The iPhone SE has proven to be surprisingly popular with the Apple faithful, and with its first birthday coming up, it's about time for it to get something of refresh. As hardware refreshes go, this one is minor, as Apple is only bumping up storage space. That extra on board storage, however, will come in useful at a time where our reliance on smartphones seems to be growing each day.
Apple could surprise us next week with new hardware, rumors from the supply chain suggest, potentially refreshing the iPad Pro line-up without the ceremony of an event. Expectations that the Cupertino company will revamp its tablet range this month have circulated for some time now, with analysts and others all suggesting both the 9.7- and 12.9-inch iPad Pro will be replaced by new versions. Now, there's the possibility that Apple will do that with little more fanfare than a press release.
The iPhone 7 Plus will see a replacement in 2017, as will the iPhone SE, but not to the same tune of last year's upgrade. Apple's next iPhone series won't likely take the same approach. Instead, based on information we've gathered over the past 24 hours, it's become apparent that Apple is about to take the iPhone 8 out a whole new door.
A rumor about the 2017 iPhone lineup has us recall our iPhone SE review and the reasons why this phone has staying power. In that review by Chris Davies, it's mentioned that in this device is a reason for iPhone 5s (and earlier) owners to upgrade. Not because the iPhone SE is better than Apple's alternatives, but because the device fills a hole not addressed by any other phone company today.
Earlier this year, Apple released the iPhone SE, featuring the iPhone 5's looks and several components from the more advanced iPhone 6s. It was meant to be a slightly more affordable model for those still wanting a 4-inch display, but avoided being seen as a cheap, entry-level device like the iPhone 5c was. Unfortunately, if you're among the users that the iPhone SE appealed to, it looks like Apple has no plans for a refresh in the first half of 2017.
The iPhone SE has its fair share of critics, but those negative voices have done little to impact its popularity. According to a new report from Kantar, a research firm, the iPhone SE was Great Britain’s “top selling device” in the quarter that reached its end this past June. The iPhone SE barely beat out the iPhone 6s, holding 9.2-percent of sales in the region versus the iPhone 6s smartphone's 9.1-percent. The EU5 saw iOS growth during the quarter, as well.
If you're one of the many who have been waiting for the iPhone to arrive at MetroPCS, your time has finally come. The carrier announced today that most of the current iPhone lineup will be launching at stores across the US this weekend, giving customers the chance to buy one in-store or (presumably) online. The iPhones available at MetroPCS include the 6s, 6s Plus, SE, and 5s, with the standard iPhone 6 and 6 Plus notably missing from the list.
OnePlus may be having a bit of a hard time since it launched the OnePlus 3 last month, but it has gotten some reprieve in at least one corner. Popular benchmark maker AnTuTu has just released its chart for the Top 10 Performance Smartphones for the first half of 2016, and the OnePlus 3 is leading the pack, tough not by a wide margin. Considering the criticism the smartphone got over its less than desired RAM management, some might actually doubt those results.
This afternoon Apple reported their financial Q2 2016 earnings report for investors, and with it, falling sales in devices of all sorts. It's not as if this is the worst quarter Apple has ever had - far from it. Instead, it would appear that Apple's device sales have reached a saturation point. Many consumers that would be buying an iPhone, iPad, or Mac have already got one. As such, even Apple's astronomical sales numbers don't seem as spectacular as they have in the past.
Given the timing of its trademark, many naturally considered that the "LG G5 SE" would be following in the footsteps of Apple's small but terrific iPhone SE. Considering the market has just confirmed renewed interest in smaller smartphones, the chances of that happening have been increased. LG, however, might have had something else in mind with its "Special Edition" name, if it indeed means that. The packaging of the official LG G5 QuickCover case hints that the LG G5 SE will, in fact, be exactly the same size as the flagship.
It would seem as though Apple did not foresee the early success of the iPhone SE, their new 4-inch display-toting iPhone with the body of a tried-and-true past model. The iPhone SE's shipping time continues to slip, as Apple Insider notes, with shipping set to begin on April 22nd - two weeks from today. In-store pickup availability, on the other hand, seems to depend solely on the popularity of the story you're headed to.
Did you love the iPhone 5s and rue the day Apple switched from crisp edges to comely curves on the iPhone 6? You'll probably approve of the iPhone SE, then, which goes excavating in the graveyard of Apple's design labs and comes up with a barely-changed riff on the classic.
