Good news show , everyone ! The next version of the iPhone SE is localise to arrive sooner than expected . The latest report now lay the launch at sometime in February ( it could even be herald today , ruining this article ’s ledge life ) , rather than March or other April that ’s more usual for products that do n’t fit in Apple ’s capitulation and summer slates . Given that we ’ve been waiting since March 2022 it sense a little presumptuous to call thisearly , but lease ’s at least try out to be positive and say that our long national nightmare is almost over .
If Apple has chosen to bring forward the launch , we do n’t have to look far for reasons . One is the ship’s company ’s need to increase custom of its AI political program , which prepare it vital to get an Apple intelligence activity - ready aggregated - grocery store smartphone in store . The other is the company’sfailure to preparefor incoming EU regulation , leave in it having no budget iPhone on sale across numerous markets since the start of this yr . Apple demand the next SE , and soon .
I do wonder , though , whether Apple really grasps the importance of the SE to its mission . For one thing , up until this late injectant of urging , the Cartesian product has follow a genuinely icy rise cycle . Since the first model come out in March 2016 , almost nine years ago , Apple has managed two further manakin , neither of which have done much to evolve the form gene . I value that budget buyers are less demanding when it comes to state - of - the - art technology , but you hit a rip when a phone has a date design and then does n’t change for three year . You ca n’t take customers for granted .
Another hint to Apple ’s priorities is the likely lack of fanfare surrounding this launch . Mark Gurman , the leaker who last week predicted the phone would come out in a matter of days , says it wo n’t be uncover at an event , so we ’re probably looking at a website update and electronic mail . It does n’t quite compare to Lana Del Rey at the 2018 iPad Pro unveiling . But why would Apple trouble to generate hype for a product it does n’t consider in ?
The iPhone SE is the sort of product that Apple ’s customer like , but Apple hate . Its profit gross profit margin is scant compared to flagship iPhone models , and its more introductory design and feature film set means it has far less capacity to dazzle an owner ’s friends ( or infuriate their enemy ) and evangelise the Apple lifestyle . Cupertino is ill-famed for wanting to operate the user experience – the fact that this is decrease is due to political and regulative air pressure and is in no direction a reflection of change precedency – and a major rationality behind this is a desire to present products , even after being sold , at their very best . Apple ’s customers are its most legion and frequently most enthusiastic salespeople , and you ca n’t sell effectively if you have n’t got a top - of - the - demarcation kit .
But the technical school earth is changing , and the philosophies that have fetch Apple to this point may not serve it well in the 2d half of this decade . The days of shifting millions of expensive smartphones may be number , as the improvement become less and less worthwhile and each multiplication immix into the next . Last week I talk about Apple ’s commitment to thelong - term pivotaway from dependence on the iPhone and towards related merchandise , service , AI , and so on . But it does n’t yet seem to understand the corollary of that plan : that in the future , the number of iPhone owner will be more important than the amount of money they each paid .
The iPhone SE , like the tenth - gen iPad now and the iPod long ago , has the power of accessibility . It ’s easy to use and ( relatively ) cheap to buy , making it perfect for bringing new customer ( and unexampled markets ) into the fold and keeping be customers loyal in periods of economic precariousness . Given its many benefit , and the three - yr crack since the last model , the least Apple could do for the launching of the next SE is throw a political party .
metalworks
receive to our hebdomadary Apple Breakfast pillar , which includes all the Apple news you missed last week in a ready to hand bite - sized roundup . We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it operate great with a Monday morning cup of chocolate or tea , but it ’s cool if you require to give it a read during luncheon or dinner party hours too .
Having lose itspassion for endangerment - taking , Apple demand torus - discover its weird side .
Apple’sM3 nightmareiscoming to an close .
Can we still trust Apple?A few late eventsgive Peter Müller suspension .
Apple isdoomedbecause itcan’t see the hereafter , reckons the Macalope .
There ’s amagical iPhone featurehiding in your new Mac thatyou need to try !
Apple has launch a steel - newInvites appinfused with AI … and itInvites copycat criticism .
Applekilled the wrong Vision Pro project!Stylish chic glassesare the way forwards .
Apple parcel asecret MacBook tipthatpower user will love .
If you have anearly - gen Apple Watch , youcould be get $ 50 .
Podcast of the week
AI is all the craze , andApple Intelligenceis supposed to change how we expend our Apple devices . But has it ? We discuss this question on the latest episode of the Macworld Podcast .
you’re able to get every episode of the Macworld Podcast onSpotify , Soundcloud , thePodcasts app , orour own site .
Reviews corner
The rumor mill
A calm calendar month for once ? Here’severything we expectfrom Apple inFebruary 2025 .
Or maybe not so calm . Thenew iPhone SE launchmight bejust days away …
Forget the M4 , theM5 iPad Pro and Macsareon raceway for releasethis yr .
Applereportedly endsits Mac - connectedAugmented realism glassesproject .
Software updates, bugs, and problems
I invite theworst iPhone text cozenage ever . Thanks , Apple !
Hackers areusing AI to attack your Macand it’sonly survive to get worse .
Apple rolls outmysterious iOS updatefor asingle iPhone model .
