SIZE MATTERS- New iPhone SE 2: Apple’s
tiny smartphone sequel might really be incoming
Apple is supposedly working on a small new iPhone that makes the
new iPhone X look positively enormous
APPLE is reportedly planning to launch a new version of its
famously tiny iPhone SE later this year.
Several industry
watchers have waded in on the debate over whether Apple has given up on small
phones, and seem to agree that a new mini iPhone SE 2 is in the works.
If you prefer your iPhones on the
smaller and cheaper side, then you may be pleased to hear that rumours are
pointing to a new version of the iPhone SE launching in 2018.
Want to
know more? In our iPhone SE2 rumours article, we collect and analyse the clues, hints and
evidence pointing to the release date of Apple's follow-up to the iPhone SE, as well as the iPhone SE 2's tech specs,
design, new features and UK pricing - so you've come to the right place!
This
page will be updated whenever new information emerges relating to the launch of
an updated iPhone SE, so check back regularly for the latest iPhone SE 2
rumours. For buying advice related to the current range, take a look at our
roundup of the bestiPhone SE deals as well as iPhone
buying guide.
iPhone SE 2 release date
The
original iPhone SE was announced in March 2016, but it didn't get a significant
update in 2017. (It just got a bump in storage to 32- and 128GB.) Instead, it's
looking like the iPhone SE will get an update in spring 2018, with March
looking most likely.
A
FocusTaiwan report in August suggested that the new iPhone SE will launch in
the first quarter of 2018. Sources claim this new iPhone will be manufactured
in India by Wistron, the company that puts together the current iPhone SE.
The
prediction was backed up by a report by the Taiwanese market research company
TrendForce, which also believes the iPhone SE 2 is coming in 2018 (although the
firm is less confident, specifying only the first half), and being assembled by
Wistron in India. And in Feb 2018 the Taiwan Electronic Times (via the
Chinese-language site MyDrivers)
predicted an iPhone SE 2 launch in March, albeit with minimal design changes
from the SE.
Will the iPhone SE be discontinued?
However,
this is all assuming the iPhone SE will get an update. Several analysts have
suggested that there won't be a new iPhone SE at all.
In
January 2018 Ming-Chi Kuo wrote a research note arguing that Apple had
"used up its development resources" and would not be able to produce
a new SE for the spring launch window.
"The
announcement of three new iPhone models in the same quarter in the second half
of 2017 was the first time Apple made such a major endeavour," he wrote.
"We
believe the delay of iPhone X, which had the most complicated design yet, shows
that Apple doesn't have enough resources available for development. With three
new models in the pipeline for the second half of 2018, we believe Apple may
have used up its development resources."
And
back in July 2017 China's Huaquang Research analyst Pan Juitang predicted that
Apple wouldn't update its 4in phone, arguing that there isn't enough demand for
smaller devices as many consumers opt for larger displays for watching movies,
playing games and browsing the web. The vast majority are accustomed to 5in or
bigger displays, he added.
iPhone SE2 availability
Even if
the SE is updated, it may not launch where you live. Some reports suggest that
the new SE handset might not be available everywhere.
According to the Economic Daily, a Chinese-language
site, Apple is working on a low-end iPhone codenamed Hangzhou. This low-end,
lower-priced model will apparently be launched in an attempt to "seize the
low-end market" in China and India.
That
report suggests that this low-end model could launch in the second half of
2018.
Another
report claims that the SE2 will launch in India prior to launching in other
territories. This sounds dubious to us, although it might fit with Apple's
plans to offer a cheaper handset to certain territories (normally Apple does
this by offering an older version of the iPhone to certain countries).
iPhone
SE 2 price
The
iPhone SE is currently available in 32GB and 128GB versions. In the UK the 32GBmodel costs £379; 128GB is £479. (For comparison, in the US the
iPhone SE costs $399 for32GB and $449 for 129GB.)
We
expect the iPhone SE 2 to be similarly priced when it launches.
iPhone
SE 2 design
While
the iPhone SE looks similar to the iPhone 5S, there is an expectation that the
iPhone SE 2 will look more like the iPhone 8, although it is expected to have
smaller dimensions.
One
thing that is likely to change is the colour options.
The
iPhone SE is currently available in Silver, Gold, Space Grey and Rose Gold
options. The iPhone SE 2 is likely to be available in Silver, Gold, and Space
Grey - like the iPhone 8. The Rose Gold and Gold version have kind of merged in
the iPhone 8 and it is likely that the new iPhone SE will also offer this new
brassier Gold colour option rather than two gold options.
It may also feature a glass back -
allowing for wireless charging, a feature introduced with the iPhone 8 and
iPhone X. This could mean the new iPhone SE 2 will look more like the all-glass
iPhone 4.
There
are theories that the iPhone SE 2 could have an all-screen design, like the
iPhone X; many publications and analysts are referring to it as the iPhone X
SE. However, while this is something that could appear in the future, we think
it will be some time before the home-button-free design makes its way down to
the entry-level iPhone.
That hasn't stopped one illustrator imagining what it could look like. In the
YouTube video below you can see what the iPhone SE2 might look like if Apple
was to give it an iPhone X-like redesign.
iPhone
SE 2 dimensions
Currently
the iPhone SE has a 4in screen (that's 4 inches measured diagonally). The
handset itself measures 123.8mm by 58.6mm and it's 7.6mm thick. It weighs 113g.
The new
iPhone SE dimensions may slim down further. For example, the phone might be as
thin as the iPhone 8 at 7.3mm. If Apple was to ditch the iPhone 5s-esque design
for the iPhone SE, in favour of mimicking the iPhone 8 design, this could be
feasible.
It's
also possible that the new iPhone SE - or entry-level iPhone - won't be a
smaller handset at all. According to KGI Securities analyst
Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is working on a low-cost version of the iPhone that will
feature an LCD-TFT screen, fewer pixels, and will cost between $649 and $749.
This iPhone screen will measure 6.1in diagonally so the new handset could be
even larger than the iPhone 8 is.
iPhone SE 2 screen
As per
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo's theory, Apple could introduce a 6.1in
LCD-TFT screen on its new low-cost iPhone, while the other iPhones will feature
OLED screens like the iPhone X does now.
There has also been a suggestion that
the iPhone SE could have a 4.2in screen rather than the current 4in. The extra
.2in being made possible by reducing the size of the bezels. Although unlike
the iPhone X, which has a screen that stretches to the base of the phone - and
thus no Home Button - the Home Button is expected to
remain on the iPhone SE 2.
New features
The new
iPhone SE won't be a flagship, so you shouldn't expect any totally new features
- it's more a question of which features will trickle down from the top-end
iPhone X and 8 Plus.
Face ID
This is
the biggie, and if we are looking at an iPhone SE with Face ID it would imply
that we're also getting an edge-to-edge screen and no Home button.
Ming-Chi
Kuo the 'iPhone X SE' will indeed get Face ID, the same controversial but
impressive biometric tech as on the iPhone X, which also means Animoji and, we
presume, Portrait Mode on front-facing selfies. (Oddly enough, since the
analyst predicts a single camera lens on the rear of the X SE to keep costs
down, we could end up in the situation where Portrait Mode is available on
front- but not rear-facing shots.)
Wireless charging
The new
iPhone SE 2 could offer wireless charging thanks to the rumoured glass back.
Tekz24 claims that it received a tip from a
"very reliable source" that the new iPhone SE 2 "will have a
glass back panel" and that it "might support wireless charging."
3D Touch
Apple's
3D Touch screen tech has been around for a while, and it feels logical to add
it to the SE. But sources say this will not be the case: Ming-Chi Kuo has given
it the thumbs down. As Tech Times observes,
this runs the risk of the feature being seen "as nothing more than a
gimmick that only customers who purchase the more expensive iPhones may enjoy Phone1soft
iPhone SE 2 specs
According
to a Tekz24 report (on which the FocusTaiwan report
mentioned above was based), the new iPhone SE 2 will offer an A10 Fusion chip
(as seen in the iPhone 7). It currently offers an A9 chip, as used in the
iPhone 6S.
In
addition we could see a 7Mp FaceTime camera with Retina Flash replace the 5MP
FaceTime camera in the current model.
Other
than that, it is likely to keep many of the features of the current iPhone SE,
such as:
·
12MP camera: The current SE offers
12-megapixels with an ƒ/2.2 aperture.The iPhone 8 has an ƒ/1.8 aperture.
·
No bump: One key difference between
the iPhone SE and 8 is the lack of camera bump on the bigger model. Hopefully
the new iPhone SE camera on the back of the iPhone will also be flat.
·
2GB RAM: The iPhone SE already offers
2GB RAM and it's unlikely that we'd see any more than that.
·
32GB or 128GB storage options, phone1soft
The
battery will also have a slightly raised rating from 1640mAh to 1700mAh.
No comments:
Post a Comment