Respected industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF Securities has claimed Apple will release an “iPhone SE 2” in early 2020, featuring an iPhone 8-style chassis and up-to-date internals. The report suggests that the device will be aimed at the 100 million people still using the iPhone 6.
Kuo says the new SE 2 will be physically similar to the iPhone 8, which was released in the fall of 2017, but will feature 3GB of RAM and the same A13 Bionic chip in the new iPhone 11 models. For reference, the iPhone 8 had 2GB of RAM while the iPhone 11 reportedly has 4GB.
Aside from the processor upgrade, Kuo said that it will offer a similar design to the iPhone 8, which means you should expect a 4.7-inch screen.
The original $399 iPhone SE had an even smaller 4-inch screen, which appealed to people who preferred tinier phones and the design of the iPhone 5. Apple used a similar strategy for it too, stuffing in better components than the iPhone 5, but keeping the same hardware design.
“We believe that iPhone SE2 will meet more users’ demand and increase iPhone’s market share because of the more affordable price,” Kuo said. Apple currently sells the iPhone 8 for $449 USD, so the iPhone SE could potentially offer more power for $50 less, if Apple keeps the same pricing.
Kuo also says the iPhone SE 2, if that winds up being its actual name, will likely feature Touch ID.
Kuo also anticipates the SE 2 will be targeted toward happy iPhone 6 and 6S users who, despite their happiness, suddenly find themselves with a phone that can no longer support the latest version of iOS.
