Report says Apple to release new ‘iPhone SE’ with 4.7-inch display in 2020 | Hacker News Reader

Report says Apple to release new ‘iPhone SE’ with 4.7-inch display in 2020

9to5mac.com

100 pointssdan68 comments

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.

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.

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.

Do the one hand gestures not work on the iPhone SE?

The ones to pull the screen down and to align the keyboard to the left or right?

Yes, the hacks that Apple added to work around the fundamental usability problems of the > 4" iPhones do work, but they don't turn them into 4" phones in all respects.

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.?

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.

I used Swype keyboard on a SE and love it.

https://www.nuance.com/mobile/mobile-applications/swype/swyp...

You might want to consider switching to Android which has lots of 3rd party gestures/customization options in general, including browsers with addressbar/tabbar at the bottom.

It's probably a PITA for Apple (and developers) to design UIs that look and work good across such a wide gamut of sizes.

Yes, but you have a handful of devices unlike android where you have hundreds or even thousands.

On the Android side, attempts at small, high-spec phones seem to have been abandoned. Sony had the excellent "Compact" series which now seems abandoned, and the Samsung Galaxy S9 Mini never made it to market.

Yes, I went from the Xperia Z1 Compact to the XZ Compact...and not only is it larger, but worse is every way except raw speed. It is more buggy, difficult to find a screen protector that stays on, screen often freezes, the large size makes it far less comfortable to use. I am seriously considering buying another Z1 compact even though it's years old and slower with an out-of-date Android...but the form factor and reliability was unbeatable.

Loved my Z1 compact till I learned about privacy and Google. Got an iPhone 7, similar size.

> .. out-of-date

I repurposed Z1C as in-car GPS, installing Lineage15+microG (Android 8?) on it, plus TomTom.

Honestly, 4.7" is probably "small enough" for more people. I had a Nexus 6 and switched to a Moto X when that died, and at 5.2", it's much better. I would prefer another inch or so smaller, but honestly a 4.7" might just be good enough to be comfortable.

That being said, I miss the days when small phones were all the rage (e.g. like in Zoolander). My phone needs to be just big enough to use GPS and basic web browsing (i.e. look up a menu for takeout), and that's about it. I don't need to watch videos or play games (in fact, not being able to is a productivity feature), I just need a simple phone. It seems the "do all the things" market is well served, but the "do only important things" isn't. I just want something in between "smart phone" and "dumb phone" that can fit nicely in my pocket and hand.

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.

You just listed all the features that make the iPhone 6 a pretty darn good phone

For anyone considering a 6S: it's not slow at all, and the camera is just fine. Just bought another one two months ago.

It's probably not getting OS updates (ie. security patches) after iOS 13, though.

Here I am sitting on a several-years-old iPhone 6s and a recently-purchased 2015 Macbook.

When iPhone dies I was planning on getting another 6s[0], but didn't even really consider LTS. Crap.

[0] Mostly for the headphone jack, but I suppose I also prefer touchid over faceid

iOS 12 still supports the 5s. If iOS 13 supports up to the 6, then iOS 14 will likely support the 6s.

iOS 13 drops support for the 6. It'll be 6s/SE and above for iOS 13. It'll be interesting to see what they do for iOS 14. I was surprised that they cut off both the 6 and 5s this year.

It’s cause they know that most users are ok using the old stuff and want to force people to update. The iPhone 5 and 6 were fast enough for most needs

They’ll definitely keep dropping at least one iOS every year on average. Right now the 6S is going to be 4 years old. If they cut back to only 3 year old models. That’s pretty recent. Will be interesting to see if they do that. Removing the 6S Plus is also interesting. I thought maybe they’d give the Plus or higher end models a year longer to incentivize purchasing those.

t’s not really a huge deal to me that they’re likely purposefully going to try to keep the newest iOS limited to only a few years. Supporting 4 year old devices is still pretty good. And being on an old iOS for a few years isn’t the biggest deal.

On one hand bummer about security on the other hand at least you don’t have to worry about apple patching out things that used to work or otherwise messing up the experience

What's wrong with sliding up to switch apps / go 'home'

It made me question why they took so long to get rid of the home button.

Yeah I was put off at first but in general it works perfectly, so I have no complaints at all. Using all available space for the screen is the right design choice, I think.

I still haven’t mastered it. I trigger it when I don’t want to and can’t trigger sometimes when I want to. I’m still only about 50% successful bringing up the app switcher.

You don’t slide up to switch apps, you do it to go home.

To switch apps you have to do an extremely frustrating gesture that shows you the app switcher half the time and the other half of the time it’s switches you directly to the previous app.

I’ll never buy an iPhone without a home button unless they fix the accessibility software home button so that it doesn’t sit right on top of the icons and the rest of the user interface. They should have at least given you an option to have a row of software buttons like Android does.

No headphone jack, no credibility.

This continues to guide my purchase decisions.

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...

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.

And mine.

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

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.

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

I presume it makes it harder to waterproof the phone with multiple ports. Having only one port, either lightning or USB-C, would hopefully lead to a better phone design. And if we’re trying to add Face ID, I assume the headphone jack is wasted space. I can buy an adapter or use the compatible Apple headphones that would be included.

But honestly, I’m done with Apple. I collect old iPhones and use them until they give out. I will not buy another flagship but am really interested in Purism’s phone. Currently have an SE, 5S, 2 5Cs, and a 6. I use them for various purposes and eventually will recycle when they die

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

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)

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.

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...

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.

I have the same feeling, and I know I should wean myself, but current displays are practically unusable in bright light. And when trying to take photos or read a book, it’d be nice to have options...

You actively want them to kill the headphone jack?!

It would ship with compatible Apple headphones, and I could buy an adapter. If it saves space for Face ID or something, that’d be a good trade-off for my personal taste

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

People don't remember that when the SE was released it was state-of-the-art. It wasn't the slow iPhone, it wasn't the cheap iPhone. That's the 5C.

It wasn't the flagship of its era. It was always a side product, just not as cut down as side products usually are.

When the SE was released it had the same 2GB of RAM and A9 CPU as the 6s and 6s Plus, the latter of which was "the flagship". An iPhone with better internals wasn't released until 6 months later.

Maybe he means when the form factor was released originally as 5S.

The 4.87" x 2.31" x 0.30" envelope arose with the 5, a year before the 5S.

True, but there are some design differences (including the addition of TouchID), while the 5S and SE are almost identical. (You also mentioned the 5C, which was an alternative to the 5S.)

Sure. I mention the 5C because it was the real budget device. On the day it was released it had internals the same as the previous year's 5, instead of those of the 5S released on the same day as the 5C. The SE, by contrast, had the same guts as the 6s. People seem confused about this.

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.

> 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.

> 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.

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

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.

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)?

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

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

>I’m getting Samsung S10e next

...a 5.8" phone

Less than 4 millimeters taller than iPhone 8.

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