It seems that Apple has not retired its iPhone SE – the tech giant could release the fourth-generation of the affordable handset that ‘will be a ‘minor modification of the 6.1-inch iPhone 14.’
Well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who originally said last month that the smartphone had been canceled, revealed Monday development is underway.
Kuo predicts production will start at the beginning of 2024 and will be the first Apple device to ‘adopt an in-house 5G baseband chip.’
While pricing has not yet been revealed the previous base model cost $429, compared to the iPhone 14 that starts at $799.
It was previously said that Apple scrapped plans for a new iPhone SE, but now sources state the firm is moveing forward with plans to make a fourth-generation
Kuo reported in January that Apple could cancel its 2024 iPhone SE 4 due to ‘concerns that the performance of the in-house baseband chip may not be up to par with Qualcomm’s,’ he shared in a Medium blog post.
Apple had planned to launch its new baseband chip that year, starting with its low-end smartphone and then determine if it should be used in the iPhone 16.
However, his latest ‘indication’ states Apple has restarted the iPhone SE 4.
‘The new iPhone SE 4 will equip with Apple’s 5G baseband chip produced by a 4nm process (similar to 5nm) and will only support Sub-6GHz as the current plan,’ Kuo shared in a Twitter thread.
He also stated that iPhone SE 4 will swap the LCD screen for an OLED display
If all goes well with the upcoming handset, Kuo speculates the iPad and Apple Watch will also ‘abandon Qualcomm’s baseband chips.’
‘This move will benefit Apple’s hardware gross margin, while Qualcomm’s Apple business will decline significantly in the next 2-3 years,’ he tweeted.
Well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts it will be a ‘minor modification of the 6.1-inch iPhone 14’ and go into production at the beginning of 2024
Apple first launch iPhone SE in 2016, touting it as an affordable alternative to the flagship smartphones.
It was not until 2020 did the tech giant unveil the second-generation and the third iPhone SE model was released in 2022.
The latest iPhone SE features the Apple A15 Bionic chip, a 12 megapixel camera, and 5G connectivity.
iPhone SE still has a home button, and touch ID, rather than a FaceID and includes full 5G compatibility, as well as a 12 megapixel camera.
However, Kuo said the 2024 handset will only have minor differences from the iPhone 14, suggesting it could remove the home button – but that has yet to be confirmed.
Apple announced the iPhone 14 on September 7, 2022, which is designed with an upgraded 12 megapixel main camera that features a sensor larger than the smartphone’s predecessor.
The smartphones also feature a sleek aerospace-grad aluminum design in five finishes, along with updated internal designs for better thermal performance, and the pair have a Ceramic Shield on the front cover that protects the inner workers from spills, water and dust.
The camera also has a 49 percent improvement in low-light capture and a new TrueDepth for the front-facing camera that automatically focuses on objects and people within the frame, along with the Ultra Wide camera that captures more of the scene.
