Apple’s rumored next iPhone, the budget-priced Apple iPhone SE 2, has entered its final production verification stage, according to a report from the Taiwanese website Digitimes.
The long-awaited phone, which is presumed to be the successor to the beloved iPhone SE, is expected to follow in its predecessor’s footprints by offering Apple’s top specs in a cut-price package. While not confirmed, the iPhone SE 2 (or iPhone 9 — rumors are unclear on the actual name) is likely to use the iPhone 8’s design, but with updated specs. Rather than the iPhone 8’s A11 Bionic processor, the iPhone SE 2 is rumored to use the updated and much faster A13 Bionic — the same processor as the iPhone 11 Pro Max, and 3GB of RAM.
The use of the iPhone 8‘s design also means the return of a couple of old friends — the home button beneath a 4.7-inch LCD display and the Touch ID fingerprint scanner. While some may be upset that Apple would use such an old design for a new phone, it makes a lot of sense to keep costs down. Apple still sells the iPhone 8 as a budget iPhone option, so it’s clear Apple is still manufacturing the parts and has plenty in stock — which keeps costs down. With the price expected to be just $399 — $50 less than the current price for the iPhone 8 — keeping those costs down will be paramount to making this phone a success.
How likely are we to see this iPhone soon? Well, the idea of an iPhone releasing in early 2020 release has been churning through the rumor mill for some time now, with noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo lending credence to the whispers in January 2020. As such, the iPhone SE 2 is likely to be one of the headline acts at the upcoming Apple March event, where the cut-price iPhone would be announced alongside a new MacBook and iPad — that is, if the coronavirus outbreak doesn’t cancel the show.
The iPhone SE was a massive success, so it makes sense the iPhone SE 2 would be as well — and while it may be sporting an older design and (probably) older camera hardware, the flagship specs make this a hard prospect to turn down at a $400 price. We’ll let you know as we hear more.
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