An Apple iPhone SE 2 has been rumored to be in development for a while now, with new reports suggesting that it could be much more affordable previously released iPhone models. To that effect, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone SE 2 could cost as little as $399, and he further speculates that the release date could be early next year.
Kuo has also made several other predictions for the device, many of which he has noted over the past several months. The majority of these focus on the iPhone SE 2’s RAM and battery life; he speculates that it will be powered by an A13 chip and will have either 64GB or 128GB of internal storage. However, conflicting reports have claimed that the smartphone will only come with 128GB of storage.
Alongside this, the Apple analyst has suggested that it will come with three color options; gray, silver, or red. He’s also claimed that the smartphone isn’t going to feature 3D Touch; however, this is something that many people have believed for several months, as the technology has been removed from many of Apple’s top-tier devices recently.
It’s also been suggested by Kuo, as well as Bloomberg, that the iPhone SE 2’s design will be similar to that of the iPhone 8. Should the predictions about the smartphone’s price be accurate, then this would be the same pricing as the original model, although the original iPhone SE was subsequently dropped to just $349.
Cheaper iPhone models are something that Apple has had to put an increasing amount of emphasis on in recent years, especially in markets such as India. This has primarily been because phones that cost over $450 only take up about 4% of the market over there, with the majority of Apple’s more affordable options starting at $449.