I was wrong. I can admit that now.
When I first wrote about the rumors that Apple would launch a new, improved 4-inch iPhone way back in 2014, I was skeptical that there was enough of a market to make Apple rush back to the 4-inch form factor so soon after abandoning it with the 4.7- and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
Readers immediately wrote to correct me: They (or, often, their wives, girlfriends or children) wanted nothing more than a small iPhone they could easily clutch in the palm of their hands. Well, we got exactly that!
So, now that the iPhone SE has been announced, how do you feel about it?
Will you be buying the new iPhone SE?
— Cult of Mac (@cultofmac) March 22, 2016
Right now, opinions about the new iPhone SE certainly seem to be mixed.
On the one hand, it’s an upgraded iPhone 5s with improved internals and a lower-than-expected price tag. That’s a good thing. My colleague Lewis thinks — perhaps with good reason — that the iPhone SE will be a giant hit for Apple.
But not everyone’s so convinced the new iPhone will set the sales world on fire, at least not in the United States. A new report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners predicts Apple will sell just 4 million to 6 million units of the new iPhone SE in the United States.
This wouldn’t necessarily make the iPhone SE a failure, of course. For my money, this is a handset aimed more at overseas markets like China and India — markets that Tim Cook has been aggressive about reaching. He has even acknowledged Apple designs its new products with these markets in mind.
But will you be buying an iPhone SE when it hits shelves? And why or why not? Answer our Twitter poll and leave your comments below.
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
10 responses to “Will you buy the new iPhone SE? [Reader Poll]”
(1) You forgot to add a link to the twitter poll. (2) Apple has gotten very boring with only different sized IOS devices each year along with irrelevant color changes that are covered with cases anyway. yawnnnnnn………… zzzzzzzzz…………….
Twitter poll is embedded in the article.
Actually I think is a great market for “first” phones. Your kids don’t need the biggest and best. So maybe for people on a ‘budget’ (most of mid Americans) they can afford an Apple iPhone.
Also, there’s not necessarily anything better about bigger models, unless you value the screen real-estate more than tradeoffs in the ability to use it as easily or the pocket-ability.
I just bought a 32GB iPhone 5S on eBay for about $300 last summer. I wasn’t interested in the bigger phones but wanted a better camera and I have to admit, the touch ID has been nice. Nice upgrade over my old 4S. I will be ready for a new phone in about a year and will be looking to replace it with the SE when I do.
It’s a phenomenal piece of equipment without a doubt. If I wanted a phone with a small screen, absolutely I’d buy it…but I don’t. I have a 6+ and will get the 7+ this September. 4-inch screen is just to small for me at this point. Those who want a small phone would be crazy not to get it though. Kudos to Apple for offering a phone with a small screen and big specs. It was a major hole in their lineup and lots of people will buy it because it’s what they’ve been waiting for.
I won’t, but both of my sisters will, and probably my mom.
I’ll be trading in my iPhone 5 for the SE. I rarely use my iPhone for much more than looking up contacts, quick check of texts, emails, camera and (of course) making calls, The large screen had no appeal to me, but Apple Pay and Touch ID did. At $499 this is a royal buy (I always get more memory than I think I’ll need).
Yep, this is pretty much the phone I’ve been waiting for Apple to make. I’d have rather had a full-blown 4″ 6s, but this will do the job and save a bit of money as well (hint Apple… I would have happily paid 6s prices for a true 4″ version… not sure how many more there are like me).
A number of polls I’ve seen, as well as ‘industry experts’ have indicated that the market for a new 4″ model would be 10% of the iPhone line or less, but I think they were quite wrong on the demand for it. I’m going to guess about 30%, possibly more. The only problem is that with the lower price, if it does better than expected, they’ll probably chalk that up to the pricing instead of the 4″ size.
Seems strange so close to a new generation of iPhone to see them reusing the now almost 5 year old body style of the 5 for this, but I guess it was cheaper to not have to fab new matching 6 style casings. Even with the updated internals, it looks like a step back. No thanks.