When Apple announced the 4-inch iPhone SE last year, I was elated. Apple exceeded my expectations by not only bringing back the 4-inch form-factor but making sure that it wasn’t a complete joke. Sharing many of the same specs as the iPhone 6s, which had only been released half a year earlier, Apple made sure that the SE's compact size didn’t compromise on performance. As an added bonus, the iPhone SE was Apple’s most affordable phone yet starting at $399. Although not the cheapest phone by any means, it is when you’re talking about Apple.
As I was reviewing what came out when last year (in anticipation for what we might see this year), I realized that the iPhone SE’s anniversary is just around the corner in March, which got me to thinking: Should there even be a second generation iPhone SE?
In short: Yes, there absolutely should be. Apple and Sony are practically the only two big manufacturers that give a darn about compact phones that don’t perform like garbage, and although I would like more variety in the compact category, I am grateful for the two that currently exist.
However, I don’t think that Apple should continue releasing the SE in the same manner that they did last year, or even give it the same name. Instead, I think the SE would be better off simply being a third addition to Apple’s typical iPhone refresh in the fall.
If the iPhone SE were to be added to the fall lineup, I think it would receive larger fanfare. Anybody who wasn’t an enthusiast expected the SE to pop up, so when headlines popped up last March it was likely a surprise for most people. Additionally, I think there are a considerable amount of people now that strategically plan to upgrade in the fall according to Apple’s “normal” schedule at this point, so I would think that people would be willing to give it more consideration if it was released around the same time as other iPhones.
At this point, I’m of the mind that three size offerings would be a good thing to offer. A lot of manufacturers seem to be offering two size variants lately, but even then the smaller of the two typically doesn’t fall into the “compact” category. Maybe I’m still living in the past, but in my mind, a 4.7-inch display is still pretty big. Apple could stand out by offering their 4-inch variant alongside their other two flagship iPhones.
If Apple did choose to take this route, I think it would be cool if the smallest iPhone’s design would reflect that of the other two as well. I actually like the SE’s square form factor, but having a unified design would make it more appealing, especially if Apple plans to shave bezels in this year’s iPhones as rumored; just because some people prefer a smaller phone doesn’t mean they necessarily prefer a smaller screen.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, if Apple intends to keep an iPhone with a 4-inch screen around, I think it makes sense to release it alongside the 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhones. If nothing else, I do hope that Apple keeps the iPhone SE’s concept (compact, affordable new iPhone) around for at least one or two more generations.
Readers, what are your thoughts? Do you think that Apple should keep releasing the SE in a separate event, or do you think they should incorporate it with their fall iPhone line-up? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
