Why The iPhone SE Has A Home Button

The iPhone SE is one of Apple’s best-selling smartphones, with more units sold in 2021 than the flagship 13 Pro Max. But when you compare the SE to other available iPhone models, you’ll notice that one of them is not like the others. Every iPhone Apple sells today has a notch and is missing a home button, except the SE. So why did Apple include a home button on one iPhone while leaving it out on the rest? Well it has everything to do with cost-savings.

[bennetmoritz]

One important aspect from my perspective is, it also differentiates this iPhone from the others and make them feel more Pro-like models

[billy]

Every Apple Explained video: “why does the (Apple product) do (odd thing)”

Apple: because money

[amberb]

I never realized that the new home buttons don’t actually click in and just vibrate. That’s really cool! I’ve never noticed it, it feels so natural.

[mustafa.aurelius]

*Apple drinks water*

Greg be like: Why Apple drinks water

[notme]

"In fact, the entire design of iPhone 5S was simply copied and pasted from iPhone 8" - Apple Explained, inventing time travel

[SixSilverStones]

I personally like the home button, but I will say that the gesture based interface of the flagship iPhones without home buttons is much faster to use

[jessicayoung]

I kind of enjoyed the home button but also will say swipe gestures are super easy and fast. I get why they got rid of it. I also think it differentiates the SE from their other phone.

[ItsMr.L]

Ya'know apart of me wishes that Apple would do an "iPhone SE Max" a re-release of the iPhone 8 Plus. But I know that would be illogical.

[CrimsonCoffins]

I had the SE 2020 when it first came out, and I loved it! But overtime, I was getting a bit frustrated how quickly the battery died, and the screen was always so incredibly dim whenever I would use it outside. I got me the iPhone 13 a few months, yes I prefer it, but the SE is by no means a terrible phone, and if you’re looking to buy a new phone, but don’t want to dump too much money into it, the SE is the way to go!

[kylecastellino]

I honestly personally prefer this type of short content rather than the long type. Thanks Greg!

[will.gallegos]

The iPhone SE 2 and 8 had a similar design, but it wasn’t just copied and pasted. The Apple logo got centered on the SE 2, which is one of the main reasons I can tell differences between the 8 and the SE.

[Doocc]

I think it has a home button because there are alot of people that don’t want to get rid of it and want to keep using a phone with a homebutton. If apple removes the SE maybe alot of people will switch to other phones.

[ilyemmanuel]

Apple explained gives us information we never even knew we needed.

[mushy]

I think that people often forget that companies will likely buy an iPhone SE for all their employees as work phones. Thinking about that and how this phone was that successful, makes sense to continue this business model.

Thats literally millions of iPhones a year since companies don't necessarily need to be balling out on iPhone 13 pros for employees if its only a work phone.

[clipluzzy]

youre the best dude
the animations are so fluent

[coolbro]

Luckily, for me, the more buttons the less stress and easier it is to use it. It’s just my opinion. But that’s why I like the iPhone SE.

[CamcorderHomeVideos]

Please continue the "History of Phones" series.

[disklamer]

I like the continuity in form factor, instead of having to get used to yet another setup. The size/usabiity ratio is about as good as it gets, I would not want a larger phone and all the significant features have been plenty since even the iPhone 4.

[miguelojera]

Maybe the future iPhone SE would recycle the iPhone 12/13 Mini body since it isn't selling as much as the regular sized models. Also I like the idea of a phone you can comfortably put in your pocket.

[blasien]

Apple is clearly leveraging existing amortized engineering and parts inventories from older models. Also it's a bonus that many users actually prefer, or don't care about, home button operation. Another hidden benefit: the tech press yells hard about bezels, but ignores the fact that the bezels spare us that hideous, asymmetric notch.