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The original iPhone SE (2016) is still the most powerful small smartphone ever made.

Here's everything released since 2015 that's SE size or smaller: https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2015&nHeightM...

This SE, and the previous one, are significantly larger. The iPhone 13 Mini is closer to original SE size but still larger (around 8mm longer and 6mm wider).

Currently using the original SE and I'm quite happy with it; as a device it still performs decently too. I don't need more than that for my use so I'm going to hold onto it till it dies out. One issue I've had with the small size is that a lot of websites are not rendering properly with this screen size and make the assumption that my phone's size is larger. It's not the device's problem the websites are broken but it's quite telling that the whole industry moved on to phablets.

A teenager nephew saw my SE recently and he held himself from laughing at it. I take pride in using an old phone.

I wish I still had my first-gen SE, because it actually fit in my small hands, and its nice solid rectangular body made it easy to hold and hard to drop. The home button on that unit was starting to give out after 4 years of heavy service and I didn't want to spend the money for an out-of-warranty repair.

Unfortunately the Gen 2 is also mostly "non-repairable"; I had to get a total phone replacement for something as simple as a dying Thunderbolt port. According to the person at the Genius Bar, the 12 Mini is much more repairable, more like the first-gen SE in terms of its internals.

This SE Gen 3 still has the rounded/slim iPhone 6 body style, so I would expect it to be equally non-repairable. So all things equal, I would still go for the 12 Mini over the SE Gen 2 if I could make the choice over again.

I didn't upgrade my original style iPhone SE until the iPhone 12 Mini came out. It's a little bit larger but still manageable, unlike most other phones that come out these days. No headphone jack though sadly.
I'm kicking myself that when I bought the original SE in 2016 I opted for the smallest memory size. 16GB is just not enough any more, with the size of apps and OS constantly increasing. I'm seriously tempted to buy a used one with a bigger memory card, but am worried about end of life for OS upgrades.
It's also the hardest to compute on. The screen real estate is truly just not enough.

It's from an era where we didn't run our lives and businesses on our phones.

About 70% of all website visits come from mobile phones: https://www.perficient.com/insights/research-hub/mobile-vs-d...

The world has changed a lot since the original iPhone 4 and 5 form factor hit the scene.

What abouy my Jelly2? https://www.unihertz.com/products/jelly-2
I suppose it depends on your definition of small and powerful. My phone is smaller in width and height than the SE (which is what your gsm arena filters on), but has a larger volume due to being twice as thick and weighs 3g less.

With 6GB of ram and a 8-core (4 big + 4 little) 2GHz MediaTek CPU, it's more powerful than the dual core A9. On the other-hand its 480x854 screen is much lower resolution.

I agree. I'm an iOS developer (and Apple developer of 20 years) and I'm still using one.
Yep. I don't care if the new one is "only half an inch" bigger than the old SE. That's still half an inch too big. Apple absolutely nailed it with the original SE dimensions, and I will never upgrade until they make another.
Once it was clear that Google was totally done releasing phones that fit in my pocket, I upgraded my Pixel 3 to a 13 mini. It's an amazing phone. Not as small as the OG SE, but I'm not sure I'd want it any smaller.
My 12 Mini has been a brilliant replacement to my original SE. Easily the best iPhone I've ever owned.

The quick detour to the XS just made me angry. I hate the big phone trend (can you call it a trend when its the default now?)

On one hand, I actually grew to love the current size of iPhones, 13 feels just right. On the other hand, touch id worked so much better for me. Not only with masks in public, but also the fact that I unlocked my phone as I took it out of my pocket and it was unlocked when it was in front of me. Seems like such a small difference but I still miss that convenience. Now with this phone, it's hard to tell which I care about more.
I have had no real issues with Face ID. The Apple Watch integration for masks was great and gave me haptic feedback whenever my watch unlocked it, and the new (beta?) feature allowing it to work without a watch works from the get go >90% of times, with the other 10% asking me to look down so it can better map out the eyes.

In fact, my iPad Mini is the only device that is Touch ID only and I find I expect it to be unlocked by just looking at it, and always have to remember to tap the power button.

Indeed the UX of grabbing your phone and it's unlocked in one step is a superior UX. Face ID is three steps.

As a UX professional I strive for the simplest UX(less is more). Maybe Apple doesn't strive for the same thing in this regards?

I do hope they add Touch ID back to all their phones someday.. fingers crossed!

If I needed a new phone I'd probably get this - will get 5+ years of security updates, and does everything else ok.
My mom uses an old iPhone 5, and is only giving it up this year because the carrier will no longer support 3G. I am glad the new SE phone is available ... the button and small form factor are really important for her.
This is definitely not for me. In 2022, having LCD display, huge bars and just one camera, when Android phones give me for the same price much better display and cameras, not worth the money.

But it's fine, if I was in the business of buying a new phone and wanted a discount, I would buy an old iPhone XS or 11 Pro or something. I have XS and the speed is great, I care more about screen and cameras than CPU speed. (Which is good enough anyway.)

If someone wants this, good for them I guess.

Pretty sure that's a lightning port on the bottom unfortunately. Waiting for usb-c like the ipads
What's the camera like on this one? I owned the last-gen SE and it's camera was the main reason that I upgraded to the 13 Mini. It was truly awful -- it made my Pixel 2 XL's camera seem WAY, WAY better than what the SE had.

Looking at the press release, I don't see anything about any "new" camera tech. The lens looks pretty similar too. Is anybody able to confirm if this is the same camera as the last gen model?

if anyone knows good android alternatives for a smaller smartphone (something like sony xperia compact series) I'd love to hear about it.

Currently, it seems like the iphone SE is alone in the segment?

Oh, I want this. I "upgraded" from an iPhone 8 to an iPhone 12 two years ago and dislike almost everything new about the 12 -- the size (too large), FaceID (never as reliable as pressing the fingerprint button was). iPhone 8, but faster and with better battery life? Lovely.
I wish they just include a modern Touch ID in their latest phones that's what keeps me away from the latest and almost greatest. Love to have a better camera but it's Touch ID or nothing!

I bought the X and loathed the unlock UX especially if you ever might need to use your phone in the car.

Rounded sides are no bueno. But I do miss the fingerprint reader in the "better" models.
Still not small enough. The 1st gen SE was perfect in size and easy to grip. The iPhone 13 mini is smaller but still easily falls out of my hand if I'm not paying attention. Alas, we live in the age of phablets.
I don't suppose there's any reason to expect a price cut on the 13 minis someday, is there?
I still use a 6S and was wanting to get an SE, but was worried about the 5G thing. This is such welcome news. My mom has an SE (not sure what year) and it is really nice.

My 6S has held up really well. My boyfriend and I lived at campgrounds for the spring/summer of 2021 and during all this, I would use my phone's hotspot as a mobile router for my laptop/ps4, and had it plugged into a portable power bank all day, and that really killed my battery. Not a good idea. A bit of a non-standard use. While my battery life is quite terrible, it never ceases to amaze me that it is still so usable, that it still gets updates, and it's not terribly laggy (it is better compared to my boyfriend's LG Stylo 4 which he got in 2020 and is kind of a mess despite being a beast; tbf he's lost that thing 3x and it's survived things no phone should). I carry a small battery bank with me if I will be out for more than a couple hours so I am not without a phone, but I know it is a bit silly. I've considered switching to android because of cheaper options, but the longevity thing really has me thinking I want to stay with apple. I will miss the headphone jack, though.

For anyone ctrl+f'ing headphone jack / 3.5mm: it doesn't have one.
The 2nd gen SE is a nice phone, but battery life is terrible. Couldn't find any numbers, has this improved?
I've been using my iPhone 5 since 2013. I get comments every single day from people who absolutely love it and want to know what model it is. I'm convinced it's the single best product Apple has ever made. Until another true 4 inch screen iPhone exists, this will be it for me.
Where is it assembled? I prefer to buy products made in democracies rather than those made by the red party.
Could someone confirm it has the U1 chip needed for Airtag precision find?
If there any confirmation on if this new version is compatible with no sim card? One of the things I enjoy about the pixel budget phones is that it's simless but I was thinking of switching.
Another mini iPhone with premium features, and still the Android ecosystem doesn't have a comparable size/features competitor although there are dozens of manufacturers.
Excellent! A worth successor to my iPhone 7. I'm happy that they offer a model with only a single camera, as I was scared that I would eventually be forced to upgrade to a model with three cameras, which would be a complete waste for me.
I want the original SE back with better specs. All this other SE not really SE in my mind. Just an imitation :)
This phone includes many user-hostile design choices. These show that Apple continues to put profit over UX and the environment. :(

- Glass on the back

- Missing no lip to protect the camera and screen when the phone is dropped or placed on on a surface with abrasive particles. Even worse, the camera and screen actually protrude from the case, increasing the chance of damage.

- The edges are not shock-absorbing

- The finish is slippery

Is this still 16:9? Or has it gone the ultra-narrow aspect ratio of all the other phones?
I wish my fingers weren't so fat :(
How does it compare to iPhone 13 Mini?
So, to summarize: perfect size for one handed operation; Physical button is also a fingerprint reader (but i don't see the confirmation everywhere, only on some sites). No 3.5 jack (sigh).

I am still a very content user of 2nd gen SE. Thanks to the controversy with purposeful "slowing down" of aging phones, i was able to get a discounted battery replacement a few years back. So, my phone is holding up very well!

But if it does break - i guess I'll be getting this one instead of 'smallish' Pixel.

Interesting to me to see how few upvotes this has gotten in one hour (10). Perhaps not so popular HN? Which is surprising, because I feel like before the relaunch many people complained it didn't exist and wanted it.
Could the mods please consider grouping up all these announcement threads? We really don't need separate ones for every individual thing. Looking at the guidelines as well, these are more promotional and marketing in nature than something that "gratifies one's intellectual curiosity."
Too big. Too expensive.
If only it had android
My iPhone 7 Plus has the same specs. Literally. https://www.apple.com/iphone/compare/?modelList=iphone7plus,...
Giant bezels, no USB, and a physical button? Feels very outdated compared to the rest of the lineup announced today.
Wow, the home button reappears! Love this.

On my iPhoneX I've had the touch screen get into a frozen state so many times and there is no way to unlock or dismiss apps. And then there's the face ID unlock issue when you're wearing a mask or not looking right at the screen... which is better solved with thumbprint unlock.

I get that you lose screen real estate with bringing back the home button but I think it's the right call.