Live data from Hacker News

Apple Debuts iPhone 16e

apple.com

601–610 of 857 posts

Re: Apple Debuts iPhone 16e

#601

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> No MagSafe, only Qi. Qi2 is based on Magsafe. https://www.theverge.com/2023/1/3/23538131/qi2-wireless-char...

> Qi2 is based on Magsafe. That's an insult to all of the engineering that went into Qi. The Magsafe specification was an attempt to create the new Lightning connector ecosystem that backfired spectacularly and blew up in Apple's face. It's nothing more than magnets and DRM layered on top of a regular Qi charger. Naturally Apple used the DRM to limit the charging speeds of their phones when paired with regular Qi cha…

So what I'm seeing is that Qi2 is based on MagSafe then.

Re: Apple Debuts iPhone 16e

#602

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If they're going to buy a regular iPhone for $100 more anyway, and the likelihood they buy a small Android instead is near zero (what small Android?), then yes, I absolutely would say to cut it and simplify the engineering, manufacturing, and checkout process. If you start serving every 4% of needs in each product category, watch the portfolio balloon to catastrophic proportions. The very principle of the thing is an…

This slippery slope argument doesn't click for me. They obviously perceive the value of segmenting the market by device size. I'm just asking for the smaller size to be actually small.

Or maybe opportunity cost is a real thing. They have decided it isn’t worth it to pursue that niche. I think Apple believes it has addressed a lot of the small screen needs with the watch.

Re: Apple Debuts iPhone 16e

#603
post #432

The death of Touch ID. Also huge.

Nothing like grabbing your phone by the button in your pocket and having it unlocked and open before you even lay eyes on it. As fast as they advertise faceid being it will never beat the fact you can engage touchid as soon as you lay a finger on the phone.

> Nothing like grabbing your phone by the button in your pocket and having it unlocked and open before you even lay eyes on it.

It's the perfect way to accidentally all of the things.

Accidentally open an app. Now you have to wait for it to load, and waste your network data and battery, before you can do what you really wanted to do.

Accidentally read that message, and also accidentally swipe it away while you fumble with your phone. You didn't want to see that message anyway.

Accidentally add that person to your contact groups. Yup, you added your boss to the conversation with your wife. Nobody will mind!

Accidentally read an email, and clicked on that phishing link. Cool beans, security relies on 2FA anyway, right? It's not like it could open an app and automagically read the SMS code, right?

Accidentally start playing video. Yes that video. In the conference room. It's nice that everyone has a great sense of humor!

Re: Apple Debuts iPhone 16e

#604
post #78

Incredibly disappointing it’s so big. Bring back the small phones!! You’ll have to pry the 13 mini from my cold dead hands…or just stop supporting it

You should get 5 years of updates out of it I suspect. It was originally released in September of 2021. So, 2026 might be the final year of iOS updates you'll get, then it's just a matter of how long they back port any security fixes. Sometimes devices end up getting longer support so it's tough to say for sure. At this point one of these SE type devices is on my list for any future upgrades. I've gone to carrying a…

Highly doubt that. The latest version of iOS (18) is still compatible with the XS from in 2018 - that's almost 7 years ago now

Re: Apple Debuts iPhone 16e

#605
post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yup, sad news. Anyone who disagrees should try teaching an older relative with less than youthful fine motor control how to use a FaceID equipped iPhone.

FWIW: Face ID is optional, and the iOS passcode buttons are very accessible.

> Face ID is optional

Meanwhile, the Settings app keeps begging me to "Finish Setting Up Your iPhone".

Re: Apple Debuts iPhone 16e

#606
post #428

At this point there’s only really one thing I want from an iPhone and that’s an option for a 12/13 mini sized device again. Surely those phones didn’t sell so few that it’s not worth doing at all?

I am actually optimistic that we might get the mini again now the 16e is priced at $599. There is a space for Mini at $499. Part of the problem with Mini was its battery life. It seems 16e is improving on exactly that. Although I think it wont be 5.4" again since it was too small compared to the rest of the line up where it is usually 20% bigger screen to next size up. May be 5.6" or even 5.8" as the original X.

I don’t think there is space, because the production costs of a mini model aren’t substantially lower. Remember that when the 12 mini launched, its price was the same as the 11, and the regular 12 got $100 more expensive.

Re: Apple Debuts iPhone 16e

#607
post #178
post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not a whole factory but whole other tooling, so yes? The chassis is different, the screen is different, the mainboard is different, the layout is different, the battery is different, I think the camera was also different. Only thing shared between the other models was the buttons and the lightning port. It's a huge cost for something that sold (relatively) poorly.

Apple has huge margins, it's not a problem unless you think about margins. Making more money is normally good, even if the margin is slightly lower.

But it’s better to sell phones with better margin. More people need to take Econ 101. Opportunity cost is an actual thing. You can be sure they did the math. Selling ever so slightly fewer larger phones at higher margin is better than selling slightly more phones at a lower margin.

Apple knows its sales and profits much better than anyone else.

Re: Apple Debuts iPhone 16e

#608
post #496

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here’s hoping. Bets on Swift v Rust? I swear if they wrote a modem from scratch in C that’s a major own goal

There's a number of firmware jobs on their website at the moment. All of them ask for C or C++ experience - I haven't seen anything that's asking for Rust or Embedded Swift experience. E.g.: https://jobs.apple.com/en-us/details/200579953/embedded-5g-4...

Was the modem codebase inherited from Intel?

Re: Apple Debuts iPhone 16e

#609

Check out the battery life! > iPhone 16e has the best battery life ever on a 6.1-inch iPhone, lasting up to six hours longer than iPhone 11 and up to 12 hours longer than all generations of iPhone SE. Their page comparing models claims the new 16e gets "26 hours video playback." iPhone 16e: 26 hours iPhone 16: 22 hours iPhone 15: 20 hours iPhone 14: 20 hours iPhone 13: 19 hours iPhone 12: 17 hours iPhone 11: 17 hours…

I'm sure the modem contributes, but IMO the battery life is probably mostly from just having a bigger battery due to the new internal design (and maybe chemistry changes). The new design moves the frame's structure into the middle of the sandwich, making it more rigid and allowing them to make the frame thinner to pack in more battery. Lots of people are mad about losing magsafe but in magsafe phones the magnets sit…

I don’t understand—if the frame is in the middle why can’t the MagSafe go on the outside?

Re: Apple Debuts iPhone 16e

#610

At this point there’s only really one thing I want from an iPhone and that’s an option for a 12/13 mini sized device again. Surely those phones didn’t sell so few that it’s not worth doing at all?

Rumor is that the 17 will have an Air edition that will be thinner/lighter. It won't help the reach issues much but will make them nicer to hold for extended periods of time. IME the minis are nice because of both weight and the ability to comfortably use with one hand.

The Air model will be 6.6”. It will be lighter than the Plus model it replaces, but I wouldn’t necessarily expect it to be lighter than the regular models. And certainly not usable with one hand.
Post reply on HN