phones

Why did people love the original iPhone SE & what do they hope to see from its successor?

Guy Hall • January 14, 2020

2020 has only just begun, and yet there’s already been some interesting news for all you Apple lovers out there. Steve Hemmerstoffer, aka OnLeaks, has kicked off the year by leaking some renders, and specs, of Apple’s latest attempt at a “budget” device. This device, commonly being referred to as iPhone SE 2 or iPhone 9, has been highly anticipated for some time now due to its rumored $399 price tag.

Since the original iPhone SE was wildly popular with the Ting community, we thought that this was the perfect opportunity to look back at what made iPhone SE so popular, and what we hope to see from its successor. 

The popular iPhone SE

Released back in March of 2016, iPhone SE is by far the most popular Apple device amongst the Ting community. With a height of just 4.87 inches and a width of only 2.31 inches, this device was drastically smaller than the newer models, which are now over 5.5 inches tall and 2.7 inches wide. 

It was the last iPhone to have a headphone jack, a feature that is sorely missed by many. The SE also came with a Touch ID fingerprint scanner, which was discontinued after iPhone 8. What made iPhone SE particularly unique, however, was the price. When it was first released it cost between $399 and $449, depending on whether you went for the 16GB or 64GB model.

Why was the iPhone SE such a hit?

When we decided to write this article, we reached out to our followers on Facebook and Twitter to find out why they loved this particular device so much. Unsurprisingly, we got the same answers from lots of different people. Our community pointed to three key things as the source of their adoration: the price, the size and the headphone jack. 

Ting customers tend to be a frugal bunch who want to get the most for their money. As a matter of fact, it tends to be what makes them Ting customers, since you only pay for what you use with Ting and our average bill is just $23 per month. So it’s no surprise that this lower price point appealed to them. But aside from that shameless plug, if you were an Apple fan in 2016, without a big budget to blow, the SE was the phone for you.

Another thing people loved about this phone was the size. As we have mentioned, this device was smaller than the phones that Apple has subsequently released, which helped it to stand out from the pack. The SE was easy to use with one hand, and not everybody wants or needs a big screen. Many people, including some of us here at the office as well as a lot of Ting customers, chose iPhone SE predominantly because of its smaller size and ease of use.

Last, but not least, its popularity stemmed from the fact that the SE had a headphone jack. This meant that you could continue to use your favorite pair of headphones, without having to buy one of those all too easy to lose dongles. Compared to the price and the size, the device’s headphone jack may seem like a less compelling reason for purchase, and it probably is. This said, let’s not forget how many people, ourselves included, love wired headphones and having the ability to listen to music whilst simultaneously charging your device. 

What are people hoping for from Apple’s new “budget” device?

It will come as no surprise that when we asked people what we were hoping to see from the new device, these same criteria came up.

Aside from these, the Ting community wasn’t too demanding. They simply wanted what anyone might expect from a successor to a phone that was released around four years ago: a “nice enough” performance upgrade, a better camera and improved battery. Nothing too extravagant. 

So, to summarise, people are hoping for the same smaller device, with a headphone jack, a similar price tag and some spec updates.

So… what do you think?

Are you excited for Apple to release an updated “budget” device? Do you think it will be good enough to make you part with your hard-earned cash? Let us know in the comments below.

When the device is released, it’s likely that it’ll be available at ting.com/shop but if you can’t wait that long, there might be something else that strikes your fancy.

What’s in store?

In the Ting shop you’ll find everything from good ol’ flip phones to the latest iPhone and Android phones.

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