Apple began accepting preorders for the 5G iPhone SE on Friday, March 11. Sales of the handset appear brisk despite the $30 price increase. Shipping times for some configurations have already slipped into late March.
Reviews Call It a ‘Tired’ Design, Yet iPhone SE Sells Well
Even though the latest iPhone SE won’t reach consumers until March 18 (at the earliest), some reviews of the handset are already published. One reviewer called the device a “modern phone stuck in yesterday’s design” (via The Verge). The review praised the new iPhone SE for its improved performance, but took issue with the small screen size and thick bezels.
Engadget and CNET echoed both the good and bad about the latest device. CNET even calls Touch ID on the iPhone SE better than Face ID in some circumstances. Both agreed, however, that this should probably be the last year Apple maintains the current iPhone SE form factor.
Even so, the slipping delivery times point to favorable reception from consumers, which is what truly matters. Even though Foxconn’s Shenzhen iPhone assembly plant is closed due to a new COVID-19 lockdown, it’s unlikely that situation is affecting iPhone SE deliveries yet. After all, Foxconn shifted more production to other facilities.
New Device Deliveries Fall to the End of March
The Apple Store now shows the iPhone SE arriving March 29, or a day earlier for an $8 shipping charge. That shipping time applies to all configurations of the handset. Retail locations should have the handset in their inventories March 18, but those may only be in limited quantities.
Of course, it’s possible that the Cupertino-based company kept production to a minimum, resulting in the shipping delays. Regardless, the fact that shipping delays exist at all goes to show that consumers are still happy to purchase a smartphone with the same 5-year-old design.
Perhaps the recent the COVID surge in China with operations suspended at the Shenzhen factory.
I discussed that, Lee. Foxconn moved most iPhone production to other factories, and Shenzhen is only minimally responsible for iPhone assembly.