Marco Arment

If the iPhone 17 line... If the iPhone 17 family. Yes, right. If the iPhone 17 family has more entrants in the Apple C modem lineage, I don't know, whatever. This is big. As we mentioned in the past, there's a huge amount of risk associated with Apple making their own cell modem. There are substantial benefits they could reap from it. So we'll see how this goes.

If the iPhone 17 line... If the iPhone 17 family. Yes, right. If the iPhone 17 family has more entrants in the Apple C modem lineage, I don't know, whatever. This is big. As we mentioned in the past, there's a huge amount of risk associated with Apple making their own cell modem. There are substantial benefits they could reap from it. So we'll see how this goes.

But that, to me, that's the story of the day.

But that, to me, that's the story of the day.

I would think that would be integrated into, like, you know, the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radio stack, too. Like, I don't know.

I would think that would be integrated into, like, you know, the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radio stack, too. Like, I don't know.

Well, I think it makes sense. When you look at all the other things that the SE line, which I guess is now the E line, maybe their S key stopped working. No, it's a 16 family. There is no SE line anymore. Right. Anyway, when you look at what these phones have lacked...

Well, I think it makes sense. When you look at all the other things that the SE line, which I guess is now the E line, maybe their S key stopped working. No, it's a 16 family. There is no SE line anymore. Right. Anyway, when you look at what these phones have lacked...

A lot of it is just like, what are some things that we can cut that the kind of casual, budget, or non-caring user doesn't care about and is unlikely to use or unlikely to miss if it's not there? And so, you know, there's other things like MagSafe charging missing. We'll get to that. Yeah, I think that's weird. But I think if you... What'll be interesting about this phone is...

A lot of it is just like, what are some things that we can cut that the kind of casual, budget, or non-caring user doesn't care about and is unlikely to use or unlikely to miss if it's not there? And so, you know, there's other things like MagSafe charging missing. We'll get to that. Yeah, I think that's weird. But I think if you... What'll be interesting about this phone is...

I think Apple does not yet have a great idea of who is buying this phone because what the SE has been purchased for before, which this is replacing, I know it's not part of the SE family, John, but what this is replacing is a phone line in the SE that was basically, I want to hold on to the old style of phone because I don't want to change. And that has meant in the past, it meant a small phone.

I think Apple does not yet have a great idea of who is buying this phone because what the SE has been purchased for before, which this is replacing, I know it's not part of the SE family, John, but what this is replacing is a phone line in the SE that was basically, I want to hold on to the old style of phone because I don't want to change. And that has meant in the past, it meant a small phone.

It meant touch ID instead of face ID and the home button instead of the swipe up. A lot of people who were buying the SE before were buying it because they wanted to hold on to those old ways of the phone working. This phone looks and works just like all the new phones. It's the same size as all the new phones, roughly. So...

It meant touch ID instead of face ID and the home button instead of the swipe up. A lot of people who were buying the SE before were buying it because they wanted to hold on to those old ways of the phone working. This phone looks and works just like all the new phones. It's the same size as all the new phones, roughly. So...

I don't know that Apple necessarily has a good idea of who's going to buy this. So they're going to find out. And so what we see now is basically for people who want to cut another $100 off the price from their other lowest end option, which is not the 16, but is actually the 15, which is still for sale. The N-1 base model phone, Apple still sells that typically.

I don't know that Apple necessarily has a good idea of who's going to buy this. So they're going to find out. And so what we see now is basically for people who want to cut another $100 off the price from their other lowest end option, which is not the 16, but is actually the 15, which is still for sale. The N-1 base model phone, Apple still sells that typically.

In some markets, they even go N-2, I think. I don't know if they still do that, but they did.

In some markets, they even go N-2, I think. I don't know if they still do that, but they did.

Right. But right now the phone lineup is you have this at the bottom, $600. For $700, you have last year's iPhone 15 model, or like a year and a half ago, iPhone 15 model. Then for $800, you have the new baseline iPhone 16 and so on. So you have every $100, you have these increments.

Right. But right now the phone lineup is you have this at the bottom, $600. For $700, you have last year's iPhone 15 model, or like a year and a half ago, iPhone 15 model. Then for $800, you have the new baseline iPhone 16 and so on. So you have every $100, you have these increments.