
Report says Apple to release new ‘iPhone SE’ with 4.7-inch display in 2020 - sdan
https://9to5mac.com/2019/09/04/cheaper-smaller-iphone-spring/?__twitter_impression=true
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tus88
It's sad that 4.7" has become the new "small". I seriously struggle to use
large phones and I would love a new 4" premium phone from any company.

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rock_artist
The thing with my SE isn't the 4" display but its form factor / physical size.

If Apple would simply take the iPhone 6/s/7/8 form factor then this is indeed
NOT a SE successor!

However, If they'll get the screen to body ratio and squeeze 4.7" for a
similar form factor of current iPhone SE, I guess most SE owners would be
happy campers.

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bt848
I don't agree. With the 4.7" screen I can't reach e.g. the P key an other keys
on the right side of the keyboard with my left thumb while holding the device
in my left hand. I also can't, for example, focus the URL bar of a browser tab
while holding the phone in a normal typing position.

I only have the one hand so don't try to give me advice about how to hold the
thing.

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ashton314
Have you seen the option to push the keyboard over to one side? Hold down the
keyboard switcher button (you'll need at least two keyboards enabled) and
there will be an option to move it over to one side or the other. (Native OS
keyboard, iOS 12, I think.)

Also, the "reachability" feature is nice: double-tap ( _NOT_ click, just
touch) the home button (or swipe down on the little bottom bar for iPhones
lacking a home button) and the screen slides down half-way. I can reach the
URL bar this way without moving my hand from typing position. (This does have
to be enabled in settings.)

Side note: I've often wondered what it would be like to have only one hand to
type with. What kind of a keyboard do you use? Any special software, etc.?

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nvrspyx
Too bad some people can't even reach the keyboard switcher button when holding
the phone with one hand. It makes the one-hand options pointless if I need
both hands just to activate it. It's now as far to the left of the screen as
possible on the X (and above) and I can't reach it with my right thumb when
holding the phone normally.

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ramphastidae
Don't get your hopes up. This has nothing to do with the iPhone SE. No 4"
display, no headphone jack, no aluminum unibody, no physical home button.

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o_nate
No headphone jack, no credibility.

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archontes
This continues to guide my purchase decisions.

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Keverw
I got the Airpods, and I kinda don't care if there's a headphone jack or not
as much anymore... Then there's other styles of wireless headphones too. I
love no wire when sitting at my desk on the computer too, so freeing... Also
no worry about tangling up the wire if you put them in your pocket, and the
case charges it too while on the go.

Was worried about the charging time, but if I get up to go to the bathroom or
grab a snack I let them charge up some, and they charge up pretty fast too...
So if on the computer all day not a huge issue but if they do need recharged
for listening to music, videos, etc not too long... but I have heard people
who do a lot of conference calls will switch to one ear at a time to let the
other charge which sounds annoying... Also worried about them falling out, so
mindful of that if going on a walk outside.

Then after a year or two if heavy using it, the batteries in them are bad and
need replaced too I've seen stories of. So another downside, but so do other
electronics have batteries that ware, but I assume since Airpods are much
smaller it might be more noticable... Just imagine how much of a feat of
engineering to make something to tiny.

Also I noticed on my Mac it uses a different codec apparently when using the
microphone and it jumps to crappy telephone quality but on my iPhone it seems
the same quality as music if talking... But maybe it depends on how new the
Mac is and it's bluetooth chip.

Pros and cons I guess, but wireless is the future and things should keep
improving I'd hope... and Apple isn't the only option for wireless, Bose and
many others. I know Bose has some over the ear noise canceling ones that
people recommend for airplanes. Then there's also some earphones that people
say is good for outdoor activities as it doesn't cover your ear but is next to
it. So maybe some people might own a few different pairs for different uses,
right now I only have the Airpods but there's other wireless ones that
interest to me for different uses. Not sure if obsessive or not if ever doing
that, but then again people own more than one pair of shoes... Gym shoes, flip
flops, dress shoes, water shoes, etc...

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skinnymuch
Yeah one of my bigger issues with wireless headphones et al. are both battery
day to day and battery lifetime. For me a year or two isn’t that long. Perhaps
I just have to get used to replacing headphone batteries after 2-3 years. I’ve
never been able to not lose smaller earphones the size of AirPods so I stopped
buying them.

I’m fine using a 2-in-1 iOS charger and headphone jack hardware as backup, but
one given by a friend and one bought at an airport both broke really quickly.
I’ll have to look online probably to see if there’s a high quality one that
isn’t too pricey.

I understand people being against things like this, but like you said at the
end, wireless and less wires is the future. I’m already fine with needing to
switch to USB-C when I get a new MacBook. Though I wonder when most iOS
devices will switch over. I think one of the iPads has, but I’m not sure. It
won’t be a big deal until a new iPhone lineup switches over though.

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galfarragem
The next iphone SE should keep the same size but using all screen as a display
(like the iphone X).

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deftturtle
Totally agree. Small body is appealing. Update the tech, keep it small. I’d be
willing to forgo touch and Face ID, just to use passcode if necessary. Remove
the headphone jack, increase battery life, update camera so it’s stabilized
with gyroscope.

Not realistic, but I would also love an e-Ink or Mirasol display option, so
that battery life would last much longer. The tech has gotten a lot better,
and readability in sunlight is fantastic.

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asavadatti
Why do you hate the headphone jack so much? I hate Bluetooth and would really
prefer having a headphone jack

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Operyl
Genuinely: why do you hate Bluetooth so much? I literally have a hard time
discerning a difference of quality with music/audio these days.

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asavadatti
Convenience. Not having to charge something. Having something that always just
works. I have a pair of BT headphones too btw. I think both have use cases and
there is no good reason to remove a jack (unlike floppies)

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deftturtle
My ideal SE: Updated camera with gyroscopic stabilization.

No camera bump. Instead, make phone slightly thicker and give larger battery.

Next, remove headphone jack, and Touch ID.

Include edge to edge screen like modern iPhones.

Have option for e-Ink or Mirasol screens, to improve battery life and make it
easier to read in sunlight.

Kill switch for cellular baseband.

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sooper
I'm not sure about including e-Ink, I feel like if people are outside they
should be doing something other than staring at their phone...

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dEnigma
You can have your barely readable display if you want, but other people want
to be able to check their messages or read an article/book on their phone
while exposed to sunlight. What's bad about that? Doesn't seem to me like
staying inside and staring at your phone would be better.

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apollo_
The title got me excited for another 4" iphone. I have hand pain (RSI) that is
really exacerbated by the larger phones. I recently bought a used SE and am
kind of dreading this last generation reaching end of life.

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mpweiher
The authors (and Apple) seem to be missing the point of the SE. With all due
respect to Bill Clinton:

It's the _size_ , stupid!

Not the price or lack of features. I don't mind giving up features if that
means they can get thee size down to something reasonable, but dropping
features and still being large is sort of an "anti-SE". Reminds me More of the
5C. Anyone remember that one? No? Exactly.

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rock_artist
That's something I don't get... I believe there's an audience for "hand" form
factor. Yet, companies make bigger phones and consider small phone audience as
those who would pay less and get less. Why on earth they can't understand some
people would actually pay for top notch hardware in smaller hardware?

Why plus/+/XL or whatever they name it usually gets beefier CPU/RAM/Storage?
It's not like ultraportable laptops vs 15" ones. there are no real thermal
limitations.

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Someone
I think the limitation is volume. Scale a phone by 10% in all directions, and
its volume goes up by 33% (-ish). Its display grows by only 21% in area,
though.

So, roughly, you get 10% more power per pixel or square inch of screen.

And I think it’s even worse for the smaller phone. The faster CPU and GPU and
more memory you need to drive 21% more pixels and to light 21% more screen
area do not take up 33% more volume, and Bluetooth and cellular radios stay
the same size, so you can scale the battery volume by over 33%, and, likely,
its capacity even more, as the fraction of the battery’s volume that is lost
to the battery housing can be lower for larger batteries.

Scale a phone by 30% in all dimensions, and the effect is a lot larger; 69%
more screen area, but 120% more volume, so almost double the power/pixel.

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phyrex
The screen is the component that uses up the most energy though. By having a
smaller screen, you can get by with a smaller battery.

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js2
It’s not the god damn price, it’s the screen size and form factor. Okay it’s a
little bit the price, but I’d pay $600 for a modern SE.

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hbcondo714
> The ‘iPhone 8’-esque description suggests it would be based around Touch ID
> though

That's too bad if true. Having a smaller phone size / screen should warrant
having an edge-to-edge display without having a button take up any screen
space. Maybe they can put Touch ID on the back of the phone or integrate it
into the phone screen like the Samsung Galaxy 10 does now.

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jplayer01
> Having a smaller phone size / screen should warrant having an edge-to-edge
> display

Does nobody hold their phones anymore? Why would that ever be comfortable? I
hated my Samsung phones with curved edges, the last thing I want is a phone
that I can't hold onto without touch being triggered. That seems completely
antithetical to the SE.

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monk_e_boy
The SE has those lovely square edges. New phones are too curved and slippery,
like a bar of soap

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philsnow
This is how you take the air out of your iphone 11 launch. I was considering
upgrading my X when the 11 came out but now I'm probably going to wait to see
what this SE business is about.

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lancesells
Even if the rumor / report is true it's not from Apple. The 11 isn't even
announced and you would want to go from a X to something like an iPhone 8
(according to the report)?

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philsnow
I wouldn't want to do that, no. But I might wait to see if there are more
credible rumors / wait until next year to see what they actually announce, if
anything

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SimeVidas
Sorry, Apple. You’re too late. I’m getting Samsung S10e next.

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gruez
>I’m getting Samsung S10e next

...a 5.8" phone

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SimeVidas
Less than 4 millimeters taller than iPhone 8.

