4.7" device and have an A10 and call it the new SE., trying not to cannibalise its own sales too much.

They already do, its called the iPhone 7

 

[JackieInCo]

This past week I sold my iPhone 7 256GB Matte Black and got an iPhone SE 64GB Space Grey ... after trying Sony Xperia Z5 Compact again for 4 days.

Firstly I can now fully state, as a former SonyEricsson fan ... Sony you're the best Android could offer me but it's just not good ... I HATE Android. I haven't been this frustrated with ANY phone since the Motorola Q9h - which lasted 1full week!

Now with the SE, having previously used the 6/6S/7 over the last 1.4 years ... the screen is too small, for me. I don't doubt this serves a great market and the nostalgia of the 5S had me very curious ... typing on the SE after having the 6S and 7 as my daily driver really shows it's weak spots.

Typing
- no where near as accurate.
3D Touch
- once you actually use this to correct spelling mistakes or website url editing or quick pop-ups for information you then realize just how useful this is. I kept pressing on this SE to the point of squeezing the unit to correct SMS typos almost 100x in a day.
LTE & WiFi
- Browsing speed and the long time it takes to acquire a default gateway from public Wi-Fi hotspot ... is very slow. it's not supposed to be yet it is.
3.5mm Headset Jack
- I don't own any headphones that use this jack ... so I don't require it nor have any loyalty to this.
Weight
- SUPER LIGHT! I completely forgot just how light the 5S was and the SE is pretty much the same weight ... like air in my pants ... has me constantly checking it's in my pocket.

Now the debate in my head wages on ...
iPhone 8 or iPhone X

I agree with everything you've written. I made the mistake of buying two SEs and they've been sitting here collecting dust. Tried to sell them on CL but just got all kinds of low ball offers so gave that up.

I bought a new unlocked iPhone 8+ direct from Apple today. I was going to wait till the new iPhone was being sold before I bought the 8+ so I could get it at a discount but I thought today was the right time.

I'm happy that the 8+ can wirelessly charge using my Samsung Fast Charge wireless charger and I have two of them! That made my decision to buy so much more valid to me. I still backup to iTunes but this will allow me to plug in a lot less.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[turbineseaplane]

LTE & WiFi
- Browsing speed and the long time it takes to acquire a default gateway from public Wi-Fi hotspot ... is very slow. it's not supposed to be yet it is.

That seems shocking to me - I've never even had a hint of complaint about those 2 things with me SE.
Very odd

Your other comments - just shows how we are all different.

I love that the SE is so light, use my 3.5 jack literally daily and just don't care about 3D touch at all.

 

[JPack]

They already do, its called the iPhone 7

Apple can de-feature to reduce cost:

• No 3D Touch
• No DCI-P3
• First gen Taptic Engine
  
• Second gen Touch ID

Similar to the iPad (2018).

 

[subjonas]

I went from a 6s plus to an SE. It was such a sigh of relief. The big phone just annoyed the stuffing out of me 90% of the time. The only time I liked it was when reading at home.
I do miss 3D Touch though. I really appreciated it for moving the text cursor and for app switching.

 

[TheSkywalker77]

I've seen rumours that the iPhone SE-2 will have an iPhone X like UI. Not too excited about that as I strongly dislike the iPhone X gestures and notch.

 

[MartyvH]

typing on the SE after having the 6S and 7 as my daily driver really shows it's weak spots.

Typing
- no where near as accurate.

You should try swipe typing / gesture typing / what Gboard calls glide typing. My error rate with Gboard on the SE is about the same as it was with all my other phones and it types so quickly.
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Cook suggested that Apple underestimated the number of people who “wanted the latest technologies, but wanted it in a more compact package.”

And then Cook just forgets about it with the 2018 models.

 

[44267547]

I've seen rumours that the iPhone SE-2 will have an iPhone X like UI. Not too excited about that as I strongly dislike the iPhone X gestures and notch.

I don’t see the likeliness of a 4 inch display having iPhone X like features with gesture controls. If Apple updates the SE at any given point during this year or even in 2019, if the goal is to keep it affordable, I don’t think it will obtain many of the iPhone X features. It would only increase the price point, really all the SE needs is a higher resolution display, upgraded processor and Camera improvements. I would say the majority would be likely content just with those three upgrades in a similar form factor.

 

[TheSkywalker77]

I don’t see the likeliness of a 4 inch display having iPhone X like features with gesture controls. If Apple updates the SE at any given point during this year or even in 2019, if the goal is to keep it affordable, I don’t think it will obtain many of the iPhone X features. It would only increase the price point, really all the SE needs is a higher resolution display, upgraded processor and Camera improvements. I would say the majority would be likely content just with those three upgrades in a similar form factor.

So the body of the 5s with the specs of a 7 probably.

 

[geta]

Now with the SE, having previously used the 6/6S/7 over the last 1.4 years ... the screen is too small, for me. I don't doubt this serves a great market and the nostalgia of the 5S had me very curious ... typing on the SE after having the 6S and 7 as my daily driver really shows it's weak spots.

Its funny that some people complaining after going back to smaller phones that the screen is too small and its not possible to type on them… what did you do before the iPhone 6\6 Plus came out?

^ its a given that a small phone is not going to be as easy to type on (if you have large hands) and not as easy to see (if you have aging eyes). That’s a tradeoff small phone owners make for an unobtrusive size and weight.

The only tradeoff\sacrifice i would have to do is in the size-weight-mobility of the SE if i would use a bigger sized phone. For on the go info, quick reading and typing messages the SE is perfect. For serious stuff i will use the MBP (or tablet if that your thing).

 

[millerj123]

So the body of the 5s with the specs of a 7 probably.

I’d be happy with that.

 

[mattopotamus]

I've seen rumours that the iPhone SE-2 will have an iPhone X like UI. Not too excited about that as I strongly dislike the iPhone X gestures and notch.

That is probably one of the most inaccurate rumors we have heard. The SE is a budget phone, and giving it the "X" treatment would make it anything but a budget phone.

 

[44267547]

That is probably one of the most inaccurate rumors we have heard. The SE is a budget phone, and giving it the "X" treatment would make it anything but a budget phone.

The four-inch for iPhone SE will never have any the iPhone X related features, because those are reserved for the larger iPhones with much higher price tags. If Apple included an OLED display, Face ID, stereo speakers, 3D Touch, those are all things that would increase the price by the SE beyond being affordable, which is also very attractive, Besides the form factor.

 

[DeepIn2U]

What we have here folks is a generation sign of the times with technology as well as adjustment issues over time.

Some background of me. I'm 44 almost 45 soon very young in appearance and small in stature (hands/fingers). When I was 8 I began Hunt & Peckin on Apple IIC at school yet at 9 I learned numerical data entry helping my mom at work (kept me from making a mess or other trouble when it was just unthinkable leaving me home alone - same worries of getting into trouble). By 10 I learned how to touch type very accurately on a manual old-school typewriter. when typing on laptops for the past 15yrs (working in I.T.) trust me everyone within 10ft knows I'm typing ... you can hear the keys being smashed and into a melody as well

Its funny that some people complaining after going back to smaller phones that the screen is too small and its not possible to type on them… what did you do before the iPhone 6\6 Plus came out?

If you read my post you'd see I did use the iPhone 5 and 5S. That said it's not just the typing accuracy I'm feeling there is a response issue - on the touchscreen (capacitive sensors not registering) yet I don't think it's isolated to the iPhone 5/5S/SE but I had this over the past year on 6S/7 as well. I'll post a pic of my thumbs to give you all a general idea (don't worry not gross).

The only tradeoff\sacrifice i would have to do is in the size-weight-mobility of the SE if i would use a bigger sized phone. For on the go info, quick reading and typing messages the SE is perfect. For serious stuff i will use the MBP (or tablet if that your thing).

I find more and more - especially with so many corporations migrated to iOS as mobile smartphone of choice and as users adjust ... full corporate legible emails are typed (not unlike what was done on BlackBerry a decade ago).

 

[DeepIn2U]

Fingers and thumbs. Although iPhone 8 pics up the print it definitely doesn’t show just how low each ridge is not to mention areas where the print just isn’t there.

I’ve intentionally taken pictures with dry hands to fully show the ridges. Btw touchpad on X1 Carbon 5th Gen with updated drivers also doesn’t do well with my thumbs for tracking. Guess I’ll need to start liking and using external mouse and trackpoint

 

[HarryWild]

They already do, its called the iPhone 7

In September, it will be called iPhone 8!

 

[MartyvH]

I do miss 3D Touch though. I really appreciated it for moving the text cursor

Long touch does the same thing.
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In September, it will be called iPhone 8!

And I don't want to buy that one, too long/wide for no gain and oddly shaped. I would rather buy a X or an S9 but I don't want to settle for those.

 

[puma1552]

I had a 6, which I loved to death, but when the SE was announced I got nostalgic so I got that as a holdover until the X (which for me turned out to be the 8 - didn't want to keep my 6 for three years and glad I didn't or the 8 would've been hard to justify) and it was a great phone, minus the screen. I even intended to keep it as a spare for a few weeks after buying my 8, but in the end I let it go and traded it in to Gamestop to fund an AirPods purchase.

My wife still has an SE and honestly I couldn't go back. But it would be nice if Apple put some effort into the SE for those who still want the small form factor. Just because it's small doesn't mean it has to be budget oriented. Sure you can do more in terms of features with more physical volume in a larger phone, but remember the SE sized phone used to be the flagship, so they could still make an updated SE be a fantastic, beefy phone.

 

[subjonas]

Long touch does the same thing.

You are mistaken. Long touch does not initiate moving the text cursor.

 

[Falhófnir]

Thinking about it it does make sense they won’t update the SE until they are ready to stop selling A9 based devices - i.e. until at least this time next year when the 7 series are the next lowest rung with the A10. Then it can get either an A11 or A12 and go another few years. All the while the 6S is retailing there is no pressing need to update it - performance is still perfectly fine for general use. I wouldn’t even be surprised if the A9s get an extra OS version over what you’d expect if one chipset is dropped per year.

 

[44267547]

You are mistaken. Long touch does not initiate moving the text cursor.

I think @MartyvH was indicating long press invokes similar actions to 3D Touch, but you interpreted it as they were referring to moving the cursor, which it does not, it uses the magnify.

 

[subjonas]

I think @MartyvH was indicating long press invokes similar actions to 3D Touch, but you interpreted it as they were referring to moving the cursor, which it does not, it uses the magnify.

No, the user was responding to my comment in which I said I missed 3D touch’s ability to move the cursor.

 

[MartyvH]

Long touch certainly puts the cursor where you are touching. If you want more control you can then use the feature in keyboards such as Gboard where dragging along the spacebar moves the cursor along the line of text. Apple could use 3D Touch for this.

Or Apple could implement proper control of the cursor without fancy workarounds like 3D Touch, tip-toeing through the tulips instead of doing the bleeding obvious. Android has had a handle on the cursor that you can drag around since the beginning of Android, albeit too small a handle but it's a handle. Just drag the cursor around, maybe? Or does that make too much sense?

 

[bluecoast]

No, the user was responding to my comment in which I said I missed 3D touch’s ability to move the cursor.

I heard a rumour this year that the ‘regular’ iPhone 8 and 8 plus successors might not have 3D Touch to keep costs down ie they’ll have Face ID instead.

Let’s face it, 3D Touch has been a failure.

Loads of people I know are barely aware of it. It adds weight and cost to each iPhone with dubious returns.

3D Touch really came about as the UI was getting so conplicated. And I suppose for the main marketing message for the 6s and 6 plus...

That’s funny to think about for a moment: the marquee feature of the 6 series iPhones was 3D Touch.

And that the battery - and battery life - was smaller than the one in the 6 series to accommodate this ‘feature’.

The obvious solution here is for apple to take a big step back and reduce the complexity of the iPhone UI so that people don’t have to use 3D Touch. Especially as they don’t for the most part (admittedly this statement is anecdotal rather than based on a wide data set).

Let’s hope then that ditching this component results in cheaper and lighter iPhones with bigger batteries.