atomic101

zroger73 said:

I bought one of the last new 32 GB iPhone SE's through Apple's Clearance section earlier this year. I updated it to iOS 13.1 and found the scrolling and swiping to be every bit as smooth as iOS 12 with no perceivable judder. I only run a few of the most popular third-party apps such as Facebook and Netflix, but these run great. I've even contemplated making it my primary phone instead of my Xs Max, which is too big and heavy. Using the SE is such a nostalgic delight. The better cameras are the primary feature that would keep me from downgrading.

Agreed - I have an 8 (work) and an SE (personal), and I simply enjoy the feel and balance of the smaller phone more.  I think that many iPhone users have forgotten what it was like to use the smaller form factor, and now immediately dismiss it as obsolete.

currentinterest said:

I find people are conflating smaller phone with lesser price. The rumored iPhone 12, A14, 5.4 inch model will be smaller in physical size than the iPhone 8, and not much larger than an SE. The price will be $999. A low cost model with an A13 mimicking the iPhone 8 in size, but in an all aluminum casing, like the SE, for $349 is a real possibility for next spring. Those wanting a smaller phone will get it, but will pay the premium price. The smaller premium phone makes perfect sense. Currently, the three premium phones are projected to be, in terms of sales numbers, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro Max, followed by the iPhone 11 Pro. By making the iPhone 12 Pro smaller, Apple can get a significant bump in demand for that phone. This is very clever.

You bring up a good point.  At least from my foxhole, I would definitely pay a more premium price for a premium quality small phone.  

StrangeDays said:

sirozha said:

Professional photographers are not going to use the iPhone as their primary camera anyway. So, the name of the new iPhone 11 Pro is a misnomer. It should have been called iPhone 11 Instagram Pro. 

You say that, yet my major metro newspaper fired all their pro photographers with expensive rigs and gave them iPhones.

They fired them and then gave them iPhones? Was that a nice parting gesture?  

I'll echo the stance of some on this board.  I'm a huge advocate of the iPhone SE form factor.... not so much for the size in of itself, but for the usability with one hand.  It fits very comfortably in my palm, with a near-perfect center of gravity that keeps it from teetering on the edge of catastrophe.  For reference, I have an iPhone 8 that I use for work, and the confidence I have when holding it in one-handed is minimal.  "Reachability" is a poor compromise, and the acrobatics that my (large-sized) hands have to go through to manipulate it one-handed is uncomfortable at best, and potentially disastrous at worst.  Apple and Jobs picked the original 3.5" form factor for a reason.  I have an iPad for a reason, and a tablet as a phone is not what many of us need (unless foldable screens make it into legitimate prime time).

It's sad that I now find myself having to defend my iPhone SE from others when they see me using it.  It's a pity that the masses, in a never-ending propensity to value "bigger as better", have forgotten what it was like to hold balanced perfection in one hand.... The longer Apple neglects the one-handed phone market, the greater the chance that the public forgets or finally gives up on it.

slurpy said:

jonathanworld said:

So Apple stopped selling iPhone 6 in Sept 2016.....forced obsolescence in 3 years is going to bring in Federal review...not smart.

Oh, screw off. The 6 was released in 2014, and is ancient by smartphone standards, since speeds are essentially doubling every year. "Forced obsolescence"? You got 5 years of HUGE OS updates for the device. Tell me, what other smart phone on the PLANET gets that kind of support, apart from the iPhone? I'm assuming of course you're trolling and this does not personally affect you. I don't see how anyone in their right mind would expect the iPhone 6 to run iOS13 even reasonably. And not releasing any more updates does not equal "forced obsolescence". It will continue working just fine. What a trash post, lacking any real rationality, objectivity, or reason.

This.  I can certainly agree with Apple keeping an admirable stance with OS updates.  I think this is especially true with the law of diminishing returns from a hardware standpoint.  RAM seems like the most likely culprit for the older devices being removed.  That being said, this is one of their well known trademarks of quality, and moving away from 5ish years of device support would receive an incredible amount of backlash.