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I recently wrote about how the iPhone 13 is a great phone if you can’t afford the iPhone 15, and I second that idea. I still feel like we’re missing a solid budget phone option from Apple.
Sure, there’s the 2022 iPhone SE, but it was a little underwhelming. It’s a fairly old design for a phone, with a 60Hz display, a single rear camera, and lacks a ton of features. Comparing the iPhone SE to top-of-the-line budget phones from Google, Samsung, and OnePlus shows that Apple is taking a leap of faith with leftovers from old technology that were simply reheated in the microwave before being sold to consumers. It looks like they are trying to expand.
The problem here is that you don’t have the option of buying a low-cost iPhone unless you choose to go second-hand.
Previous rumors hint at an iPhone SE 4 coming soon, promising a fresher design that borrows from models like the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15. This is good news as both phones have attractive looks and aesthetics. A language reminiscent of his Jony Ive-era industrial designs for Apple.
However, the release date is unclear, and it is unclear whether the iPhone SE will be released this year or in 2025. For what it’s worth, I hope Apple comes out with a new SE this year.
cheap and cheerful
We live in an era where the cost of living is soaring and smartphones show no signs of getting cheaper. At the same time, mobile phones don’t offer as much value for money as they once did, especially if you’re stuck in the Apple ecosystem.
As an iPhone 15 Pro Max user, I’m a huge supporter of Apple’s Pro iPhone. The current model offers a series of upgrades over its predecessor, making it one of the best phones overall. But to buy them, you need enough change. Even with carrier contracts, Apple’s flagship phones aren’t cheap.
The more affordable iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are both very good phones, but given their respective prices, their 60Hz displays and cameras are impressive but not over the top. Not an impressive phone. For relatively the same amount of money, you get a Samsung Galaxy S24 with three rear cameras, a 120Hz display, and lots of generative AI features.
Going by the iPhone 16 rumors so far, and it’s certainly still early days on that front, Apple’s next-generation smartphone won’t be a huge evolution compared to its predecessor. You’d expect a performance boost, but this is largely meaningless as the past few generations of iPhones have been more than capable.
We can also expect at least the iPhone 16 Pro models to come with generative AI capabilities. Otherwise, there won’t be much to differentiate the next generation iPhone from the current model. We also don’t expect prices to go down.
With that in mind, I’m hoping for a new affordable iPhone with modern design and features, as I’ll likely wait for the iPhone 17 to bring some truly novel upgrades.
Some say Apple fans will swallow whatever is presented to them. That may have been true in the past, especially when phones were able to jump a fair amount from generation to generation in terms of performance, cameras, and features.
Today, consumers are so tech-savvy that the best Android smartphones are fully featured, so there’s no need to stay within Apple’s ecosystem. So the high price and “so-so” budget options may lead people to his Android camp.
Of course, Apple’s phones are still selling like hotcakes, and there’s a lot of data showing how the iPhone 15 models sold better than their predecessors. So Apple’s fortunes won’t suddenly decline.
However, I feel there is an opportunity in the budget cell phone space that Apple can capitalize on. The powerful yet affordable iPhone could encourage more people to sign up for services like Apple Arcade, Apple Music Plus, and Apple News Plus, using the money they save on phone hardware to invest in Apple’s growth. It may be possible to invest in a suite of services that
Apple is also a mover and shaker when it comes to phone technology, so its affordable phones could help disrupt the status quo and set the standard for others to follow (though the Google Pixel a The series does it well). Introduce new non-Android competitors to the market.
Perhaps this is all wishful thinking on my part, as Apple tends to do what Apple wants and make the average consumer suffer. But I’m still figuratively crossing my fingers for this year’s new iPhone SE, which embraces Apple’s latest design language and doesn’t skimp on features. If that doesn’t happen, you’ll be looking at the Google Pixel 8a, which is rumored to be the cheapest phone of 2024.
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