Apple will cancel or postpone mass production for the planned 2024 iPhone SE 4, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today in a series of tweets. Kuo said that he believes Apple will delay or scrap the device due to consistent lower than expected shipments of middle tier and lower-end smartphones like the iPhone SE 3, the iPhone 13 mini, and the iPhone 14 Plus.
Kuo also said that the full screen design that Apple has in mind for the iPhone SE 4 will require higher costs and selling prices, so Apple may need to "reconsider the product positioning and return on investment" for the iPhone SE 4. Reducing unnecessary product development costs will also help Apple navigate the "challenges of the global economic recession in 2023," according to Kuo.
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as well as concerns that the full-screen design of the SE 4 will lead to an increase in higher costs/selling prices. As a result, Apple may need to reconsider the product positioning and return on investment for the SE 4. — 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) December 21, 2022
Multiple rumors have suggested that Apple is working on a new version of the iPhone SE, with the device set to launch in 2024. Apple is developing a device that could look similar to the iPhone XR, with an all-display design that does away with the Touch ID Home button and instead adopts either Face ID or a Touch ID power button.
Rumors indicated that the iPhone SE 4 could have a 6.1-inch LCD or OLED display, along with a notch at the top much like the current iPhone 14 models. Apple's plans for the iPhone SE 4 have not been finalized, and earlier this year, Apple analyst Ross Young said Apple had not decided between an OLED or LCD display for the device.
Apple opted not to offer a 5.4-inch option with the iPhone 14 lineup after poor sales of mini-sized iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models, and rumors have also indicated that the more affordable iPhone 14 Plus has seenlower than expected sales. For that reason, Apple could instead focus on its flagship iPhones in 2023 and 2024, pushing development on the iPhone SE line back or going with cheaper components that will allow for a lower price point than the planned design changes.
Top Rated Comments
(1) lower priced (relative to the flagship iPhones)
(2) has a decent sized screen that's large enough but not too large
(3) small enough to easily fit pants pockets without half of it sticking out and maybe even allow 1-handed operation
This makes the iPhone 12 mini / iPhone 13 mini the best candidate to take the next iPhone SE spot.
Does Apple have the courage to do it though?
But I don't think there would be high cost for Apple to make a XR SE because Apple had sold the iPhone XR and even the 11 for $499. So pricing the XR style SE at $450 won't be that hard for Apple since the XR components would be cheaper now than it was at that time and the only components that would cost Apple is the processor and possibly an upgraded camera.
Also the XR style SE would have sold really well. A lot of people bought the OG SE and even the 2020 one sold really well. People like lower priced iPhones. So a $450 all screen iPhone with the latest processor and most importantly much better battery life would sell really well.