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My parents have them. Despite that (or maybe because) whenever I see them I ask them WTF they're thinking keeping a phone with such a limited screen, they insi

My parents have them. Despite that (or maybe because) whenever I see them I ask them WTF they're thinking keeping a phone with such a limited screen, they insist that they "don't like" modern phablets, though they've never even used one. Go figure. Apple sells enough for their stores to carry the SE, so it's not really a developing-nation-only phone.

Moto7451 8y ago
I had one and love it. I’m able to use it without limitation one handed (often while carrying something or otherwise unable to use both hands), something I struggle with on my X. I also don’t like having things in my pockets so the small size was fantastic. I was gifted an Apple Watch and that has helped with a lot of things I would do single handed on the SE previously, like quick reply text messages and getting directions. There’s a market for small high end phones. It’s likely just not big enough for Apple (or anyone really) to care about.
- wlesieutre 8y ago
  A friend and his wife both have iPhones X (do you pluralize that as iPhone Xs even through that's the new model?) and they both gripe about the size. He commented that it's a nice iPad Mini, but not great to carry around like a smartphone. Apparently Apple disagrees.
  - macintux 8y ago
    > do you pluralize that as iPhone Xs even through that's the new model? I'd have to go digging, but there was a Twitter thread in which I participated about this that Phil Schiller chimed in on. Apple's official(?) stance is that you never pluralize iPhone; instead, you use the word "devices". "A friend and his wife both have iPhone X devices" (or, more likely, "A friend and his wife both own the iPhone X").
    - wlesieutre 8y ago
      Found it via MacRumors https://www.macrumors.com/2016/04/29/phil-schiller-dont-pluralize-product-names/ https://www.macrumors.com/2016/04/29/phil-schiller-dont-plur... Interesting to know, but nobody's gonna do that. Like how you're "supposed" to say "LEGO bricks" insteado of "LEGOs."
      - binomialxenon 8y ago
        I often see sticklers for the "official" Apple terminology fighting losing battles on forums and comment sections trying to tell everyone to pronounce it "iPhone Ten" rather than "iPhone eX". Also, I think Apple prefers it to be called "iPhone" rather than "the iPhone". Who knows.
        wlesieutre 8y ago
        Related thing, I remember some people (probably me included) making fun of Microsoft for skipping Windows 9, and now here we are with iPhones.
  - matwood 8y ago
    I find the X small. It's tall, but certainly not large. And the iPad mini comparison is obviously a joke, but really: https://www.phonearena.com/phones/Apple-iPad-mini_id7523/size/Apple-iPhone-X/phones/10414 https://www.phonearena.com/phones/Apple-iPad-mini_id7523/siz...
    - wlesieutre 8y ago
      Can you hold securely in one hand and pull down Control Center from the top right corner with your thumb? It's one of my most commonly used features and when I tried one in the store it was impossible for me. (EDIT - try this left handed, it's even worse) Walk outside Glance at my phone Want to turn the brightness up because the sun's out Set down whatever I'm carrying in my other hand Turn up the screen brightness is not how I want to use my phone. I guess you get used to not being able to do that, or you get one of those adhesive grip nubs on the back of it, but "Can not be used effectively one handed" is basically my threshold for whether a phone is large or not. I guess the workaround for this is Homescreen Launch Settings app Display & Brightness Increase slider Change back to the app you were using Works, but that sounds like a huge nuisance.
      - matwood 8y ago
        > Can you hold securely in one hand and pull down Control Center from the top right corner with your thumb? I can, but usually I swipe down inside the launcher bar which pulls the top of the phone down. Then I can perform all the normal actions. Admittedly that shortcut is not very discoverable. https://mashable.com/2017/10/31/how-to-use-iphone-x-reachability/#_csOgqolRiqW https://mashable.com/2017/10/31/how-to-use-iphone-x-reachabi...
        wlesieutre 8y ago
        I actually tried that in the store (the employee didn't know what reachability was, I had to google the gesture) and still couldn't reach it. That might be because I use phones left handed, but I'm sure I'm not the only one. I'm left handed and my car keys live on the right side where my car's ignition is.
- aczerepinski 8y ago
  They sell 7 different phones though. I have a hard time believing that if one of them were small to cater to folks like me, 6 remaining large phones would not be enough to cover the "mainstream" market? Most of their phone models are barely differentiated from one another. What's the compelling use case for buying an iPhone 7 Plus right now?
  - Moto7451 8y ago
    Price. It’s big phone someone is happy to pay for. I believe the 7 and 8 use the same exact screen and case so there’s some savings to be had with parts commonalities v.s. another form factor for the “cheap phone”.

Moto7451 8y ago

I had one and love it. I’m able to use it without limitation one handed (often while carrying something or otherwise unable to use both hands), something I struggle with on my X. I also don’t like having things in my pockets so the small size was fantastic. I was gifted an Apple Watch and that has helped with a lot of things I would do single handed on the SE previously, like quick reply text messages and getting directions. There’s a market for small high end phones. It’s likely just not big enough for Apple (or anyone really) to care about.

wlesieutre 8y ago
A friend and his wife both have iPhones X (do you pluralize that as iPhone Xs even through that's the new model?) and they both gripe about the size. He commented that it's a nice iPad Mini, but not great to carry around like a smartphone. Apparently Apple disagrees.
- macintux 8y ago
  > do you pluralize that as iPhone Xs even through that's the new model? I'd have to go digging, but there was a Twitter thread in which I participated about this that Phil Schiller chimed in on. Apple's official(?) stance is that you never pluralize iPhone; instead, you use the word "devices". "A friend and his wife both have iPhone X devices" (or, more likely, "A friend and his wife both own the iPhone X").
  - wlesieutre 8y ago
    Found it via MacRumors https://www.macrumors.com/2016/04/29/phil-schiller-dont-pluralize-product-names/ https://www.macrumors.com/2016/04/29/phil-schiller-dont-plur... Interesting to know, but nobody's gonna do that. Like how you're "supposed" to say "LEGO bricks" insteado of "LEGOs."
    - binomialxenon 8y ago
      I often see sticklers for the "official" Apple terminology fighting losing battles on forums and comment sections trying to tell everyone to pronounce it "iPhone Ten" rather than "iPhone eX". Also, I think Apple prefers it to be called "iPhone" rather than "the iPhone". Who knows.
      - wlesieutre 8y ago
        Related thing, I remember some people (probably me included) making fun of Microsoft for skipping Windows 9, and now here we are with iPhones.
- matwood 8y ago
  I find the X small. It's tall, but certainly not large. And the iPad mini comparison is obviously a joke, but really: https://www.phonearena.com/phones/Apple-iPad-mini_id7523/size/Apple-iPhone-X/phones/10414 https://www.phonearena.com/phones/Apple-iPad-mini_id7523/siz...
  - wlesieutre 8y ago
    Can you hold securely in one hand and pull down Control Center from the top right corner with your thumb? It's one of my most commonly used features and when I tried one in the store it was impossible for me. (EDIT - try this left handed, it's even worse) Walk outside Glance at my phone Want to turn the brightness up because the sun's out Set down whatever I'm carrying in my other hand Turn up the screen brightness is not how I want to use my phone. I guess you get used to not being able to do that, or you get one of those adhesive grip nubs on the back of it, but "Can not be used effectively one handed" is basically my threshold for whether a phone is large or not. I guess the workaround for this is Homescreen Launch Settings app Display & Brightness Increase slider Change back to the app you were using Works, but that sounds like a huge nuisance.
    - matwood 8y ago
      > Can you hold securely in one hand and pull down Control Center from the top right corner with your thumb? I can, but usually I swipe down inside the launcher bar which pulls the top of the phone down. Then I can perform all the normal actions. Admittedly that shortcut is not very discoverable. https://mashable.com/2017/10/31/how-to-use-iphone-x-reachability/#_csOgqolRiqW https://mashable.com/2017/10/31/how-to-use-iphone-x-reachabi...
      - wlesieutre 8y ago
        I actually tried that in the store (the employee didn't know what reachability was, I had to google the gesture) and still couldn't reach it. That might be because I use phones left handed, but I'm sure I'm not the only one. I'm left handed and my car keys live on the right side where my car's ignition is.
aczerepinski 8y ago
They sell 7 different phones though. I have a hard time believing that if one of them were small to cater to folks like me, 6 remaining large phones would not be enough to cover the "mainstream" market? Most of their phone models are barely differentiated from one another. What's the compelling use case for buying an iPhone 7 Plus right now?
- Moto7451 8y ago
  Price. It’s big phone someone is happy to pay for. I believe the 7 and 8 use the same exact screen and case so there’s some savings to be had with parts commonalities v.s. another form factor for the “cheap phone”.