I agree about the date, but I do believe they will make it with an edge-to-edge screen, because that's the way the market is moving, and they can't wait 3,5 years to do that, assuming they keep the same update timing.
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iPhone SE (2016) When do you think next iPhone SE will come?
- Thread starter kofman13
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If Apple is prioritizing cost, wouldn't they simply take iPhone 7 and de-feature it? Remove 3D Touch layer and capacitive Home button. Or simply price iPhone 6s at $399. I think this where Apple is going by assembling iPhone 6s in India.
This won't satisfy the 4-inch users. But if Apple wanted to satisfy that group, Apple would have updated the SE last year. Or this year.
The SE served as a $399 gateway to the iPhone. With the SE now at $349, the iPhone 6s can move down from $449 to $399.
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Let's pretend this 5" device becomes available in March 2019 and sells for $599.
Where would this device fit in the iPhone line up in terms of price? It would immediately nuke the value of the iPhone 7 and 8, which currently sell for $549 and $699. Does Apple want to do that just to satisfy small phone users?
If Apple is assembling iPhone 6s in India, I assume iPhone 7 and 8 are here to stay for the next few years.
In short, a 5" model with Face ID would immediately destroy the margins from Apple's bread and butter iPhone 7 and 8 models.
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I do think that they will milk the current SE and iPhone 6s for as long as possible.
And I’m feeling like a freak for wanting a small modern phone! Is it too much to ask for? It seems so.
Apple's decision to continue selling iPhone 6s for 2017/18 allows them to probe the market for a price vs. size decision.
If the take rate for SE is strong even with iPhone 6s at $449, it's probably an indication that many want the 4" form factor.
I think we'll know pretty soon. Apple product stack and pricing in September should tell us the probability of an SE2. If iPhone 6s continues to be sold in major markets, I don't see an opening for SE2.
I’m thinking 2018 will be the last year for the iPhone SE and 6s to be sold direct buy Apple, (But still will have continued iOS support) but the A9 processor is still *plenty* capable with performance with the 2 GB. If the iPhone SE is updated in 2019, it won’t resemble anything like the current SE given Apples future with Face ID, including removal of the home button and 3.5 Jack.
Well I’m holding out for an internal spec bump for the SE.
As the production line exists, how hard would it be to add on the A10 and it’s screen and camera to the existing SE?
And as you say, how hard would it be to then convert the 6s production line to an ‘iPhone 7 SE’ with no Touch ID (and a regular home button)
I just hope that the SE doesn't become another Mac Mini. 
In other words, it would take relatively little work on Apple's side to make a new model, and make a load of people very happy… but for some perverse reason they don't.
Fingers crossed we see both a new SE and a new Mini soon!
In other words, it would take relatively little work on Apple's side to make a new model, and make a load of people very happy… but for some perverse reason they don't.
Fingers crossed we see both a new SE and a new Mini soon!
Serious question: can the current Face ID component fit onto a smaller form factor?
I’m presuming that this year, we won’t see the Face ID component get smaller, we’ll just see it get better ie it’ll fire more ‘dots’.
In literal terms of comparing the iPhone SE, there is no way they can implement a notch onto the display that small with all the current hardware and sensors. That’s why if the iPhone SE ever is updated, it likely may not resemble the current model with a whole new form factor and may even follow a different title than ‘SE’ as others expect. In short, I don’t expect _ever_ see another 4 inch iPhone display from Apple again.
I just hope that the SE doesn't become another Mac Mini.
In other words, it would take relatively little work on Apple's side to make a new model, and make a load of people very happy… but for some perverse reason they don't.
Fingers crossed we see both a new SE and a new Mini soon!
Agree.
It would make me very happy if next March, Apple had an event where part of it was something like:
‘And oh yeah, there’s the new iPad with the A11 and we made it thinner and the screen better too. Now it’s like the Air again from a few years back. You’re welcome.
‘And we updated the SE too. We thought we might as well. It’s the same as the current SE but with the camera screen and processor from the iPhone 8. We were going to use stuff from the 7 but we didn’t want to pay any more GPU licensing royalties out.’
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Thanks. The regular notch LCD phone that’s meant to be coming this year could be interesting.
I wonder if it’s going to feel small enough that it could be considered the successor to the SE?
More as likely though it’s aimed as the natural successor to the 6, 6s and 7 to get those users to upgrade.
The notch represents 56% of the iPhone X display width. Each ear beside the notch is 0.54" wide.
If the notch is dropped onto iPhone SE, it would represent 65% of the display width. Each ear beside the notch would be 0.35" wide.
It would be silly to display just two icons beside the notch.
The notch will probably shrink over time, but will that tech go into an SE? Probably not.
If the notch is dropped onto iPhone SE, it would represent 65% of the display width. Each ear beside the notch would be 0.35" wide.
It would be silly to display just two icons beside the notch.
The notch will probably shrink over time, but will that tech go into an SE? Probably not.
Never gonna happen, The SE was originally made due to overwhelming supply of 6s internals.
I guess they could just display the signal strength or WiFi if on WiFi and then the battery.
It feels like a squeeze though so I’d tend to agree with you - if we get a smaller Face ID phone it won’t be the SE as we know it.
Great point though thanks.
In the meantime a spec jump seems the more likely thing.
I mean it’s not like Apple are happy with selling really out of date hardware is it?
Oh hang on...
i actually still have my iphone x as well, and i bounce between the two. But im actually enjoying using the SE more than the X most days of the week xD
The Bolded is a false insinuation. Apple _never_ had to introduce the iPhone SE in the First place, especially given how small of a margin consumers even prefer a 4 inch display in today’s smart phone market, (even though Apple acknowledged there is a small demographic that requested a 4” iPhone). Even if it was true, it doesn’t mean that Apple had to manufacture the iPhone SE for all intensive purposes. The Reason the iPhone SE is in existence is because of emerging markets globally, like China for example. I think Apple wants to reach other markets where smart phones are overly expensive and unaffordable. However, I do believe that Apple may have had additional 6S internals, but there is no validity as the sole reason why they would introduce the SE to begin with.
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They would need new LTE banding to get B14 and B71. I think there will be a new SE, but I'm not sure that it will keep the 4" size, as it's now the only smartphone (not counting crazy Android devices on Amazon) that has that narrow of a screen, and apps have moved beyond that format for the most part. I personally like the smaller width of the 4/4s/5/5c/5s/SE, but the reality is that apps are now very cramped on a screen of that size, so most users would be better suited with a larger phone.
Unfortunately true. Layout on 4" phones is an afterthought for developers and sometimes may be missing stuff.
Hope it’s ok to link this article - sounds like the SE might be getting the chop with no replacement:
https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_to_s...n_favor_of_new_trio_of_iphones-news-32154.php
https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_to_s...n_favor_of_new_trio_of_iphones-news-32154.php
There is actually a front page article discussing the same topic as well:
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...in-all-over-the-map-update-corrected.2126845/