iPhone SE 2? Apple may launch a low-cost iPhone next year

Apple could launch the successor to the iPhone SE next year to compensate for the declining iPhone sales. The phone will reportedly based on Apple iPhone 8.

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Apple is reported to launch iPhone SE 2 next year. (Image of iPhone SE for representation)

Apple is set to launch its new lineup of iPhones on September 10 but looks like the declining sale numbers made the Cupertino-based company come up with a strategy– revive the iPhone SE. A report from Nikkei Asian Review suggests that Apple is preparing to launch a sub-$400 phone next year to reverse pressure on its sales, which have been falling for quite some time now.

As per the report, the new SE model will not be based on the iPhone 5S, but it will use the 4.7-inch iPhone 8 as a point of reference, which was launched in 2017. The model will share most of the same components with the flagship iPhones this year (including the A13 chip), and it will feature the lower-cost liquid crystal display to achieve a lower starting price-tag, although the final pricing for the model is not yet settled, the publication cited people familiar with the plan.

The report claims Apple has ramped up mass production of this year’s new iPhone models but it is around 10 per cent less than last year’s production of 80-85 million units.

“The cheaper iPhone SE could serve as a sales momentum kicker the first half next year if the new premium iPhones do not perform well in the coming months,” Jeff Pu, a veteran tech analyst at GF Securities, told the Nikkei Asian Review.

The reports of Apple planning to launch an iPhone SE 2 are not new. Back in the year 2017, it was rumoured that Apple will launch the iPhone SE successor in 2018 but that did not happen. To compensate for its declining hardware sales, Apple is ramping up its services portfolio which includes Apple TV+, Apple Arcade video game subscription and more.

Also read | Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max preview: Everything we know

At the moment, it is too early to confirm whether Apple will release an iPhone SE successor but the arrival of a low-cost iPhone is not impossible either given Apple’s chance of increasing its market share in price-sensitive markets like India.

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Apple Inc