It was supposed to return in just over a year, with a revised design, but the iPhone SE could eventually be wiped off the map by Apple. This is what we learn from Ming-Chi Kuo, often well informed when it comes to the products concocted by the Cupertino giant. The TF International analyst believes that Apple could ” cancel or postpone mass production for the fourth-generation iPhone SE, initially expected in early 2024.
The reason for this potential disavowal would be to look for the worse than expected sales of this model. A problem that had already led Apple to reduce the quantity of units produced earlier this year, but which did not concern only the iPhone SE. Also according to Ming-Chi Kuo, sales of “mid-range” iPhones, almost all of them, will always be lower than initially projected.
In addition to the third generation iPhone SE (launched in March 2022), the iPhone 13 mini (still in Apple’s catalog) and iPhone 14 Plus would also be affected according to the analyst. As our colleagues from Numerama point out, however, it is difficult not to temper these proposals by stating that the iPhones are selling well … but just not as much as Apple would like.
An iPhone SE that is too expensive and not attractive enough?
It must be said that the iPhone SE is a somewhat special smartphone. Obsolete in terms of design, this year again it recycled the chassis of the iPhone 8 (2017) themselves very close to the iPhone 7 and 6S launched in 2016 and 2015 respectively. This outdated look, coupled with a reduced screen size (only 4.7 inches) and large borders surrounding the panel, is dissuasive on a product initially sold at 529 euros and recently increased to 559 euros. In its defense, the device can on the other hand computer on a recent processor: the A15 Bionic … the same chip as on the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus. An approach that is visibly struggling to seduce in a very competitive market, and while the average selling price of a smartphone is closer to 300 euros in France, notes Numerama.
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My latest survey indicates that Apple will likely cancel or postpone the 2024 iPhone SE 4 mass production plan. I believe this is due to consistently lower than expected shipments of midrange iPhones (e.g. SE 3 , 13 mini and 14 Plus),— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) December 21, 2022
For context, several rumors nevertheless predict a complete overhaul of the design of the iPhone SE. The fourth generation of the device is said to be heavily inspired by the iPhone XR. There would therefore be a notched LCD screen (potentially with Face ID, even if the track of a simple fingerprint sensor is not to be excluded), and a diagonal of 6.1 inches, much more generous than on the current model. It remains to be seen whether this iPhone SE 4 will see the light of day, or not, as Ming-Chi Kuo believes.