Author: Gong Jinhui
In the early hours of yesterday morning, the 2022 Apple Spring New Product Launch Conference arrived as scheduled, bringing a new iPhone SE equipped with 5G functions. It has the appearance of the iPhone 6, equipped with a bloody version of the A15 chip, supports 5G networks, and the same glass back panel as the iPhone 13 series, and the 64GB version, 128GB version, and 256GB version are priced at 3499 yuan, 3899 yuan and 4699 yuan, respectively.
To be honest, I was disappointed to see the moment I saw the new iPhone SE. The reason is simple, the product lacks highlights, but the price is ridiculously expensive. Its only bright spot is the A15 chip, but not the full blood version, but the blood version, but the price is set at $429, which is $30 more expensive than the $399 low-priced iPhone SE launched by Apple two years ago.
In other words, the 64GB version of this year can not be used, users instead of spending at least 3899 yuan to buy a new iPhone SE, it is better to buy an iPhone 12 mini. A number of domestic Android machines can pick the eye, and even buy the latest flagship machine this year. Whether you buy it or not, I don't buy it anyway.
So the question is, can the new iPhone SE, which holds the title of the cheapest 5G iPhone, sell well in the Chinese market? Opinions on this are mixed.
Some people are not optimistic about the prospects of the new iPhone SE. Zhu Jiatao, an analyst at Research Institute Canalys, said, "From a global perspective, we expect the new iPhone SE shipment scale to be lower than the previous generation, and the price increase is a factor, another important reason is due to the weakening appeal of small-screen mobile phones to consumers." ”
The data shows that Apple's sales performance in the Chinese market has been relatively weak since the first launch of the low-priced version of the iPhone SE model. Canalys data shows that the second-generation iPhone SE model has shipped less than 3.5 million units in China in total. Now, with the advent of the new iPhone SE, there is great uncertainty about how many people will pay the bill.
There are also people who are optimistic that the new iPhone SE will sell well in China, praising it as competitive. An analyst at investment bank Cowen said, "In a price-sensitive market, the new iPhone SE is still in a favorable position compared to Android phones." Believe it can win more share, especially in Asia. ZTE executive Lu Qianhao said bluntly that the impact of the new iPhone SE is huge.
"Greatly lower the threshold of the flagship 5G iPhone, although the image fast charging screen and other specifications are also the new low of the iPhone, but iOS still has its own ecological closed-loop advantages." More critically, the official price of 3499 yuan at 618 is easy to start at 2999 yuan, which means that the new iPhone SE will have a certain impact on the Android mid-to-high-end mobile phones in the 2599-3999 yuan price range, especially for some Android phones with more so-called premium pricing. He said.
However, having said that, although I personally will not buy a new iPhone SE, with my long-term observation of Apple, just looking at the performance of the new iPhone SE in the Chinese market, there are no small difficulties in selling, but it is not as pessimistic as the outside world predicts, and it is in a position of not being on top. In other words, those who should buy will still buy, and those who do not buy will still not buy.
You know, the outside world often sings about the decline of the iPhone, questioning its lack of innovation, but it does not seem to affect the crazy pursuit of users, especially domestic consumers, and it is not a problem to sell well. For example, the iPhone 13 has been the best-selling model in China for four consecutive months, helping Apple's share of China's high-end market reach 78% (as of Q4 2021). In view of this, the new iPhone SE has a certain audience base.
Therefore, I tend to agree with Lu Qianhao's point of view. Although the new iPhone SE has been questioned, its potential lethality cannot be underestimated, and it will inevitably have a certain impact on the Android mid-to-high-end mobile phone market. Do a little survey: Whether it's now or 618, will you buy a new iPhone SE?