There is good news for the Apple users who are waiting for a cheaper model of iPhone as some reports suggest that Apple is planning to bring its iPhone SE “2” that would be more affordable than the Entry-level price of $699 of the iPhone 11 and would feature an A13 processor and 3GB of RAM in the body of an iPhone 8.
The launch of the new iPhone SE 2 would make it easy to discontinue the iPhone 8 duo altogether, which Apple still sells.
Some iPhone users refuse to upgrade away from the home button but if the same hardware was refreshed, perhaps Apple would be able to keep their business.
The iPhone SE was launched back in 2016 and it was a re-release of the iPhone 5’s smaller hardware in a time when the 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhones seemed too large. The iPhone SE was essentially an iPhone 5 body updated with new internals and the camera of an iPhone 6S. It was meant for those who preferred a smaller, more pocketable iPhone.
Rumors of a successor to the iPhone SE is around since 2017 and would have featured the same 4-inch form factor. Well, it’s been over two years since then and rumors are again ramping up about a possible iPhone SE. The report comes from long-time Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who claims such a device would be announced in Q1 of 2020. This aligns with another report from last month.
According to the report, this phone would be more affordable than the Entry-level price of $699 of the iPhone 11 and would feature an A13 processor and 3GB of RAM in the body of an iPhone 8. The analyst even predicts Apple would sell 30 to 40 million units throughout next year.
This is a new situation for Apple. If Apple refreshed the 4.7-inch hardware, that means it would need to bring back the home button on new devices. Apple still uses Touch ID on MacBooks these days, so it wouldn’t be entirely implausible.
Apple hasn’t released date and price about the new iPhone SE but it should be probably next year.
At present, Apple’s cheapest device is the iPhone 8 which costs only $449. Perhaps replacing the iPhone 8 with an iPhone SE successor could drive more sales to customers that are still holding onto an iPhone 6 which is not compatible with iOS 13.