Opinion: Apple has shown complete arrogance by keeping the same dated iPhone SE design. Reports of lower than expected sales should be a wake up call
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When the iPhone 6 was announced way back in 2014, initial reactions were overwhelmingly positive, however reviewers were also quick to comment on the large bezels around the display, especially when compared to flagship Android phones available at the time.
Now imagine, 8 years later, releasing a phone with a near identical design that might as well belong in the stone age, expecting millions of consumers to line up just because you’ve added 5G and slapped the Apple logo on the back.
Of course, I’m being slightly hyperbolic. However, following reports of lower than expected demand for the new iPhone SE 2022, I’m struggling to find any sympathy for Apple. In fact, I’d go as far to say they fully deserve it. If this isn’t a major wake up call for the Cupertino giant, I don’t know what is.
Although advertised as a budget phone, let’s not forget £419.00 / $429.00 is still a considerable amount of money. Furthermore, when you have a choice from competing phones with modern designs and similar internals, it’s difficult to understand why someone will choose the iPhone SE, except maybe because they dislike Android (a very valid reason).
Take, for example, the new Samsung Galaxy A53. It’s priced around the same at £399 / $449. You still get 5G and good specs, however you also get a sleek, modern design, with no notch, minimal bezels and a large 6.5 inch display. Put that side by side with the new iPhone SE, with its small 4.7 inch display and monstrous bezels - you might as well be comparing a child’s toy. Although there is a market for small phones, it's minuscule and dying - Apple have cut production for the iPhone 13 mini because of lack of demand, and reports say the mini will be axed for the iPhone 14.
A common argument for the dated design is merely a cost saving measure, allowing Apple to use the same tooling created many years ago. But is this really an excuse, particularly for a company which has reached a $3 trillion market cap? There’s being greedy, and then there’s being greedy.
Apple has shown complete arrogance by keeping the same design since the first iPhone SE in 2016. Hopefully, lower than expected sales should teach them a very good lesson - not just for future iPhone SE models, but for their whole product lineup. Rehashing the same design for years is unacceptable.