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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

#281

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?

> a comment that gets a lot of upvotes on Hackers News every time it’s made.

I wonder how many of us, if asked, would say that we spend too much time on our phones? Probably higher than the population at large. A bigger screen is nicer to look at, I readily grant. But that's exactly the problem.

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

#282

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.

Yep. The best looking phone they ever made was the stainless steel iPhone 4s (and I own an iPhone X). Give me something like that (even an SE) but with an oled screen and such.

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

#283

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Clothing should have a certain amount of utility, IMO. Perhaps it's the jeans that need to be updated. I'm pretty happy with the size of my phone currently, not sure it qualifies as small or large. Largest phone I had was for work, Iphone 6+, that thing was unwieldy, essentially a tablet. I wouldn't own one that big personally.

You can't just keep making bigger pockets... Your legs and hips bend in ways that a phone can't.

Time to go back to the days when I had my Palm IIIx in a pouch on my belt http://www.militaryuniformsupply.com/files/products/p/pda-po...

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

#284

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?

there may be a part of the population who likes to put their mobile phone into their jeans’ front pocket instead of having to carry a daypack for it or these new cases to carry them outside on a string... thats why i like ~4 inch phones

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

#285
post #7

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

At the time I got it, I wanted to move to iOS. I couldn't afford the flagship 6S (even with monthly payments) and I heard rumors that they were going to make a 5s with 6S internals. It was still expensive to me at the time (at $500 for 64GB) and I was pissed when a 128GB model came for $400, but I'm very happy with it.

Having used it now for 3 years, I've really enjoyed it. It's small, sure, but it works so well in one hand. It's also incredibly powerful. It's amazing just how many high end apps you can run without issue.

Right now, I'm not sure what I'll do next. I got annoyed with the iPhone X's direction and anticipated that I'd keep it until the battery dies at which point I'd replace battery and keep it until either the updates stop or the atoms give up. Now, I'm not sure. It's starting to show its age (slightly) even with the new battery. As much as I enjoy the form factor, I wanna look into the future. It would be great if they shoved XS specs (including cameras, OLED and 3D touch) into an SE-like body, but that isn't gonna happen.

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

#286
post #261
post #182

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My theory is that big phones are best for single device users. Most of my social circle has a computer at home and at work, and they often carry a laptop or tablet. The phone, in that case, really is a mobile device, and especially if you are carrying around a bunch of other crap, a small phone is awful nice. My theory is that big phones dominate because a lot of people don't have reliable/maintained computers other…

I totally agree with this and on top, for me personally, I don’t care about the obsession with better cameras in these phones (now multiple modules adding to the cost). I always carry at least a compact camera (RX100m3), and often a full frame mirrorless camera.

For me, camera upgrade was a significant driver in the upgrade from a 5S to an 8.

I also have a compact and dSLR, but the best camera is the camera you have and that’s often my phone. I have a lot of pics of my kids that were unfortunately taken on an iPhone 4 or similar era touch and are noticeably terrible.

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

#287
post #251
post #243

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Totally agree. HNers do understand the tradeoffs better. It's like when they started making laptop screen reflective. All my non-tech relatives were saying: "wow that screen is super nice" while I was thinking: "holy crap, the matte screen is disappearing, how I am going to work?"

apple has masterful market segmentation. they want the inexpensive option to not really fill a specific niche, they want it to be a little uncomfortable, that you're already making compromises so you'll pay a grand for the fancy one instead. What i'm trying to say is, making a smaller option would be cheaper. That would cannibalize high end sales. From the seller's point of view, you want the best alternative to comp…

I would normally agree with you, but Apple’s recent issues with iPhone sales suggests to me that this might be changing. As adoption rates continue to ebb, maybe tapping as fully into your market becomes a better strategy than trying to dictate to the market.

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

#288

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Back when I bought my SE, it was cheaper than getting a 6, despite having better specs. I also check for deals online a lot, and the SE was almost constantly being discounted. I think it's not unreasonable, based on these, to assume that it never really sold particularly well. Based on that, I'd say that they stopped making the SE simply because only a very small, specific slice of the market actually wants to purcha…

The 5s/SE is less than 5% of mobile traffic at our site.

Some people choose a phone because they want to use it primarily as a communication device.

Website metrics are mostly meaningless in a conversation about people who want a phone, but not a primary internet device.

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

#289

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.

Then consider a xperia compact.

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

#290
post #276
post #260

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I stopped considering my iPhone SE a “small phone” and I started considering it for what it actually is: a “just right” phone. Ergonomically speaking, 4 inches is the right size for a device that is meant to be operated by a human hand. Phones bigger that that are grossly oversized and anti-ergonomic. That’s just common sense (cit. Apple): https://youtu.be/O99m7lebirE

You realise there is significant variation in the size of people’s hands? I consider a 4 inch phone so small as to be nearly unusable. Apple’s approach of having differently size phones for different people is the right one.

Good thing he isn't asking Apple to make only 4 inch phones. The way it is now, the SE is 3 years old and isn't getting a successor, leaving those of us who like and want small phones behind.
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