Thoughts on iPhone SE: An iPhone 6s in an iPhone 5s body

There is no doubt that some people prefer a 4-inch iPhone over the larger iPhone 6s introduced last year. However, if you wanted the power of the newest version, you had to give up the more compact design… until now.

At the event on Monday, Apple introduced the iPhone SE, which essentially puts all of the power of the iPhone 6s into the body of an iPhone 5s. Like many people, I loved the 5s design—so much that I had a hard time switching to the iPhone 6 when it was first introduced.

The iPhone SE

The iPhone SE

Among many other technological enhancements, the iPhone 6 generation had the larger screen, which was wonderful for my aging eyes, but there was still something about the iPhone 5s design that appealed to me.

Looking back, I think it was the ease with which the iPhone 5s fit into your hands. It was easy to use with one hand, especially if you had small hands, but I think that’s something everyone really liked.

I do think Apple was right to move to the larger display beginning with the iPhone 6, but swinging back around to capture a market that’s so significant is a great move for the company.

In introducing the iPhone SE, Apple Vice President, Greg Joswiak noted that Apple sold more than 30 million 4-inch iPhones last year. Think about that. Most companies would love to sell that many of their flagship phone and Apple sells that many for a product two years old.

That is why the iPhone SE is so significant. While many clamored for a larger screen iPhone, there were still a significant number of people that wanted a smaller iPhone model. Apple obliged by continuing to sell the older model, but you had to compromise in terms of the technology in the devices.

If the smaller form factor appeals to you, there is good news. You don’t have to give up all of the great technological features that others get when they upgrade to the newest iPhone model. Now you can get the features and the size you want.

“iPhone SE is an exciting new idea — we started with a beloved, iconic design and reinvented it from the inside out. The result is the most beautiful and powerful phone with a four-inch display in the world,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “iPhone SE is packed with a stunning four-inch Retina display, advanced 64-bit A9 chip with M9 motion co-processor, longer battery life, 12-megapixel iSight camera with True Tone flash, Live Photos, 4K video, faster LTE and Wi-Fi, and Touch ID with Apple Pay. Everyone who wants a smaller phone is going to love iPhone SE.”

I had some time to play around with the iPhone SE after the event and it really brought me back to why I loved the iPhone 5s so much. It felt good in my hand—it was like welcoming back an old friend. Albeit, a more powerful friend.

The new iPhone SE is going to sell very well. It has everything that a lot of Apple customers, and customers from other brands, are looking for—A powerful iPhone, with the newest technology, in a 4-inch form factor.

Boom.

No compromises.

Done.