Apple's $399 'iPhone SE 2' pegged for March 2020 release

Posted:
in General Discussion edited June 2020
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reports that the so-called "iPhone SE 2" will begin mass production in January, ahead of a launch at the end of March 2020.

The original iPhone SE
The original iPhone SE


In research materials seen by AppleInsider, regularly reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is claiming that Apple will begin mass production of what's referred to as the "iPhone SE 2" in January. It's not know what the model's name will be, but Kuo says that it will launched at the end of March.

He expects Apple to sell between two and four million of the "iPhone SE 2" per month, similar to the volume of the original iPhone SE. Other analysts have also predicted strong sales.

Kuo is confirming his own previous reports of a launch at around this timeframe. In those earlier notes he said that the "iPhone SE 2" would resemble an iPhone 8 style of design, and would retail from $399.

The iPhone SE 2 is expected to have the same 4.7-inch display as the iPhone 8, but utilize the A13 processor that's currently in the iPhone 11 paired with 3GB of application RAM. Kuo has said that it will feature an updated antenna design that uses Liquid Crystal Polymer.

However, Kuo does not expect the phone to have Face ID, both because of the desire to make it low cost, and because he says there's low demand for it at that price point.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 18
    If that happens to be true, Apple will stop selling iPhone 8. I wonder if it will continue selling 8+, or make XR cheaper, or what?
  • Reply 2 of 18
    avon b7avon b7 Posts: 7,624member
    A great move if true. Perfect timing (around MWC 2019, out of the main refresh window and gives marketing something to bite into as the buzz surrounding the main refresh subsides)

    Price is obviously the big draw here, filling out Apple's low end but providing more than enough power for a couple of years.

    Since 2017, Apple has widened the product spread. This year it caught up with competition in some key hardware areas and next year the 'SE2' might fill out the bottom line with new hardware.

    I think these were clear and necessary moves. If this rumour plays out, it will be one of the last major pieces to be laid on the table.
    muthuk_vanalingamzhiro
  • Reply 3 of 18
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    If true, I equate this to putting an all electric drive train in a '57 Chevy -- with metal dashboard, am radio with a single, tinny little speaker in the dash, and vent windows instead of air conditioning.  (Just without the nostalgia)

    Put lipstick on a pig and you still have a pig.
    Put an A13 into an iPhone 8 and you still got an iPhone 8.
  • Reply 4 of 18
    Seems like the perfect phone for a kid wanting an iPhone.  If they really put the A13 in there then this thing will be good to go for 5 years.  Will buy. 
    muthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 5 of 18
    If true, I equate this to putting an all electric drive train in a '57 Chevy -- with metal dashboard, am radio with a single, tinny little speaker in the dash, and vent windows instead of air conditioning.  (Just without the nostalgia)

    Put lipstick on a pig and you still have a pig.
    Put an A13 into an iPhone 8 and you still got an iPhone 8.
    I'm not sure what makes the iPhone 8 so obsolete in your eyes, processor + RAM and the proper board to handle the speeds are all you'd need to upgrade just about any style of phone.  The only thing left to upgrade at that point would be the display, and some people don't need an AMOLED.

    Side note, if they started selling new 57 Chevy's with any drivetrain I'd be all for it!  Plus they did have factory AC back in 57, it was just an option though...
    netmageretrogustomacpluspluspscooter63zhiro
  • Reply 6 of 18
    YP101YP101 Posts: 159member
    For $399, I am not what people want here.. Something like iPhone X?
    It is a cheap phone. A13+3GB ram will eat all mid range Android phone currently sold.

    StrangeDaysnetmageGG1zhiro
  • Reply 7 of 18
    It's pretty simple, this would be like offering a Toyota Camry to the two largest markets on the planet (China, India) where previously only Lexuses were sold. IMO this will significantly affect Apple's market share, because I feel this will be the first time Apple presents the SE as a new Toyota Camry, not a rebadged five-year old Lexus. People in this country buy a lot more new Toyota Camry's vs 5-year old Lexuses. To me, the question was more... what took them so long.
    edited October 2019 StrangeDayszhiro
  • Reply 8 of 18
    If true, I equate this to putting an all electric drive train in a '57 Chevy -- with metal dashboard, am radio with a single, tinny little speaker in the dash, and vent windows instead of air conditioning.  (Just without the nostalgia)

    Put lipstick on a pig and you still have a pig.
    Put an A13 into an iPhone 8 and you still got an iPhone 8.


    I understand your viewpoint, but not necessarily agree with what you suggest Apple should be doing. If I understand correctly, you are expecting/suggesting Apple to use iPhone X/Xs/11 design and keep the bezels to a minimum and keep the original external size of iPhone SE which can accommodate a larger display (say 4.7 inches) in the same frame as SE. And then charge the customers what it takes to make such a phone with usual margins accounting for all other costs. "If it costs $599 or $699 to the end-user, so be it" seems to be your thought process. And I agree that MANY of the posters in this forum have suggested as such.


    But in the real world, things do not work out like that. Apple has to rely on the data from marketing channels on what the "majority" of the "potential buyers" are willing to pay for an SE sized phone as one of the key inputs (not the only one, of course), which posters in Internet forums can choose to ignore. With that additional input and few other aspects (Integrating FaceID components that will likely occupy the entirety of the tiny frame making sure that forehead would be thick in any case spoiling the full screen design, FaceID vs Touch ID, cost of designing & manufacturing a "new" phone Vs reusing an existing design and refreshing the components, product segmentation and so on), Apple has "probably" chosen (not confirmed by Apple yet) to go down the path of refreshing iPhone 8 with SoC and RAM as a viable option for SE2. And it makes sense to me, considering the product mix and price points for various iPhones.

    edited October 2019 zhiro
  • Reply 9 of 18
    rhinotuff said:
    If true, I equate this to putting an all electric drive train in a '57 Chevy -- with metal dashboard, am radio with a single, tinny little speaker in the dash, and vent windows instead of air conditioning.  (Just without the nostalgia)

    Put lipstick on a pig and you still have a pig.
    Put an A13 into an iPhone 8 and you still got an iPhone 8.
    I'm not sure what makes the iPhone 8 so obsolete in your eyes, processor + RAM and the proper board to handle the speeds are all you'd need to upgrade just about any style of phone.  The only thing left to upgrade at that point would be the display, and some people don't need an AMOLED.

    Side note, if they started selling new 57 Chevy's with any drivetrain I'd be all for it!  Plus they did have factory AC back in 57, it was just an option though...

    GeorgeBMac talks about the design (big chin and forehead) of iPhone 8 as obsolete, which is true and a fair criticism. But design is important for a phone with >$600 pricetag, not for a $400 one. The counter from GeorgeBMac is - why aim for a $400 pricetag instead of $600 or $800 or whatever it takes?. The reality is - it is a lot more complex than that, with various other factors playing a role in the decision making. It is a difficult one to make at the end of the day - damned if you do, damned if you don't. Apple has made a choice based on the information that they have. In my view, Apple has taken the right decision. In GeorgeBMac and few other's view - Apple has not taken the right decision if true. Only time will tell.
    zhiro
  • Reply 10 of 18
    netmagenetmage Posts: 314member
    I feel this will be the first time Apple presents the SE as a new Toyota Camry, not a rebadged five-year old Lexus.
    Your feeling would be wrong. When the SE was first released, it used the internals of the then current 6s iPhone (A9 CPU, 2GB RAM) with the case and styling of the 3 year old 5s.

    What part was five years old?
    edited October 2019
  • Reply 11 of 18
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,275member
    I think some here are misinterpreting what Kuo is (now) claiming. This latest article clarifies that Kuo is saying the design of the "SE 2" is based on the iPhone 8, not that it is the same size as the iPhone 8. I can't really see how you create a phone with the latest everything in a compact form factor for $399 -- something really just doesn't add up here -- but if Apple is willing to make a phone that will suck for its various services (Arcade, TV+ in particular) to grab the child/senior market, I won't be mad.

    But I really don't see this hitting every part of Ming-Chi's shifting predictions for it. One thing I am sure of -- the teen market will not want something that looks like an iPhone 8, so this is not for that portion of the all-important youth market.
    edited October 2019 GeorgeBMac
  • Reply 12 of 18
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    rhinotuff said:
    If true, I equate this to putting an all electric drive train in a '57 Chevy -- with metal dashboard, am radio with a single, tinny little speaker in the dash, and vent windows instead of air conditioning.  (Just without the nostalgia)

    Put lipstick on a pig and you still have a pig.
    Put an A13 into an iPhone 8 and you still got an iPhone 8.
    I'm not sure what makes the iPhone 8 so obsolete in your eyes, processor + RAM and the proper board to handle the speeds are all you'd need to upgrade just about any style of phone.  The only thing left to upgrade at that point would be the display, and some people don't need an AMOLED.

    Side note, if they started selling new 57 Chevy's with any drivetrain I'd be all for it!  Plus they did have factory AC back in 57, it was just an option though...
    The half inch wide bezels wasting a major chunk of valuable real estate.   O B S O L E T E !   I thought Apple had moved on to more modern designs.
  • Reply 13 of 18
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    If true, I equate this to putting an all electric drive train in a '57 Chevy -- with metal dashboard, am radio with a single, tinny little speaker in the dash, and vent windows instead of air conditioning.  (Just without the nostalgia)

    Put lipstick on a pig and you still have a pig.
    Put an A13 into an iPhone 8 and you still got an iPhone 8.


    I understand your viewpoint, but not necessarily agree with what you suggest Apple should be doing. If I understand correctly, you are expecting/suggesting Apple to use iPhone X/Xs/11 design and keep the bezels to a minimum and keep the original external size of iPhone SE which can accommodate a larger display (say 4.7 inches) in the same frame as SE. And then charge the customers what it takes to make such a phone with usual margins accounting for all other costs. "If it costs $599 or $699 to the end-user, so be it" seems to be your thought process. And I agree that MANY of the posters in this forum have suggested as such.


    But in the real world, things do not work out like that. Apple has to rely on the data from marketing channels on what the "majority" of the "potential buyers" are willing to pay for an SE sized phone as one of the key inputs (not the only one, of course), which posters in Internet forums can choose to ignore. With that additional input and few other aspects (Integrating FaceID components that will likely occupy the entirety of the tiny frame making sure that forehead would be thick in any case spoiling the full screen design, FaceID vs Touch ID, cost of designing & manufacturing a "new" phone Vs reusing an existing design and refreshing the components, product segmentation and so on), Apple has "probably" chosen (not confirmed by Apple yet) to go down the path of refreshing iPhone 8 with SoC and RAM as a viable option for SE2. And it makes sense to me, considering the product mix and price points for various iPhones.

    For most users, the A13 offers very little advantage over the A10 (or A11 & A12).   In fact, the A10 is still being sold by Apple in their newest 2019 iPad.
    But however, there is a major advantage in a significant increase in screen size -- particularly without increasing the external form factor.

    In short, putting a state of the art processor on an obsolete design is selling shiny, glittery features that lack substance while retaining short comings.
  • Reply 14 of 18
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    rhinotuff said:
    If true, I equate this to putting an all electric drive train in a '57 Chevy -- with metal dashboard, am radio with a single, tinny little speaker in the dash, and vent windows instead of air conditioning.  (Just without the nostalgia)

    Put lipstick on a pig and you still have a pig.
    Put an A13 into an iPhone 8 and you still got an iPhone 8.
    I'm not sure what makes the iPhone 8 so obsolete in your eyes, processor + RAM and the proper board to handle the speeds are all you'd need to upgrade just about any style of phone.  The only thing left to upgrade at that point would be the display, and some people don't need an AMOLED.

    Side note, if they started selling new 57 Chevy's with any drivetrain I'd be all for it!  Plus they did have factory AC back in 57, it was just an option though...

    GeorgeBMac talks about the design (big chin and forehead) of iPhone 8 as obsolete, which is true and a fair criticism. But design is important for a phone with >$600 pricetag, not for a $400 one. The counter from GeorgeBMac is - why aim for a $400 pricetag instead of $600 or $800 or whatever it takes?. The reality is - it is a lot more complex than that, with various other factors playing a role in the decision making. It is a difficult one to make at the end of the day - damned if you do, damned if you don't. Apple has made a choice based on the information that they have. In my view, Apple has taken the right decision. In GeorgeBMac and few other's view - Apple has not taken the right decision if true. Only time will tell.
    No, not quite.  I am not arguing features versus price.   I am arguing that putting an expensive processor that most people don't need into an obsolete, limited design is a bad decision.   Most users won't see a lot of difference between an A10 and an A13.   But they will see a huge difference in an extra inch of screen in the same sized phone.

    As illustration:  The 2019 iPad with an A10 processor will sell for less than this rumored phone.
  • Reply 15 of 18
    toddzrxtoddzrx Posts: 254member
    GeorgeBMac said:
    No, not quite.  I am not arguing features versus price.   I am arguing that putting an expensive processor that most people don't need into an obsolete, limited design is a bad decision.   Most users won't see a lot of difference between an A10 and an A13.   But they will see a huge difference in an extra inch of screen in the same sized phone.

    As illustration:  The 2019 iPad with an A10 processor will sell for less than this rumored phone.
    I think it'd be great if Apple released an SE as described by Kuo, and I bet there are plenty of other people that would agree, especially if they ask $400 for it.  I currently am on a 6S and it still works fine. The only thing I want or need out of a new phone is that it lasts me 4 or 5 years, and that means getting up to date internals; the screen size is fine and I don't care that the bezels are there. Nor do I care about FaceID since I've never used it; TouchID gets the job done just fine.

    For value-conscious customers, price matters, and Kuo's predicted SE strikes the right chord. 
    muthuk_vanalingamzhiro
  • Reply 16 of 18
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    toddzrx said:
    GeorgeBMac said:
    No, not quite.  I am not arguing features versus price.   I am arguing that putting an expensive processor that most people don't need into an obsolete, limited design is a bad decision.   Most users won't see a lot of difference between an A10 and an A13.   But they will see a huge difference in an extra inch of screen in the same sized phone.

    As illustration:  The 2019 iPad with an A10 processor will sell for less than this rumored phone.
    I think it'd be great if Apple released an SE as described by Kuo, and I bet there are plenty of other people that would agree, especially if they ask $400 for it.  I currently am on a 6S and it still works fine. The only thing I want or need out of a new phone is that it lasts me 4 or 5 years, and that means getting up to date internals; the screen size is fine and I don't care that the bezels are there. Nor do I care about FaceID since I've never used it; TouchID gets the job done just fine.

    For value-conscious customers, price matters, and Kuo's predicted SE strikes the right chord. 
    Yeh, that makes sense - going with the A13 to extend its supported lifespan.
    But, while that makes sense, it has to be remembered that Apple is still selling new, upgraded products with the A10.   I would not think that they'll be dropping them from support anytime soon.  At least I hope not.
  • Reply 17 of 18
    moviefanmoviefan Posts: 1unconfirmed, member
    What's the point of calling it an "SE 2" and having it the same size as an 8??? Why get our hopes up for a smaller phone??? If this is true, it's beyond ridiculous....
  • Reply 18 of 18
    It would be really unfortunate if Apple opts for the iPhone 8 design and size. All I wish for in the SE2 is a smartphone as pocket-able as the iPhone SE but with slightly updated hardware and support for the next three to five years. IMHO it would be a fantastic offering to have a 4.7" display with face unlock in the original iPhone SE casing (still the best Apple design). And I wouldn't really care how much it costs.
    edited November 2019
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