Apple reportedly slashing iPhone SE production by 20% due to low demand

[midian182]

TL;DR: Are people done with the iPhone SE's aging design and comparatively small size? According to a new report, Apple has slashed production for the third-generation SE handset in the face of low demand, which is being partly blamed on rising inflation and uncertainty following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

According to a report from Nikkei Asia (via MacRumors), Apple has asked its suppliers to cut production of the iPhone SE 2022 for this quarter by as much as two to three million units, a reduction of around 20%.

Seemingly backing up the report is Ming-Cho Kuo. The renowned Apple analyst tweeted that while the Shanghai Covid lockdowns (read more about those here) won't impact iPhone SE production, demand is lower than expected. Kuo has also cut his shipment estimation for 2022 from 25 million - 30 million to 15 million - 30 million.

Shanghai lockdown doesn't affect the iPhone SE production. However, the new iPhone SE demand is lower than expected (the delivery status "in stock" as one of the proofs), and I cut my shipment estimation in 2022 to 15-20M (vs. 25-30M previously).

— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) March 28, 2022

Kuo notes that one sign people aren't rushing out to buy the new iPhone SE is that the handset is in stock on Apple's website. Whether you purchase one in Midnight, Starlight, or (Product) Red colors and with 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB of storage, all are available to pick up today or for delivery tomorrow, suggesting an abundance of units.

The 3rd-gen iPhone SE uses the same iPhone 8-style 4.7-inch form factor as the previous models but offers 5G connectivity and an A15 Bionic SoC. It's also the only modern iPhone to still use a physical Home Button and Touch ID. Apple added $30 to the price of the base model, bringing it to $430.

The iPhone SE reviews have been good—it averages a score of 81—though that small and outdated design has been a point of contention among many.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/93949-apple-reportedly-slashing-iphone-se-production-20-due.html

 

[Dimitriid]

I wonder which device has low demand? SE might just not be a popular device but last I remember it seems to be so I'm thinking, maybe the low demand is for the Pro and Max tiers so they want to increase the demand for those devices by clamping down the available se models in hopes at least some folks go "Oh...Well give me the Pro then"

 

[Squid Surprise]

I wonder which device has low demand? SE might just not be a popular device but last I remember it seems to be so I'm thinking, maybe the low demand is for the Pro and Max tiers so they want to increase the demand for those devices by clamping down the available se models in hopes at least some folks go "Oh...Well give me the Pro then"

The Pro and Max versions are selling like hotcakes...

 

[defaultluser]

There's only so many iOS Mini buyers left to entice (and they are cheap, so they are waiting for a much larger jump, like the A9 to A13 we saw with the second gen!)

If you could run Android, I would have bought one ages ago - but I'm not going to take a retarded OS downgrade just to have the best mini phone money can buy!

 

[netman]

"which is being partly blamed on rising inflation and uncertainty following Russia's invasion of Ukraine."________ No, the reason is the thick antique bezel on the top and bottom of the screen...!

 

[Alsotrue]

Next time put it in an iPhone 11 body and it will sell just fine.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

There's only so many iOS Mini buyers left to entice (and they are cheap, so they are waiting for a much larger jump, like the A9 to A13 we saw with the second gen!)

If you could run Android, I would have bought one ages ago - but I'm not going to take a retarded OS downgrade just to have the best mini phone money can buy!

yuuuuup. I'm not giving up my emulators or my wifi analyzers just so apple can claim 30% app revenue. Oh, and I'm not giving up my 5000+ MaH batteries either.

 

[psycros]

Imagine thinking that a reliable, always-there button is the cause of a phone not being popular.

 

[antiproduct]

Maybe they should make an SE Plus, since I'd probably want one if I could get one the same size as my 6S Plus.

 

[Phaetos]

Wait, didn't they do this for the last generation of the SE and Mini?

 

[Watzupken]

In my opinion, the low demand is not unexpected. Considering the fact that the iPhone 13 Mini was rumoured to be selling below expectations, I don’t see why the SE will fare better. The truth is that most people buying the Mini or SE tend not to change their phone often, which is one of the reasons why they chose the cheaper iPhones knowing that they will be some compromises. The other reason is probably the size which some people prefers.

 

[CrazyDave]

I have an SE 2 and it will be used right until it dies or goes out of support, so it likely has another 3-4 years of life ahead it. I personally, prefer having the physical button and I find the size perfect, almost exactly the same as the iPhone 7 I had before.

Everything you say is a negative, is a positive in my book.

 

[sorten]

If I needed to replace my iPhone 7, it's the phone I'd choose. But the only thing that would get me to buy right now would be if someone convinced me that running on the powerful new A15 would make Apple's predictive typing as good as it was on the Windows Phone that I owned 6 years ago.

 

[Aaron Fox]

If you could run Android, I would have bought one ages ago - but I'm not going to take a retarded OS downgrade just to have the best mini phone money can buy!

iOS is infuriatingly substandard in a variety of ways but I hated Android more.

It would be nice to have real competition in the phone OS space.