The iPhone SE was the last stand of a dead philosophy - the one-handed phone.
To Steve Jobs, it was absolutely essential that all of the core functions of the iPhone could be performed with one hand. That requirement dictated large parts of the iPhone's design and the UX principles of iOS. One-handed operation formed a key part of the marketing of the iPhone 5.
The one-handed phone represents the phone as a means to an end rather than an end itself. You make a quick call to your partner while holding the baby, you check your shopping list while pushing a grocery cart, you send a text while holding a beer. The one-handed phone does a job, then gets out of your way. It's never the total focus of your attention.
Bigger phones are obviously better for intensive use. If you sit an iPhone SE and an iPhone X side-by-side, the iPhone 5 seems comically tiny. It's lousy for web browsing, it's lousy for reading e-books, it's lousy for watching movies. It seems like a relic from a different age. That's because it is - it's a relic from an age when a smartphone was a smart phone, rather than a pocket computer. Rightly or wrongly, there's no turning back from here.
I wouldn't call it a dead philosophy, just a marginalized one. There are still plenty of people around who treat their phone as a means to an end. Frankly, the new philosophy of hardware makers trying to get phones to take over people's lives is a morally bankrupt one.
I'm reminded of Star Trek and the way technology is depicted on the show. Most episodes are about people (human or alien) and their relationships to one another. Technology is only a means to an end on Star Trek.
One episode stands out, however: The Game [1]. In this episode, nearly the entire Enterprise comes under the thrall of an addictive video game. The ship would've been lost if not for the efforts of an intrepid pair of youngsters. It's an interesting inversion of the usual trope that the older generation is the one warning against the dangers of a new form of entertainment.
But I digress. I brought up Star Trek because I think the show makes a very important point: humans matter, technology is just a tool. When technology starts to matter too much, humans suffer.
+1, this comment is spot on. I'd also add, it feels both more useful yet not utilitarian.
When I first saw the iPhone 6 the design struck me as lousy. It feels great in the hand and the hardware is top-notch, but it definitely felt like a phone they could build easily, while knowing you're most likely going to put a case on it-- quite utilitarian. On the other hand, after the iPhone 4 I had no idea how Apple would outdo its hardware design, but the iPhone 5 with its chamfered edges and unibody enclosure is, IMO one of if not the best Apple ever had. I'm happy that design was inherited in the SE.
In the sense of usability though, in spite of the utilitarian design new iPhones have lost both the headphone jack and TouchID! Moreover, they're too big to use with one hand. In that sense, the SE still feels more "useful", and it's why I keep mine around.
I do like having a /slightly/ larger screen for those tasks. Without going to a full tablet or laptop I feel that something vaguely the size of a Pixel 1 is perfect for viewing. However I'd still like an input mode where I can use functionality from either edge with one thumb. For me a mobile is mostly a media /consumption/ device and also a method of making a quick voice call or dictating (speech to text) a reply that can't wait until I get to a real terminal.
The next logical steps up for screen-size feel like 8 inches for a small tablet and about 12-13 for a full tablet or small laptop, and are both too big for mobiles; I feel like having an input mode that allows one-handed use would serve most of the market that does want a smaller device. The hold outs would prefer the smaller device for a combination of fit inside of other things and weight.
I can use the iPhone X with one hand (and do, most often, even when I have the other hand free) and I have pretty small hands, so I'm not sure why it's considered a phone in the "post-one-hand" era.
The comfortable one-handed operation is my top reason, I'm a pretty active person and a phone that I can comfortably use with one hand (and also easily stow in and remove from the front pockets on my jeans) is much more useful to me than a phone that I cannot. I also enjoy the headphone jack which allows me to use any pair of conventional headphones, without requiring an adapter. Finally, the square edges (in contrast to rounded) make the phone a great bottle opener.
I liked the size. The only thing I want is for them to extend the display to be close to or totally without bezel. I’ll probably pick this up to be my international travel/backup phone (now that Google Fi officially supports iOS).
The specs are sadly dated but I’m still running an iPhone 7 and the SE isn’t that far behind hardware-wise. For my use cases (some productivity software, maps, music, and chat) I have zero need for newer hardware any time soon. I have a full fledged computer if I really need something fast. And the 128GB option is only $50 more which isn’t bad.
Also, I like the audio jack. I do miss that on my 7 (and, consequently, newer devices).
Finally, there may be size wise comparable android phones but I’m not in that ecosystem. I’ve tried (using a couple Nexus devices for a year each in the past). There are too many things I like better in iOS or apps that didn’t have a direct port and whose equivalent wasn’t really equal.
Personally, I want to deliberately make it difficult to spend my life looking at my phone, but still have a tool to use to look at maps, navigate, etc.
Size. Great for one-hand operations. Easily fits on pockets or anywhere. Apple Pay & Touch ID. A9 chip. Relatively disposable. Got it for $99 at Walmart, 32 GB version. Screen size is not as important for me.
The jack. Also the iPhone 6 was bigger and the rounded edges and corners introduced a bend/crack hazard, so in a back pocket, sitting down, there was enough leverage across the larger size to introduce force that bends it in the middle, cracking the screen.
So, the iPhone 5 appeals to people who want a small, durable, fully featured smart phone, with a normal headphone jack. The iPhone 6 and up all have bigger screens, but 6 is the last version with a headphone jack, and it is definitely less computationally powerful and measurably slower than everything after it.
At the time I got it, I wanted to move to iOS. I couldn't afford the flagship 6S (even with monthly payments) and I heard rumors that they were going to make a 5s with 6S internals. It was still expensive to me at the time (at $500 for 64GB) and I was pissed when a 128GB model came for $400, but I'm very happy with it.
Having used it now for 3 years, I've really enjoyed it. It's small, sure, but it works so well in one hand. It's also incredibly powerful. It's amazing just how many high end apps you can run without issue.
Right now, I'm not sure what I'll do next. I got annoyed with the iPhone X's direction and anticipated that I'd keep it until the battery dies at which point I'd replace battery and keep it until either the updates stop or the atoms give up. Now, I'm not sure. It's starting to show its age (slightly) even with the new battery. As much as I enjoy the form factor, I wanna look into the future. It would be great if they shoved XS specs (including cameras, OLED and 3D touch) into an SE-like body, but that isn't gonna happen.
Own 5ea. May buy more. The only thing holding me back was the band 12 capability but it appears that's now included and 128GB is a nice bit of storage.
I can carry it around in my pocket during the day, it fits in my shorts pocket when I run, does everything I want from a phone and doesn't feel 'cheap'.
Even with an otter-box it still fits in a pocket and can take a beating.
Because the form factor is just about perfect. Large enough that there's plenty of screen space, and small enough that you can comfortably use it with one hand.
I prefer using other devices for videos/gaming/etc.
For something to listen to music, order a car, view maps, communicate or browse a web page it’s really perfect. Fits in a pocket and can be used with one hand.
I have, I think, relatively large hands (I'm a 5'11" cis guy / I can comfortably play a 9th on a piano and uncomfortably play a 10th) and I still find the SE as large as I can manage. I want to be able to hold the phone in one hand and reach everything with my thumb. I can't do that on the 6 or anything larger. (I'd prefer the iPhone 4 form factor, with one fewer row of icons, if possible.)
A couple years ago they called large phones "phablets." We've lost that word now.
> A couple years ago they called large phones "phablets." We've lost that word now.
The correct term is tablone <grin>.
I loved my SE until I bricked it jumping in our local pool not feeling it was still in my pocket — one of the downsides not yet mentioned. I brought my previous Nexus 6 out of retirement since there aren't any phones, Android or iPhone, that is worth new pricing right now.
Plus, I demand a 3.5mm headphone jack — dropping that was the most annoying design choice I can remember in a long time, in any consumer device.
Personally, its price. I would never buy an Android and I don't want to pay full price to own an iPhone. It sucks that you've got to be wealthy to have privacy and security. The small screen blows, though. (That's not to say I like big screens, but 4.7" would be so much better...)
