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internetrando

macrumors 6502a
Jun 5, 2018
687
500
Texas
I think that Apple will be forced to, at some point, provide a new cost effective option for foreign markets.

Yes, I get it. The iPhone 7 is their low cost device, but it’s old tech. If they want to capture that market they need to provide cost conscious alternatives with newer tech.

But hey, what do I know. Odds are that the new iPhone doesn’t get any cheaper. *shoulder shrug*
 

JPack

macrumors G5
Mar 27, 2017
13,568
26,262
It’s an old wives tale that comes up every few months.

First, the rumor was March 2018, then September 2018, then March 2019. Now it’s September 2019.

Apple under Tim Cook isn’t going to come up with a new form factor for the price sensitive market. They would rather continue to sell old devices for less money.
 

MasterControlOp

Suspended
Mar 28, 2019
69
40
I’m all in. I don’t care about the better screen but I would want it to be more future proofed than the SE. I wouldn’t even mind losing wireless charging but I would rather have it. I like wireless charging a lot.
 

GuruZac

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Sep 9, 2015
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It’s an old wives tale that comes up every few months.

First, the rumor was March 2018, then September 2018, then March 2019. Now it’s September 2019.

Apple under Tim Cook isn’t going to come up with a new form factor for the price sensitive market. They would rather continue to sell old devices for less money.
While I agree that Apple under Tim Cook is becoming a numbers based instead of forward tech based company, they did just do an entirely new form factor, that was less expensive in the XR. Honestly, I was surprised Apple gave the XR the guts and cameras of the XS models (excluding the zoom lens and the extra 1GB of RAM). I think Apple could very well entertain the market with a X design SE replacement.
 
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JPack

macrumors G5
Mar 27, 2017
13,568
26,262
While I agree that Apple under Tim Cook is becoming a numbers based instead of forward tech based company, they did just do an entirely new form factor, that was less expensive in the XR. Honestly, I would surprised Apple gave the XR the guts and cameras of the XS models (excluding the zoom lens and the extra 1GB of RAM). I think Apple could very well entertain the market with a X design SE replacement.

The less expensive XR was priced $50 above the previous mainstream product (iPhone 8) and has a higher adoption rate compared to XS or Max.

A 4.8” device won’t be mainstream and Apple has plenty of options to choose if they wanted to introduce a low cost iPhone. This includes a processor refresh on the iPhone 7 or 8.

I understand that some consumers may want a small form factor device. But expecting a complete redesign is really not what Tim Cook would do. The story of iPad mini and iPad Air are good examples of what Apple does for non-mainstream products.
 
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cayetanogil

macrumors newbie
May 8, 2016
10
23
Releasing something like this would make a lot of sense, know of many people that still enjoy their iPhone SE but starting to feel that the performance is slowing down.
 
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44267547

Cancelled
Jul 12, 2016
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i wonder if there is any truth to this. A 4.8” all display design would certainly stimulate a lot of purchases if Apple announce this along side the XS/XR replacements in September.

https://www.cultofmac.com/616998/sketchy-report-claims-cheaper-iphone-xe-is-coming-this-fall/

I had a few qualms with this rumor, [which I actually read this rumor days before]:

1.) The point of the original SE was to retain a cheaper price point, just the fact that if this rumored 4.8 iPhone would include Face ID and an OLED panel, that alone that would price this phone significantly higher over the SE, which is counterproductive, because Apple intended the SE to be ‘affordable’ as a global phone.

2.) The rumor states the article was ‘from a sketchy report’, who came up with this sketchy report? Cult of Mac basically adopted this article from ‘PC tablet’ (Another online tech site), which they don’t even know themselves who the source is reporting this rumor. There’s actually _no_ direct source behind this rumor whatsoever, it could be completely fabricated by the author or anyone else.

The Only thing remotely believable about this article, is that if this ‘XE phone’ were to be produced, I do believe it would be assembled in the Bangalore plant in India, which is where the SE was also manufactured.
 

JPack

macrumors G5
Mar 27, 2017
13,568
26,262
The Only thing remotely believable about this article, is that if this ‘XE phone’ were to be produced, I do believe it would be assembled in the Bangalore plant in India, which is where the SE was also manufactured.

To me, that claim actually makes this rumor even less likely to be true.

The most recent reports on iPhone manufacturing in India suggests Apple is asking for further reductions on duties for "completely-knocked-down and semi-knocked- down" kits. In other words, the iPhones being "made" in India right now are pre-assembled kits coming from China. Right now, India is only assembling old generation iPhones and not even the XR. So it seems unlikely India would suddenly be given responsibility for a brand new product that state of the art assembly lines in China don't have experience with.
 

ghanwani

macrumors 601
Dec 8, 2008
4,828
6,154
The Only thing remotely believable about this article, is that if this ‘XE phone’ were to be produced, I do believe it would be assembled in the Bangalore plant in India, which is where the SE was also manufactured.

I think the SEs made in India were for consumption in India. I don't think they were exported. All the SEs in the US, e.g., are assembled in China.
 

44267547

Cancelled
Jul 12, 2016
37,642
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I think the SEs made in India were for consumption in India.

That may or may not be true. I honestly don’t know. I do know that original production of the SE was manufactured at the Peeyna plant in Bangalore. According to the link I’m listing below, it was stated they would start shipping to ‘domestic customers’. Also, the back of the phone box itself should state it’s assembly/origin.( But the majority of the SE’s were manufactured/assembled in China.)

https://www.medianama.com/2017/06/223-apple-iphone-se-model-assembled-in-bangalore/
 
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tks900

macrumors regular
Sep 13, 2016
115
105
0DA1E772-5E42-4162-A010-505C3A93F2FF.jpeg
I can‘t speak to the reliability of the rumour. But I will brag about having predicted the correct name rather early ... :)

Also, German site Mactechnews presents the rumour as pretty solid:
https://www.mactechnews.de/news/art...erscheint-im-Herbst-als-iPhone-XE-172162.html
 

44267547

Cancelled
Jul 12, 2016
37,642
42,495
View attachment 832499 I can‘t speak to the reliability of the rumour. But I will brag about having predicted the correct name rather early .

I gather I’m being overly-technical, but in a sense, you were not correct, because nothing has been confirmed with a ‘correct’ iPhone title by Apple, it’s merely guessing or ‘mudslinging’ by random journalists that don’t have any insight to Apples marketing schemes when it comes to naming iPhones. The ‘XE’ _could_ be a possible name in the future, but Nor is it something anyone knows indefinitely.
 

tks900

macrumors regular
Sep 13, 2016
115
105
I gather I’m being overly-technical, but in a sense, you were not correct, because nothing has been confirmed with a ‘correct’ iPhone title by Apple, it’s merely guessing or ‘mudslinging’ by random journalists that don’t have any insight to Apples marketing schemes when it comes to naming iPhones. The ‘XE’ _could_ be a possible name in the future, but Nor is it something anyone knows indefinitely.

Well of course it‘s not confirmed! I merely said I will (!) brag about it in the future, should it actually materialize (and you do realize that I am not entirely serious about this issue, do you not?)
 

GuruZac

macrumors 68040
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Sep 9, 2015
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They would rather continue to sell old devices for less money.
I would agree after the rumor of redoing the iPhone 8 and still selling it at $649. Apple has lost touch if that pans out. They are clearly able to bring an entirely new form factor at a lower price point. See the XR. Why can’t they shrink the XR into a 5.2” display form factor? And sell that beginning at $599.
 

Jimmy James

macrumors 603
Oct 26, 2008
5,489
4,067
Magicland
As long as they sell old devices with large storage for a cheaper price - I almost don’t care. A 1 to 2 year old phone is great now.
 

Lekro

macrumors 6502a
Mar 23, 2019
564
295
Why would it be XE. X is 10 series XS is 10S. 2019 brings 11 series. Just because it has edge to edge screen it's "X" automatically?

Anyways, they are probably continuing with the flagship and a more affordable model like the XR, not a second SE.
 

apolloa

Suspended
Oct 21, 2008
12,318
7,802
Time, because it rules EVERYTHING!
i wonder if there is any truth to this. A 4.8” all display design would certainly stimulate a lot of purchases if Apple announce this along side the XS/XR replacements in September.

https://www.cultofmac.com/616998/sketchy-report-claims-cheaper-iphone-xe-is-coming-this-fall/

Other rumours we’ve seen on here even claim the new SE, wherever it’s called, will be a 5.4” device, which is the same size as the 6S or 7. So still small and compact compared to the other phones and it’ll have an OLED.

What would you lot prefer? An edge to edge the size of the SE or the 6S?
 
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GuruZac

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Sep 9, 2015
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For the guys with an SE, I can imagine they would emphatically prefer an SE edge to edge. It would absolutely stimulate a lot of new sales and Apple would own that market, and be nearly at the top of the 5.8”-6.5” market, pretty much the bulk of all other phone sales.
 
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44267547

Cancelled
Jul 12, 2016
37,642
42,495
For the guys with an SE, I can imagine they would emphatically prefer an SE edge to edge. It would absolutely stimulate a lot of new sales and Apple would own that market, and be nearly at the top of the 5.8”-6.5” market, pretty much the bulk of all other phone sales.

That’s probably true, I would venture an edge to edge SE retaining a 4 inch form factor would be absolutely stellar by most standards for an update, but that’s probably not a reality. I’m not sure if you saw the earlier rumor today about the 4.7 inch iPhone starting at $599 to debut in March 2020, kind of interesting:

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...-share-of-mid-tier-smartphone-market.2178229/
 
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