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Apple iPhone SE Available on Apple Store Again
- dlgeek 8y agoCan someone provide context as to why this is newsworthy for those of us who don't follow Apple's every move? (I failed trying to rephrase this to sound less sarcastic, but I'm genuinely looking for context here).
- w-ll 8y agoSome people, myself included, prefer this iPhone. Rumor is they shut down all their production of them, and these are the lasts ones.
- chx 8y agoYes but https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-technology/1957264-apple-brings-back-se-under-clearance.html https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-technology/1957264-ap... they have up for a month, at least. How is this news?
- untog 8y agoThey went out of stock again soon after that post. Whether Apple is finding devices down the back of the sofa or what I don't know, but they keep coming in and out of stock. There's no "notify me" feature on their store, so people make posts like these.
- WMCRUN 8y agoIn my opinion the SE is the best phone Apple has ever made. The form factor is perfect to hold when running, and it’s small enough to fit in your pocket and to type with one hand.
- VvR-Ox 8y agoHaha and you fell for that? :D Just had to think about the Futurama episode with the myPhone.
- trazire 8y agoThe iPhone SE is traditionally a fan favorite and turned over many heads when it first released (or rather, upon its first big price drop).
- timdellinger 8y agoThere is a contingent of people who prefer the small size and the headphone jack of the iPhone SE in a world that's moving towards larger and larger phones; recently released iPhones lack a headphone jack. The entire screen can be reached with the thumb when the phone is held in one hand, which is a nice design feature.
- trixie_ 8y agoAlso very easy (and cheap) to replace the screen and battery on the SE.
- NeedMoreTea 8y agoMy better half finds everything larger, even .25" or .5", beyond the pale for comfortable use. Which pretty much leaves her with no other choices left. Selling points for me are the headphone socket and sharp edges that for me gives a much more positive grip than thinner or rounded. Oh, and I actively don't want bezels to go away. If asked, I'd add a lanyard post to an SE 2 design. :)
- princeb 8y agothis is literally the ONLY modern smartphone at this size. miniaturization has become so costly that no major phone manufacturer is capable of doing it at scale.
- gruez 8y ago>this is literally the ONLY modern smartphone at this size androids?
- princeb 8y agonone at 4".
- throwaway5r09 8y agoHere’s the closest I could find, at 3.5” - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/K-touch-I9-Super-Mini-Mobile-Phone-3-5-Smallest-Small-Android-Smart-Phone-Face-ID/32980157569.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/K-touch-I9-Super-Mini-Mobile... There’s a ton more and some at 2.5”!
- Wowfunhappy 8y agoIs this (or any of the other, off-brand alternatives) any good at all? Does the battery last more than a few hours? I'm not sure how I'd answer these questions, if I was in the market for a small Android phone. And frankly, it's more likely to be crap than not.
- system2 8y agoIf that thing were any good, it would be selling like hotcakes in the United States. Another terrible Chinese phone.
- throwaway5r09 8y agoXiaomi devices are amazing and yet they don’t sell in the States. Could be another great Chinese phone.
- geofft 8y agoThe iPhone SE is the smallest smartphone that gets security updates, of any platform. (And in 2010 or so it would have been bigger than any smartphone not being called a "phablet," so it's not so much that it's small as that it's the only reasonable-sized phone left in many people's opinions.) If Apple's historical support practice keeps up, it'll remain in support until late 2020 or 2021. Sent from my iPhone SE
- damontal 8y ago5S doesn't get security updates any more?
- geofft 8y agoOh, it appears that it does, it's just worse hardware than the SE in the same form factor, and is actually discontinued. I'm actually pretty surprised - that now means that the iPhone 5S has now gotten software updates for 5.5 years, which I think is a record.
- captn3m0 8y agoI really hope Apple supports it beyond that, especially if they don’t launch a alternative in the interim. It certainly has a lot of compute to support future iOS releases.
- sbzodnsbd 8y agoI just bought a 128Gb model for $320 with tax to upgrade the 16Gb model I’ve had. I’m promised an $80 trade in for my old one. The SE is an old phone that was arguably outdated at launch. It struggles loading fancy websites. The camera is quite outdated[1]. So why buy it? It’s a phone that fits in my hand with being google. [1] what modern smartphones do with their cameras is nothing short of magic. I have a Fuji X series and I rarely use it - the SE is enough.
- jacobush 8y agoThe SE has a slightly higher resolution camera than the XR.
- w-ll 8y agoThe new phones have some cool and interesting features, but i just love the SE. I bought 2 as back ups the last time they were on sale.
- koolba 8y agoDoes the $249 price require a specific contract? All of them say “unlocked” so presumably they’re the same phone.
- trazire 8y agoNo, it just comes with a different SIM kit.
- RandomBacon 8y agoWhy do they keep doing this? Making available in a small batch, selling out, make available another small batch, sell out, etc.
- misframer 8y agoThese are refurbished.
- RandomBacon 8y agoApple had multiple batches in a row that were not refurbished (interestingly, at the same price as these refurbished ones).
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- oneplane 8y agoPerhaps not all of them were available for Apple Store online inventory. Stock keeping as a science in itself.
- intopieces 8y agoThese are not refurbished, they are new. It’s a bit confusing because the clearance section is in the refurb section, but these are indeed brand new in box.
- RandomBacon 8y agoI don't know... The URL says refurbiahed and the page says refurbished in big lettering. The last couple of times when I looked when Apple made the SE re-available, the site didn't say refurbished like that.
- intopieces 8y agoCheck the headline of the page: “Clearance Products Find special deals on select new and unopened products.” Emphasis mine. Now click on the words “Certified Refurbished” above that. On the page you are taken to from that link, click on iPhone. You will see an entire section of refurbished iPhones, with no SEs.
- o10449366 8y agoThe one thing that Apple does well is prolonged support for their phones. I switched away from Android phones because I got sick of buying the latest flagships only to have them lose software, hardware, and security support 12-24 months after release. The new iPhones don't appeal to me, but I'm satisfied knowing I can get a few more years out of my SE. I got my battery replaced 4 months ago after owning it for two years and its been running like new since on the latest version of iOS.
- captn3m0 8y agoSame reason I switched from Android to iPhone SE last year. Regular security updates, perfect form factor and I don't have to mess with MicroG to avoid Google anymore. Planning to buy a second one when apple decides to sunset the device.
- trazire 8y agoYea, that's one thing that I envy Apple for. I legitimately still use the iPhone 4S as my daily driver. It had software updates for around 5 years and has iOS 9. Still works as an alarm clock, a music player, and for everything else I use it for. But it's also important to consider that lack of Android upgrades are also slightly disregardable, as API and app level updates will exist for years, and the majority of older phones support custom ROMs. I understand how that's not the ideal use case for people, just providing my own take on things.
- o10449366 8y agoI think I just have less patience for tinkering as I've gotten older (which is unfortunate in of itself, but I digress). I used to use custom ROMs on old Android phones that were no longer officially supported, but I got tired of the random and unpreventable soft bricks that would occur every few months. I overslept an important appointment because my old Nexus 5X soft bricked overnight and the alarm never went off. That phone ended up dying due to a widespread motherboard issue, one month after the hardware warranty expired. I used to roll my eyes at my dad's frustration with his crappy old Windows desktops when I was a kid, but now I understand how he felt. I just want something that works and that I can depend on and use for basic tasks.
- kumarvvr 8y agoThis is a refurbished one. I don't get why people still buy SE when you have a multitude of better phones from other companies, say Samsung or OnePlus.
- Jtsummers 8y agoiOS and not android. There are reasons to stick with one platform over the other. Same with sticking to macOS or windows or Linux.
- andykx 8y agoPrivacy.
- trazire 8y agoWelcome to HN! And on that note, with some Android ROMs and even with some modifications, privacy issues on Android devices are slightly alleviated. But yeah, Apple is natively better for privacy.
- kylek 8y agoAin't nobody got time for that. Seriously. I've played the ROM dance game and it leaves me wanting to throw my phone off the nearest bridge. As much as I don't like apple, there is no way I'm going back to the android minefield. Purism is the only alternative that piques my attention.
- VvR-Ox 8y ago+1 for that! I feel like constantly being screwed by these companies while being chained to a wall without the means to defend myself.
- LeoPanthera 8y agoiOS. And claiming that those other phones are "better" is opinion.
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- trazire 8y ago$249 is still a little overpriced considering alternative options, especially with a refurb/used iPhone 7 going for really cheap. As in, like, $160 on Ebay and more expensive for refurbs and new ones. But hey, that's how they get rid of extra inventory. Not sure why it was delisted in the first place and not just put there, but that's their prerogative.
- oneplane 8y agoI wouldn't call that overpriced. Aside from just a piece of hardware, you also get the whole new-device deal with box etc. as well as free support, warranty and a clean serial/id/iCloud/IMEI/MAC combo.
- trazire 8y agoI guess so. To each their own, I guess.
- morpheuskafka 8y agoSwappa operates a IMEI blacklist checker free as a public service: https://swappa.com/esn https://swappa.com/esn
- ericabiz 8y agoThe iPhone 7/7 Plus is the series I tell everyone to avoid purchasing. We refuse to stock them for resale as well, and it’s gotten so bad we even have customers sign a disclaimer when they bring them in for repair. (Note: We are not Apple authorized, so this is our policy, not Apple’s.) They have a serious manufacturing defect commonly known as the “Audio IC” issue. Apple downplays it, but eventually it hits almost every 7 series. Apple offered a free repair program for a while, but has since discontinued it. The 7 series is pretty much “designed to fail.” We have seen flawless phones in Otterbox cases have this issue. The 6 Plus also has defects on the Touch IC chip. We recommend the 6s or 8 series for customers. If anyone reading this has a 7 or 7 Plus and is concerned about this issue, back up your phone on a regular basis at a minimum. Trade it in for an 8 or 8 Plus when you can. If you’re happy with your 7, you don’t need to go to the X/XS, but I would recommend stepping up to the 8.
- azhenley 8y agoHopefully they will refresh the specs soon. There is an Apple event tomorrow...
- max76 8y agoI'm pretty sure Apple announced all the hardware last week, and tomorrow's event will be all about services.
- JumpCrisscross 8y agoThis was my favourite phone. Fast. Stable. Flat, easy-to-grip sides and a screen size designed to impress me, not Samsung executives. If they gave it new internals and electronic SIM capabilities, I’d pay $1,000 for it.
- FreakyT 8y agoWhy would you ever want eSIM support? The very existence of eSIM is completely antithetical to reason SIM cards were created in the first place. Without physical SIM cards, you're forced to grovel to your wireless provider to please provision your phone, and they can refuse to do so for any reason. With SIM cards, there's no limit to what devices you can use on what networks, outside of hardware ones. I find it ridiculous that companies are positioning eSIM as "innovative" -- we already had the exact same thing in the US back with CDMA, and it was awful. eSIM is no different.
- ndesaulniers 8y agoIDK with Google Fi, on a new phone I just install to the app, am auto signed in, takes a minute to connect, then am good to go. No small nano SIM to lose, no finding paperclips, no need to open the phone. Feels pretty slick.
- bpye 8y agoI don't think there's an argument to say it can't be great, but, if all carriers move over the eSIM then they could easily limit the devices they will allow on their network - that would suck.
- FreakyT 8y agoThis is related to a pretty good example of why eSim fails in practice! You cannot use a Google Fi data sim with an Apple Watch (the cellular version, that is). Since the Apple Watch (Cellular) version uses an eSim, it's tied to explicit network support, and therefore won't work. If it took a normal SIM I could just put my Fi data sim in and be good to go.
- deleted 8y ago
- mjfern 8y agoHow is the SE different from the 6S?
- trixie_ 8y agoEasier to use with one hand.
- month13 8y agoOlder TouchID Gen1 sensor mainly. Same SoC, was advertised at the time as an option for those that prefer smaller sized phones.
- manicdee 8y agoMain difference: smaller form factor, flat sides. This alone makes it easier to hold for people with small hands or motor coordination issues (eg: elderly people).
- ericabiz 8y agoThe SE has similar internals to the 6s, but is the size of the iPhone 5s. They’re extremely popular with people who love the size of the 5s but want a faster processor and better camera than the 5s had.
- dschulz 8y agoScreen res/size, 3D (aka force) touch, front camera (5 vs 1.2MP), slightly bigger battery.
- saagarjha 8y agoAnd barometer, strangely, as well as Touch ID sensor.
- throwaway66666 8y agoIt is probably the nicest phone ever in regards to size/screen/weight. I wish they would give it a hardware bump too to keep it competitive.
- ianai 8y agoAgreed. Its form factor is insanely useful and comfortable. I hope we see a hardware update. Especially if they can get a thumbprint reader in the display.
- sdan 8y agoLike many other comments, if they give bezel-less display, in screen touch-id, I think a lot of people would buy it. Not really sure what stats they're getting saying that the SE isn't profitable, but I still use it to this day and think it's a tank of a phone.
- Nextgrid 8y agoCounterpoint: I do not want a bezel-less screen. Not only does it ruin the iPhone’s iconic design, but it removes a “safe” area where you can rest your fingers without obscuring any content nor interacting with it. I hate both my XS and X for this reason (along the lack of physical home button and Touch ID). There’s just no “right” way to handle that phone like there is with the previous generations, every attempt at holding it is a compromise on which content you’re obscuring on the screen.
- sdan 8y agoYou're probably right. I've thought about that in the back of my mind, but just like how some people's hands rest on the 15" Macbook pro, I figured Apple would implement accidental touch software. And I've never extensively used a bezel-less phone (current still on the SE). At the end of the day, if accidental touches can be taken care of, you'll get a phone that's more aesthetically pleasing and more screen real estate to do whatever.
- alexnewman 8y agoi still use the se and i can afford any iphone. i have a stack of se for when i break one. no other iphone seems close
- alberth 8y agoI want an edge-to-edge display iPhone SE so bad.
- hmexx 8y agoI want an edge-to-edge iphone 7/8 myself. the SE is a tad too small and the X is a tad too big! I really think they had the perfect weight size with the 6/7/8
- dylanz 8y agoI'd love for Apple to keep the SE up-to-date hardware wise. The only thing that I'd like more than that would be if Google brought back a new and improved G1. The HN crowd isn't the average consumer, and I know that's why what most of us really want isn't a reality, but... I appreciate reading the sentiment on here for the classics (those which have great function/style).
- martin_a 8y agoI had the G1 and _loved_ it. I'd totally be in for a comeback, although it does not necessarily need to be made by Google. Typing with the physical keyboard was great and a much more conscious activity than now with on-screen keyboard. Also I could type much faster, never reached those speeds with any on-screen keyboard. Probably have it lying around in some drawer, will have a look for it but I'm not sure it's still good enough for anything.
- cherrypepsi 8y agoI got curious about how tiny the SE is (I never had an iPhone) so I compared it [1] to my beloved Lumia 620 (RIP power button) and my current Moto Z2 Play. And wow, I totally get the feeling. For me it's not even about one-handed use, I can reach the opposite corner just fine with one hand, but the bulge in my jeans' pocket is really uncomfortable, the corner of the phone pinches my leg and you have to rearrange the brick inside the pocket quite often or it hurts when walking. I'm this close to replacing this huge thing. [1]: https://www.phonearena.com/phones/Apple-iPhone-7_id9815/size/Samsung-Galaxy-S10,Samsung-Galaxy-S10e,Motorola-Moto-Z2-Play,Apple-iPhone-XS,Sony-Xperia-XZ1-Compact,Motorola-Moto-E,Apple-iPhone-SE,Nokia-Lumia-620/phones/10959,11114,10508,10766,10650,8654,10001,7593 https://www.phonearena.com/phones/Apple-iPhone-7_id9815/size...
- jackson1way 8y agoHaven‘t been mentioned here yet I believe, but the „new“ iPhone SE also comes with 128GB! This was the major reason for me to switch to an iPhone 8, because 64GB just wasn‘t enough. But I still dislike the larger form factor and especially the stupid glass back which is super slippery, it will slide down a chair if the chair is slightly round. But yay, we finally got wireless charging who absolutely NOBODY is using. I havent heard of a single person since it has been released 1,5 years ago. I‘m in love with the USB-C charging of the iPhone 8 though - which hardly gets mentioned. In my car I have a powerful Anker USB-C charger and if I get in the car with just 50% battery, a 20min ride will easy get me to 80%. Hoping to see an iPhone SE2 in the future...
- fouc 8y agoI'm quite interested in seeing how long iPhone SE will be supported for. I think it is likely that iOS 13 will support iPhone SE/6/6S (i.e. the A9 chipset)
- sfcguyus 8y agoI 'downgraded' from an iPhone XS to an iPhone SE. I had misplaced my XS and got an SE temporarily. Best thing to have ever happened - the iPhone SE is the best iPhone apple has ever made. So much so that I have an XS and the SE and cannot get back to the XS. I know HN has some weird opinions sometimes that aren't representative of a majority. But I genuinely think if people used this or gave it a shot they wouldn't switch back.
- robbintt 8y agoI'm in the same boat. The iPhone X is in my dresser drawer waiting to be sold. I love the SE and happily await an SE profile phone with a design closer to the X.
- willio58 8y agoI could never go back to using a small phone like that after moving to the max-sized iPhones. I think if my hands were smaller..
- ksec 8y agoAs a Phone, a Communication Devices, and Social Network, I could may be want the iPhone SE had an Edge to Edge Design, but other than that I agree it is perfect. As a Media Consumption devices, that is mostly video and Gaming. The iPhone SE size just doesn't work. Sometimes I kept thinking if I just ditch gaming and I could have a smaller phone. Hopefully Apple will come up with a 5" Full Display SE size iPhone, and thinner too. They could have an extra $100 BOM budget for some insane battery tech.
- joecool1029 8y ago>I could may be want the iPhone SE had an Edge to Edge Design Why? So you can accidentally tap the screen every day with the edge of your fingers as you hold the device?
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- pauljeba 8y agoI really liked the phone. This fits in the hand correctly and doesn't make me want to care extra.
- dijit 8y agoI’m going to add to the dogpile here and add: I am really not sure how I can vote with my wallet more than I currently do. I had a 5S; upgraded to a 6S and spent a year with it, but I really hated the size of the phone and realised that small phones were entirely gone by the end of my time with the 6S. I tried Android for a while but it was Samsung’s Android and was not for me, I was frustrated and annoyed after every interaction with my phone. After a year of that I went and got an iPhone SE. I’m still very happy with my choice. (Although my AirPods sometimes cut out and I think its due to the size of my Bluetooth antennae) I buy a fair amount of Apple stuff, I’m on the highest iCloud storage tier, I have AirPods, Mac Pro’s, MacBook Pro’s etc; if they have /any/ customer profiling at all they must realise that I certainly have the means to “upgrade” but doggedly refuse to do so. When I picked this phone up I bought apple care for as long as I could. I will attempt to extend Apple care on this phone (or buy a new SE if it’s available) before support on this expires. How else can I show my support to the small phone factor?
- trixie_ 8y agoContinue to hold your SE, as I do. You are a statistic to Apple, and keeping your phone helps. Eventually they will get the message that people like the SE form factor and will do something (finally).
- brandall10 8y agoSame here, I've had my SE for some 3 years now. Holding out hope they come out with a sub 5" X.
- johnchristopher 8y agoI suppose you still weight less than people settling for and people wishing for larger size. I am using a 4.7inch z5c.
- CalChris 8y agoI had an SE for two years and cracked the screen. It turned out that Apple didn't repair the screen anymore. So for slightly more ($115?), they gave me a new 64GB SE. My only complaint was that I hadn't recently backed up my old one but that was on me. The 4" SE is the perfect size for me. It's the best cell phone I've ever had.
- miqkt 8y agoTimely announcement. The battery on my (year old) Sony Z5C running LineageOS has recently decided to start failing. I had a Z3C for two years before it too decided to start failing on touch input (you'd think I'd learn my lesson by this point). I lament the absence of compact Android phones with long-term security updates. Maybe it's time I just bite the bullet.
- godzillabrennus 8y agoSecurity and privacy are what Apple is betting on these days. Not much else that makes an iPhone special anymore.
- josteink 8y agoThis is why I went with the SE a few years ago. I figured I’d put my money where my mouth was: I wanted a premium smartphone with a small form-factor and all the Android-vendors were failing to deliver on that.
- unicornporn 8y agoI've had one at work since it first got released, but I'm used to Lineage at home. I feel like I'm in a straitjacket when I try to use my iOS. Simple things such as transferring files to and from the device is a pain in the a. I would never consider choosing it as an every day device. Depends on what you do with your phone though. I prefer a near FOSS device and I use F-droid software with two or three apps sideloaded.
- paultopia 8y agoI am a big dude with big hands, I love my XS. BUT: people with less big hands and especially women have expressed the sentiment that is showing up frequently in this thread about the smaller form factor being better---and I really don't understand why Apple is so reluctant to build for half its user base!
- kabwj 8y agoHmm... if we make the argument that not making a SE 2 shows that Apple is a mysoginistic company, the backlash might convince them to actually develop a SE 2!
- DanTheManPR 8y agoThis is a common issue in design of objects that interface with your hands - whether consciously or not, they typically get designed either large for men's hands, or small for women's hands. A cordless drill and and handheld kitchen mixer have the same type of interface, but the diameter of the grips of the latter are almost always smaller because of the assumptions about what sort of person is going to interact with it. What's frustrating about the smartphone market these days is that no-one seems to be making high-end phones that cater to people with small hands, especially when that's as much as half the market!
- winrid 8y agoI really liked my SE, however after the second charging port fail I got a Sony Xperia ZX2. It's just a tiny bit bigger but much more powerful.
- source99 8y agoI switched from a 6s to the SE 1.5 months ago and I love it. Works for everything I need and the battery lasts all day.
- ijafri 8y agois it back, or they are clearing refurbished stock? it was on clearance page.
- bschwindHN 8y agoBeen using an SE since Jan 2017, hope to continue using it a lot longer. I bought two more refurbished ones in case I break it, and the cost of doing that was still less than one of apple's newer offerings
- jononomo 8y agoI've had an iPhone SE for about 2 years now and I dread the day that I will have to replace this phone. Is it possible to buy a couple more right now and just store them in a cool dry place for the next 5 - 10 years? Would the battery life, etc, still be good?
- Nextgrid 8y agoThird-party replacement batteries will most likely keep being produced for ages still.
- jakobegger 8y agoLithium-Ion batteries degrade even without use. So the battery wouldn't be as good as new anymore. But a lot of factors affect battery degradation. State of charge is probably the easiest -- make sure that the battery is not full, and make sure they don't run empty either (check the charge every couple of months or so to make sure they don't get empty). I'm not sure what charge percentage and temperature is best for storing, but around 50% to 70% and a cool, but not freezing room is probably a good idea. I'd assume that the fridge is too cold, but I don't have any data to back that up.
- unicornporn 8y agoIn 5-10 years your biggest problem would be no more OS updates and no security updates.
- SamuelAdams 8y agoOr app developers not updating their apps for smaller phones. When the minority of people cause the majority of the work, app devs tend to ship even if it's broken. Firefox is a great example: many sites are working great in Safari / Chrome, but are broken / not as nice when viewed in Firefox. Again, Firefox is used by considerably less people.
- bunderbunder 8y agoIt's not even that alone, it's app developers both dropping support for the old OS in new versions of their app, and then actively disabling old versions of their app. This was what ultimately did in my last iPhone. I kept it well past when iOS upgrades ended, and over time apps stopped working. At first it was stuff that's pretty easy to let go of. My mobile provider's app was the first to go, but I could still do everything I wanted through their website. Eventually it starts to be stuff that's sort of the whole reason you own a smartphone instead of a dumb phone.
- dbg31415 8y agoThis was the best phone Apple ever made.
- martin_a 8y agoSadly not available in Germany. Would have loved to have one of those.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- ctack 8y agoI brought a secondhand one from Smarter a couple of months ago. I think they are in France or Ireland. I ordered a 64gb, and the order was delayed :/ So I complained they sent me a 128gb phone :) But the battery was not in good condition and needed replacement :/ But it turns out the phone had AppleCare so the battery replacement was free :) But because the AppleCare was purchased outside of Spain they could not send me a replacement - I had to do the battery swop in person at an apple store :/ So YMMV. So YMMV.
- mark_l_watson 8y agoWhen I go to the iPhones page on Apple Store, I don’t see the SE, so this may just be a clearance of inventory event. If it is not, and the SE is available for a long while, then this could be a double down bet and push to making a larger percentage of their profits with services.
- COil 8y agoHaha, funny, related to a tweet I posted some times ago : https://twitter.com/C0il/status/1040566413541470208 https://twitter.com/C0il/status/1040566413541470208 "Hi @Apple , I'd like a small smartphone (4 inch screen), what do you have?" SE is enough for me, I'll never pay more than 500$ for a Phone so if Apple doesn't have an option in this range of price I'll switch to something else. + I don't like big Phones.
- Cort3z 8y agoI would buy a iPhone se2 in a heartbeat. Stick the higest end system on a chip it can handle in there, give it 1Tb storage, and sell it for $2000.
- lowercased 8y agoI was just about to get a new iphone se from ebay. I need one compatible with AT&T, and can't for the life of me tell which one of the ones available would work for me. They show 'verizon' and 't-mobile' - which one of these would also work with AT&T network?
- donohoe 8y agoNot Verizon! The unlocked T-Mobile one would work.
- lowercased 8y agoThanks! I know there's a difference but couldn't remember which one was which. Is the verizon one CDMA and tmobile is GSM?
- jak92 8y agoWhat specific issues with new bands would some of the unlocked versions have? Say Verizon on Sprint, vice versa, and T-Mobile on AT&T?
- occamschainsaw 8y agoThe T-mobile (Unlocked with tmo sim) should work over AT&T's network.
- mlejva 8y agoInteresting to see so many people here prefer smaller phones over big ones. I was using iPhone 5, 5S, and SE for over 6 years. This Christmas I switched to XR and I couldn't be happier. I feel like there are so many productivity things I can do on my phone that were annoying before. I use notes, emails, and even Google Spreadsheets much more. I started using the Kindle app for reading and I actually like it. Sometimes, I even prefer it over Kindle (mostly because of what I can do with highlights right away). The only downside is that a pocket on my favorite jeans isn't big enough. So the phone often has to go inside my backpack.
- werbel 8y agoSome people just want to call, text, use Google Maps and occasionally browse Instagram and simply don't need the "much more". I also simply have small hands. I can't comfortably reach left side of a keyboard with my thumb while holding the phone securely on anything bigger than SE so things like Reachability don't help at all.
- JustSomeNobody 8y agoIt is interesting. We hear all the time that the market wants bigger phones. But I look at data from analytics sites like Mixpanel and see something different. https://9to5mac.com/2019/01/09/iphone-xr-usage-overtakes-xs/ https://9to5mac.com/2019/01/09/iphone-xr-usage-overtakes-xs/ This is from January 2019 (I can't find anything newer at the moment). iPhone XS - 2.89% iPhone XS Max - 3.65% iPhone XR - 3.02% iPhone X - 11.71% iPhone 8 - 9.81% iPhone 8 Plus - 10.11% Total - 41.19% These are all the latest iPhones. If you look at this year alone, sure, the larger phones are selling more. But back up even one year and 60% of iPhone users have the smaller of the newer phones. The 8 and 8 Plus are nearly at parity. There's a market for not large phones. It's basically half of Apple's iPhone customers.
- DanTheManPR 8y agoI think most people do prefer phablets. If you're interacting with your phone a lot, the large screen size has it's merits. Many of us prefer the smaller size that was formerly common. The frustration we have is that 4" displays have completely disappeared from the market, aside from the iPhone SE and a few weird low-end Android phones.
- uptown 8y agoI’d be happy with an SE and modern cameras updates. Don’t need dual-lens or 3D face stuff but from generation to generation Apple makes great improvements to their camera hardware and software. It’d be a shame to be stuck with inferior optics for the sake of having a smaller phone size.
- rahoulb 8y agoMuch as I love the small phone (I had a 5S and an SE) ... the link is for the refurb store. So this isn't anything about Apple restarting production of these - just that they've had some returned that they are now reselling. If you want one, it's probably the best way to get hold of one, but it's not a long-term, or even medium-term solution to the "no decent small phone available" problem.
- kgwxd 8y ago5S was the perfect size, if only it could run Linux.
- PascLeRasc 8y agoCheck out iSH, it's an Alpine Linux VM for iOS. It's a great SSH client.
- digitalsushi 8y agoThe readme is terrifying though - at the bottom, the author admits how difficult it has become to debug, which makes me wonder if it's worth devoting my time to it if they will eventually grow tired of keeping the project up to date. It is difficult to get other contributors to adopt difficult code.
- AnthonBerg 8y agoWhat I like to use is: - Blink shell - hooked to a tmux session - connected with Mosh - over a ZeroTier network - to a UNIX machine in the cloud or at home (Linux, macOS, whatever). The effect is a really snappy and powerful shell in a full UNIX system that stays up and connected even though your connection is dropped or moves from wifi to cellular, and your networks still stay closed and secure. It's not the same as running Linux on the phone. However, in some respects it's better. It's trivially easy to move the session to another device (phone/tablet, or computer), and you don't need to use the phone's battery for processing. And you can summon a ton of computing power if you need to. Blink shell, an iOS terminal emulator: https://www.blink.sh https://www.blink.sh tmux is like screen. It's a bit arcane at first but it's worth it. (Mouse scrollback is recommended. It works inside blink.) Introduction: https://hackernoon.com/a-gentle-introduction-to-tmux-8d784c404340 https://hackernoon.com/a-gentle-introduction-to-tmux-8d784c4... mosh enhances ssh and adds roaming, supports intermittent connectivity, and cuts perceived lag a lot by being smarter about the interface vs. the network roundtrip. (It works kind of like a online game engine that predicts network events). https://mosh.org https://mosh.org ZeroTier is an open-source secure virtual network layer that's good at hole punching so you can just have the real network completely walled off: https://www.zerotier.com/ https://www.zerotier.com/
- aboutruby 8y agoSo happy to see so much people that like their SE, I bought something like 10 of them and still got mine and it's the best phone I ever touched.
- jmrobertson 8y agoI have it just for the small form factor. Luckily bought it 2 months before it got killed. Good news is though based on a recent screen crack replacement, Apple still supports fixing it.
- StreamBright 8y agoApple is struggling with innovation as well as admitting that some product lines (like SE) has a 1.0 stage when you do not need to add or remove (hello jack port) features anymore and you can just do minor updates (like CPU) every so often.
- fopen64 8y agoThe iPhone 5/5s was the zenith of the iPhone.
- bob_theslob646 8y agoJust an FYI, the 128gb option is 50 dollars more. Way more value for your dollar than the 32gb.
- rosstex 8y agoI lost my 6S a while ago, and was struggling to decide on a new phone. I would have picked up an X, but the XR/XS were being released in a few months, so I got an SE in the meantime. That turned out to be a fantastic choice, because I love my little SE. I realized that 90% of the reason I wanted a new phone was because of the camera, so I decided to take the savings from buying an SE and invest in an actual camera. I could not be happier with the combination.
- jahlove 8y agoApple: Give us an SE2!
- intopieces 8y agoThere are two main points here that Apple should take away from this discussion: (1) People like the SE. (2) People are confused by the placement of the “Clearance” section inside the “Refurbished” section. If they can’t take action on the first I hope they at least take action on the second.
- vira28 8y agoThey say unlocked (T-mobile), unlocked (verizon). What does that mean? My understanding of unlocked means free to use any carrier. Am i missing s
- intopieces 8y agoIn this case, the carrier name in parenthesis is shorthand for the bands that the phone can operate on. T-Mobile is GSM, Verizon is CDMA. Some models of IPhone have both technologies, these do not have both.
- nikhiljain12 8y agoBut will it work on another GSM network, say ATT? Or in another country? I am looking to buy this phone for my mother in India.
- intopieces 8y agoYour best option is to compare the bands using GSM Arena: https://m.gsmarena.com/apple_iphone_se-7969.php https://m.gsmarena.com/apple_iphone_se-7969.php Compare this to the service you plan on using.
- laythea 8y agoFirst of all phones were big, then they got small, then big. And now small again. People are so fickle.
- checkyoursudo 8y agoI still use an SE. It's by far the best phone that I've ever used, though I certainly have not used every model from every manufacturer. I bought a couple of spares because I like it so much. The #1 reason I like it is because of the size. I'm a big person -- around 6'3 and large hands even for my height, and I just don't see how I could ever enjoy using a phone larger than an SE. I have used larger phones, Apple and other, and I can't stand it. In fact, I just last night found my old iPhone 2, which going from the last photos on there I hadn't used since around 2011. That phone feels so good in my hand. The round frame is so nice. The size is perfect. The heft, seems a bit heavier than the SE, feels excellent and solid. If I could have a smartphone as small as this one, but with the guts of even the SE, I would be ecstatic. I don't miss the skeuomorphism and, I don't know, like a kind of jelly aesthetic(?) of the UI and icons and such. Very funny to see now. (Looks like iOS v 3.0 (7A341). I also think that was the last iPhone I used a jailbreak on. Kind of makes me want to do that again...
- imagetic 8y agoI'm tempted to buy one just to have a backup. I have no desire to own anything larger than the SE. But my current one is starting to show some wear and tear. I fear for its longevity. Apple has already refused to replace the battery and the phone keeps asking if I want to shut it off. I think the top button is just loose inside. Either way, the SE is my favorite phone. I'm bummed the trend has gone towards bigger models.