Report says Apple to release new ‘iPhone SE’ with 4.7-inch display in 2020

https://9to5mac.com/2019/09/04/cheaper-smaller-iphone-spring/?__twitter_impression=true

by sdan • 7 years ago

100 68 7 years ago

Don't get your hopes up. This has nothing to do with the iPhone SE. No 4" display, no headphone jack, no aluminum unibody, no physical home button.

rdtwo3• 7 years ago

You just listed all the features that make the iPhone 6 a pretty darn good phone

Invictus02• 7 years ago

For anyone considering a 6S: it's not slow at all, and the camera is just fine. Just bought another one two months ago.

dmix• 7 years ago

What's wrong with sliding up to switch apps / go 'home'

It made me question why they took so long to get rid of the home button.

o_nate• 7 years ago

No headphone jack, no credibility.

archontes• 7 years ago

This continues to guide my purchase decisions.

hbcondo714• 7 years ago

The ‘iPhone 8’-esque description suggests it would be based around Touch ID though

That's too bad if true. Having a smaller phone size / screen should warrant having an edge-to-edge display without having a button take up any screen space. Maybe they can put Touch ID on the back of the phone or integrate it into the phone screen like the Samsung Galaxy 10 does now.

jplayer01• 7 years ago

Having a smaller phone size / screen should warrant having an edge-to-edge display

Does nobody hold their phones anymore? Why would that ever be comfortable? I hated my Samsung phones with curved edges, the last thing I want is a phone that I can't hold onto without touch being triggered. That seems completely antithetical to the SE.

monk_e_boy• 7 years ago

The SE has those lovely square edges. New phones are too curved and slippery, like a bar of soap

tus882• 7 years ago

It's sad that 4.7" has become the new "small". I seriously struggle to use large phones and I would love a new 4" premium phone from any company.

rock_artist2• 7 years ago

The thing with my SE isn't the 4" display but its form factor / physical size.

If Apple would simply take the iPhone 6/s/7/8 form factor then this is indeed NOT a SE successor!

However, If they'll get the screen to body ratio and squeeze 4.7" for a similar form factor of current iPhone SE, I guess most SE owners would be happy campers.

bt8486• 7 years ago

I don't agree. With the 4.7" screen I can't reach e.g. the P key an other keys on the right side of the keyboard with my left thumb while holding the device in my left hand. I also can't, for example, focus the URL bar of a browser tab while holding the phone in a normal typing position.

I only have the one hand so don't try to give me advice about how to hold the thing.

Despegar• 7 years ago

It's probably a PITA for Apple (and developers) to design UIs that look and work good across such a wide gamut of sizes.

brian_herman• 7 years ago

Yes, but you have a handful of devices unlike android where you have hundreds or even thousands.

RachelF• 7 years ago

On the Android side, attempts at small, high-spec phones seem to have been abandoned. Sony had the excellent "Compact" series which now seems abandoned, and the Samsung Galaxy S9 Mini never made it to market.

tus882• 7 years ago

Yes, I went from the Xperia Z1 Compact to the XZ Compact...and not only is it larger, but worse is every way except raw speed. It is more buggy, difficult to find a screen protector that stays on, screen often freezes, the large size makes it far less comfortable to use. I am seriously considering buying another Z1 compact even though it's years old and slower with an out-of-date Android...but the form factor and reliability was unbeatable.

beatgammit• 7 years ago

Honestly, 4.7" is probably "small enough" for more people. I had a Nexus 6 and switched to a Moto X when that died, and at 5.2", it's much better. I would prefer another inch or so smaller, but honestly a 4.7" might just be good enough to be comfortable.

That being said, I miss the days when small phones were all the rage (e.g. like in Zoolander). My phone needs to be just big enough to use GPS and basic web browsing (i.e. look up a menu for takeout), and that's about it. I don't need to watch videos or play games (in fact, not being able to is a productivity feature), I just need a simple phone. It seems the "do all the things" market is well served, but the "do only important things" isn't. I just want something in between "smart phone" and "dumb phone" that can fit nicely in my pocket and hand.

mpweiher• 7 years ago

The authors (and Apple) seem to be missing the point of the SE. With all due respect to Bill Clinton:

It's the size, stupid!

Not the price or lack of features. I don't mind giving up features if that means they can get thee size down to something reasonable, but dropping features and still being large is sort of an "anti-SE". Reminds me More of the 5C. Anyone remember that one? No? Exactly.

rock_artist2• 7 years ago

That's something I don't get... I believe there's an audience for "hand" form factor. Yet, companies make bigger phones and consider small phone audience as those who would pay less and get less. Why on earth they can't understand some people would actually pay for top notch hardware in smaller hardware?

Why plus/+/XL or whatever they name it usually gets beefier CPU/RAM/Storage? It's not like ultraportable laptops vs 15" ones. there are no real thermal limitations.

Someone• 7 years ago

I think the limitation is volume. Scale a phone by 10% in all directions, and its volume goes up by 33% (-ish). Its display grows by only 21% in area, though.

So, roughly, you get 10% more power per pixel or square inch of screen.

And I think it’s even worse for the smaller phone. The faster CPU and GPU and more memory you need to drive 21% more pixels and to light 21% more screen area do not take up 33% more volume, and Bluetooth and cellular radios stay the same size, so you can scale the battery volume by over 33%, and, likely, its capacity even more, as the fraction of the battery’s volume that is lost to the battery housing can be lower for larger batteries.

Scale a phone by 30% in all dimensions, and the effect is a lot larger; 69% more screen area, but 120% more volume, so almost double the power/pixel.

bt8486• 7 years ago

People don't remember that when the SE was released it was state-of-the-art. It wasn't the slow iPhone, it wasn't the cheap iPhone. That's the 5C.

jandrese• 7 years ago

It wasn't the flagship of its era. It was always a side product, just not as cut down as side products usually are.

galfarragem• 7 years ago

The next iphone SE should keep the same size but using all screen as a display (like the iphone X).

deftturtle5• 7 years ago

Totally agree. Small body is appealing. Update the tech, keep it small. I’d be willing to forgo touch and Face ID, just to use passcode if necessary. Remove the headphone jack, increase battery life, update camera so it’s stabilized with gyroscope.

Not realistic, but I would also love an e-Ink or Mirasol display option, so that battery life would last much longer. The tech has gotten a lot better, and readability in sunlight is fantastic.

asavadatti2• 7 years ago

Why do you hate the headphone jack so much? I hate Bluetooth and would really prefer having a headphone jack

SimeVidas2• 7 years ago

Sorry, Apple. You’re too late. I’m getting Samsung S10e next.

gruez2• 7 years ago

I’m getting Samsung S10e next

...a 5.8" phone

SimeVidas2• 7 years ago

Less than 4 millimeters taller than iPhone 8.

apollo_• 7 years ago

The title got me excited for another 4" iphone. I have hand pain (RSI) that is really exacerbated by the larger phones. I recently bought a used SE and am kind of dreading this last generation reaching end of life.

philsnow2• 7 years ago

This is how you take the air out of your iphone 11 launch. I was considering upgrading my X when the 11 came out but now I'm probably going to wait to see what this SE business is about.

lancesells• 7 years ago

Even if the rumor / report is true it's not from Apple. The 11 isn't even announced and you would want to go from a X to something like an iPhone 8 (according to the report)?

philsnow2• 7 years ago

I wouldn't want to do that, no. But I might wait to see if there are more credible rumors / wait until next year to see what they actually announce, if anything

js22• 7 years ago

It’s not the god damn price, it’s the screen size and form factor. Okay it’s a little bit the price, but I’d pay $600 for a modern SE.

deftturtle5• 7 years ago

My ideal SE: Updated camera with gyroscopic stabilization.

No camera bump. Instead, make phone slightly thicker and give larger battery.

Next, remove headphone jack, and Touch ID.

Include edge to edge screen like modern iPhones.

Have option for e-Ink or Mirasol screens, to improve battery life and make it easier to read in sunlight.

Kill switch for cellular baseband.

sooper• 7 years ago

I'm not sure about including e-Ink, I feel like if people are outside they should be doing something other than staring at their phone...

dEnigma• 7 years ago

You can have your barely readable display if you want, but other people want to be able to check their messages or read an article/book on their phone while exposed to sunlight. What's bad about that? Doesn't seem to me like staying inside and staring at your phone would be better.

deftturtle5• 7 years ago

I have the same feeling, and I know I should wean myself, but current displays are practically unusable in bright light. And when trying to take photos or read a book, it’d be nice to have options...

Wowfunhappy• 7 years ago

You actively want them to kill the headphone jack?!

deftturtle5• 7 years ago

It would ship with compatible Apple headphones, and I could buy an adapter. If it saves space for Face ID or something, that’d be a good trade-off for my personal taste

Report says Apple to release new ‘iPhone SE’ with 4.7-inch display in 2020

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