The iPhone SE was once Apple’s main focus to target fans of small and affordable smartphones. In reality, the iPhone SE failed to live up to expectations as it saw a sluggish sales performance. In 2017, the SE made its debut in China at a lower price tag and quickly received millions of registrations. In September 2018, Apple discontinued the SE paving the way for a newer generation iPhone. However, we believe that the SE 2 is now in the works.
Rumors about the next generation iPhone SE have been out there for months, hinting at the significant changes coming to the new iPhone. With that in mind, we have rounded up everything we have heard so far about the iPhone SE 2.
Release date
Back in 2016, the first generation iPhone SE was introduced at a March event. This year, the SE 2 did not show up at the event. Apple, instead, announced a bunch of new stuff, including Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and Apple News+. Ming-Chi-Kuo, the top Apple analyst at KGI Securities, says that the iPhone SE 2 will not be ready until 2020.
This adds up to what we heard in previous rumors that Apple has been working on an affordable iPhone. In reality, the iPhone XR was initially tipped to be a SE replacement, but it is not affordable. A reliable source says that the SE 2 is set for Q3 2020 release and will be manufactured at one of Foxconn’s facilities in India. If this is the case, the next iPhone SE will mainly target the Indian market at launch.
Design
There are rumors that the second generation iPhone SE will take some design hints from the iPhone X. This seems plausible seeing that the original SE shared the same physical design and dimensions as the iPhone 5s.
Ming-Chi-Kuo claims that there will be no huge difference in terms of the SE 2’s design as Apple is now too busy with premium iPhones. The current iPhone XR retains the familiar design of the X with all-glass back and top notch. So, we won’t be surprised if there is no design difference when it comes to SE 2’s exterior design.
A reliable source says that the next-generation SE will be available in silver, gold, Space Grey and Rose Gold options at launch, just like the first model. There are also rumors about Red and Yellow color options.
Leaks
The next-generation iPhone SE has been the subject of rumors and leaks recently. There have been many leaked images showcasing a fully-built iPhone SE in the works. The latest images have been leaked, showing the SE with a new glass back, suggesting that it could be made of glass instead of aluminum.
The glass back design could pave the way for wireless charging support like the current iPhone lineup. Plus, Apple may keep the headphone jack intact on the next generation SE, just like how it did to the new iPad Air and mini 5. The leaked images also show that the SE will feature some tweaks on the rear side, but the front of the device looks similar to the iPhone X.
There are also rumors that the next generation SE will come with Touch ID at launch. Apple removed Touch ID from its iPhone lineup last year in favor of Face ID. However, Apple still retains Touch ID on its affordable devices like iPad mini 5 or iPad Air (2019).
Display
Apple has started using OLED panels in recent years. However, Apple continues to use LCD displays on cheaper iPhones. However, we’d love to see an OLED display on the SE 2. Sources say that all future iPhones will use OLED panels supplied by Samsung Display.
Apple has been sourcing OLED panels from Samsung for years. Last year, Samsung and Apple reached an agreement which would see the South Korean firm supply 90 million flexible panels used on future iPhones.
However, Ming-Chi-Kuo says that the next-generation iPhone SE will stick with an OLED display to keep the price in check. This seems plausible seeing that the iPhone XR is packed with a 720p HD display.
Specs
According to reports, the iPhone SE 2 will get the A10 Fusion chip at launch. That’s the same CPU that powers the iPhone 7, but it will be faster. However, sources say that the SE 2 will use only 2 GB of RAM and has 32GB/128GB of internal storage.
However, we have heard rumors that the iPhone SE 2 will use the A11 Fusion chip appeared in the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X. If this is the case, we could see a huge performance boost when compared to the first model. This makes sense as the A10 chip is now outdated and lagging behind its rivals.
Wrapping Up
The iPhone SE 2 is expected to boost iPhone sales performance. However, it’s early to tell what exactly Apple will include in the SE 2. We will keep you updated when new updates come in.
Let us know your thoughts on the iPhone SE in the comments below.
