Apple now only sells iPhone models with big screens, in 6.1-inch, 6.7-inch, and 6.9-inch sizes, after discontinuing the 4.7-inch iPhone SE
Hartley Charlton / MacRumors :
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple’s 2016 SE preserved a compact, lower-cost iPhone option, while the company’s 2020 refresh replaced the iPhone 8 family with another 4.7-inch model. The latest discontinuation closes that product line rather than updating it again.
The move also completes a screen-size consolidation anticipated in coverage of a lineup centered on 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch iPhones. At the same time, Apple’s replacement entry point is higher priced: the iPhone 16e starts at $599, versus the SE’s $429 starting price.
First-order effects
- Buyers seeking a current small iPhone or the former $429 entry point must choose a larger, more expensive model or leave Apple’s current lineup.
- Apple simplifies its iPhone range around 6.1-, 6.7-, and 6.9-inch displays, ending the compact form factor that began with the 4-inch iPhone SE.
Second-order effects
- The higher entry price and minimum screen size narrow Apple’s appeal for price-sensitive and one-hand-use buyers, creating a clearer opening for Android vendors that retain smaller or lower-cost options.
- Retailers and accessory makers can concentrate current iPhone inventory and cases around fewer size classes, while remaining SE stock becomes a legacy-support category.
Third-order effects
- If Apple maintains this lineup structure, screen size becomes less of a segmentation lever than price, cameras, and other model-tier features within a uniformly large-phone portfolio.
- The change reinforces smartphone premiumization: entry-level buyers may face fewer new-device choices as vendors consolidate hardware designs and raise the floor of their flagship ecosystems.
The trend: Apple’s retirement of the 4.7-inch SE is another step in the industry’s consolidation around larger displays and higher-priced entry devices.