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It’s looking more and more likely that we won’t be getting an iPhone SE 4 – and that has cast doubt on the series’ entire future, with apparent doubts about its popularity and profitability, eclipsing Apple’s status as the cheapest of the iPhones need to reassess.
This comes from a respected analyst Ming Chi Kuo (opens in new tab) (through MacRumors (opens in new tab)), who is more often than not right when it comes to predictions from Apple. Kuo says Apple has told its suppliers that the iPhone SE 4 won’t launch in 2024 or any year.
It’s not the most surprising development: there were already rumors that the next version of the iPhone SE wouldn’t be guaranteed to appear, and it sounds like the handset’s fate is now sealed.
5G chip switch
There’s a subplot here, which is that – according to Kuo – Apple planned to use the iPhone SE 4 to introduce its own 5G chip, developed in-house. However, there are “concerns” that the chip’s performance “might not be comparable” to the Qualcomm chips Apple currently uses for its phones.
That leaves Qualcomm as the big winner of the iPhone SE 4 cancellation, as it can continue to supply Apple with 5G chips for the foreseeable future. The iPhones, of course, already use Apple-designed processors, with the A16 Bionic in the iPhone 14 Pro.
With the launch of the iPhone SE (2022) last year, the third in the series, we didn’t expect a new one until 2024. Now, however, there are serious doubts that we’ll ever see another refresh of this cheap iPhone, although Apple tends to keep older models of its flagship handsets on sale for a cheaper alternative.
Analysis: Will anyone buy the iPhone SE?
We have heard rumbling (opens in new tab) that sales of the iPhone SE (2022) are not as high as Apple had hoped, which is probably the main reason why the future of the range is in jeopardy. Apple isn’t going to produce and sell an iPhone SE 4 if it doesn’t think many people will buy it.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what’s not appealing to consumers about the iPhone SE. It might be the dated design (complete with home button), or the small screen, or maybe the limited single-lens camera setup.
On the plus side, though, it’s very affordable, runs on the latest Apple chipsets, and can do everything the flagship iPhones can do from a software perspective. The starting price is almost half that of the iPhone 14 – and that’s a big saving.
It’s possible that the second-hand market for lower-priced used iPhones is hurting iPhone SE sales, and it’s also worth noting that Apple doesn’t advertise the device as often or as often as its other iPhones. Whatever the reason for the low sales, it could now be the end of the road.