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Apple resumes selling iPhone SE at lower $249 price on its clearance store

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Re: Apple resumes selling iPhone SE at lower $249 price on its clearance store

#91

I guess it's time for all those HN people who were moaning about iPhones being too big/expensive/lacking in home buttons/etc... to put their money where their mouths are. It's a 2016 model, so it should remain supported until at least 2021. Not far off, but still better than some (many?) Android phones. I'm not sure how $299/128GB compares to Android products, but it's cheaper than its previous $449 price. I'd pick o…

I own 2 already, not sure I can justify a third.

Re: Apple resumes selling iPhone SE at lower $249 price on its clearance store

#92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Manufacturers not making/pushing them is a pretty good sign they're not super popular.

Hmm don't think I buy this, at least in Apple's case. They have a monopoly on the operating system, which is what people really want with both the iPhone and the Mac. People will still spend $3000 on a 15" MacBook Pro that they hate (because of the ridiculous touchbar) because it's the only high spec'd laptop available with macOS. There's no way for consumers to tell Apple "we prefer no touchbar" purely with sales da…

Apple's a special case, but we're not seeing the various Android vendors (nor the cellular carriers) giving any appreciable retail space to small devices either.

They're largely relegated to Walmart's "I need a cheap burner phone" prepaid phone department.

Re: Apple resumes selling iPhone SE at lower $249 price on its clearance store

#93
post #7

Why does everyone love this phone so much? Clue me in?

The iPhone SE was the last stand of a dead philosophy - the one-handed phone. To Steve Jobs, it was absolutely essential that all of the core functions of the iPhone could be performed with one hand. That requirement dictated large parts of the iPhone's design and the UX principles of iOS. One-handed operation formed a key part of the marketing of the iPhone 5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O99m7lebirE The one-hand…

I do like having a /slightly/ larger screen for those tasks. Without going to a full tablet or laptop I feel that something vaguely the size of a Pixel 1 is perfect for viewing. However I'd still like an input mode where I can use functionality from either edge with one thumb. For me a mobile is mostly a media /consumption/ device and also a method of making a quick voice call or dictating (speech to text) a reply that can't wait until I get to a real terminal.

The next logical steps up for screen-size feel like 8 inches for a small tablet and about 12-13 for a full tablet or small laptop, and are both too big for mobiles; I feel like having an input mode that allows one-handed use would serve most of the market that does want a smaller device. The hold outs would prefer the smaller device for a combination of fit inside of other things and weight.

Re: Apple resumes selling iPhone SE at lower $249 price on its clearance store

#94
post #72

Hardware lends itself to a vertical business model, Apple has clearly been the best example but even video game console manufacturers write their own games. With AI assistants seemingly the 'next big thing', which lends itself to a more horizontal model, will Apple change gears to accommodate? Their services division has been growing rapidly. Apple could leverage it's brand to create an awesome cell phone at a very c…

> With AI assistants seemingly the 'next big thing'

Are 'AI Assistants' the 'next big thing' in the same way that 'chatbots' where the 'next big thing' in 2015?

To me, it just seems that the market is mostly propped up by Medium articles and vendors trying to force the next big thing to make payday.

Re: Apple resumes selling iPhone SE at lower $249 price on its clearance store

#95
post #83

I guess it's time for all those HN people who were moaning about iPhones being too big/expensive/lacking in home buttons/etc... to put their money where their mouths are. It's a 2016 model, so it should remain supported until at least 2021. Not far off, but still better than some (many?) Android phones. I'm not sure how $299/128GB compares to Android products, but it's cheaper than its previous $449 price. I'd pick o…

they have put their money where their mouths are...the linked iPhone SE is already sold out, despite it just being an hour since this article was posted i really want one, i wish i saw this sooner edit: its still available in other colors, its not sold out yet,,

the linked iPhone SE is already sold out, despite it just being an hour since this article was posted

Hopefully that's a strong enough signal to be noticed at a meeting inside Apple.

Re: Apple resumes selling iPhone SE at lower $249 price on its clearance store

#96
post #7

Why does everyone love this phone so much? Clue me in?

The iPhone SE was the last stand of a dead philosophy - the one-handed phone. To Steve Jobs, it was absolutely essential that all of the core functions of the iPhone could be performed with one hand. That requirement dictated large parts of the iPhone's design and the UX principles of iOS. One-handed operation formed a key part of the marketing of the iPhone 5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O99m7lebirE The one-hand…

I wouldn't call it a dead philosophy, just a marginalized one. There are still plenty of people around who treat their phone as a means to an end. Frankly, the new philosophy of hardware makers trying to get phones to take over people's lives is a morally bankrupt one.

I'm reminded of Star Trek and the way technology is depicted on the show. Most episodes are about people (human or alien) and their relationships to one another. Technology is only a means to an end on Star Trek.

One episode stands out, however: The Game [1]. In this episode, nearly the entire Enterprise comes under the thrall of an addictive video game. The ship would've been lost if not for the efforts of an intrepid pair of youngsters. It's an interesting inversion of the usual trope that the older generation is the one warning against the dangers of a new form of entertainment.

But I digress. I brought up Star Trek because I think the show makes a very important point: humans matter, technology is just a tool. When technology starts to matter too much, humans suffer.

[1] http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/The_Game_(episode)

Re: Apple resumes selling iPhone SE at lower $249 price on its clearance store

#97

I guess it's time for all those HN people who were moaning about iPhones being too big/expensive/lacking in home buttons/etc... to put their money where their mouths are. It's a 2016 model, so it should remain supported until at least 2021. Not far off, but still better than some (many?) Android phones. I'm not sure how $299/128GB compares to Android products, but it's cheaper than its previous $449 price. I'd pick o…

$250/32 is barely competitive. however, you cannot buy an android phone this small that isn't complete garbage

Using a Motorola G3 since something like 4 years (maybe 5? not sure). I paid less than 200 euros for it (150 iirc) and with a factory reset just today, it runs great. It is acceptably small (5") and seems unbreakable: never had a cover and drop it sometimes like a normal person, yet not a sign of a crack on the screen.

So yes, you can buy an android that isn't garbage. Some are, definitely, but with just a bit of research you'll find good phones.

Re: Apple resumes selling iPhone SE at lower $249 price on its clearance store

#98

The only thing that could get me to upgrade from my iPhone 7 would be a premium version of the iPhone SE. I want a smaller phone, not a bigger one, but I want updated specs and possibly an OLED screen.

Not only is this something I’d love, it’s also a comment that gets a lot of upvotes on Hackers News every time it’s made. Do HN readers have an unusual like for ‘small’ phones or is it just an unserved market?

I can't speak for all HNers but I recently bought a 128gb iPhone SE from someone on Gumtree after having used Android phones for 5 years (I'm an Android developer). I could not find any modern 4" phones. I really like being able to comfortably read the entire screen with one thumb, and the form of the phone just feels comfortable and functional. It's also one of the last modern iPhones with a headphone jack.

I do still prefer Android as an OS, though I am still getting used to iOS's quirks. I'm very happy with my purchase, though.

Re: Apple resumes selling iPhone SE at lower $249 price on its clearance store

#99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m curious how your 5 “keeps chugging along” - even a year ago my 5s was sluggish (not to mention battery lasted half a day) and the responsiveness of an X in comparison was night and day

iOS 12 gave em a new lease of life.

iPhone 5 cannot run iOS 12.

Re: Apple resumes selling iPhone SE at lower $249 price on its clearance store

#100
post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Since no one here is rushing to get the small xperia phones I'm guessing it is one of those things people want, but at the same time is the first feature they are willing to give up. another case in point: parent only wants to change to smaller phone if all other specs are also improved.

I bought the iPhone X because it was almost iPhone 8 Plus at iPhone 8 size. But if there were a iPhone SE2 that followed the “all screen design” and was almost an iPhone 8 in an iPhone 5s body? Sign me up. I don’t think Xperia matters much here is it is sacrificing iOS and also to a lesser degree, an Android manufacturer that isn’t known for great software on that end.

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