Apple ‘iPhone SE 3’ Sales Could Hit 30 Million in First Year: Analyst

Apple could ship around 30 million 5G iPhone SE (3rd gen) devices in the first year after its potential debut this week, if an analyst is to be believed.

This Tuesday, March 8, Apple is set to host its “Peek Performance” event, set to begin at 10am PST/1PM EST, during which the Cupertino company is expected to announce an updated iPhone SE, along with a new Mac mini, among other things.

Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives (via Ped30) has laid out his expectations for what he calls the “highlight” of the event, a new $399 USD iPhone SE featuring an A15 bionic chip and 5G functionality, according to his Sunday research note.

“We do not expect major hardware design changes, as the Apple chip upgrade and 5G will be the headline of the event to further catalyze upgrades during this massive iPhone 13 led product cycle,” Ives writes.

With such technology at such an accessible price point, the analyst believes Apple has an opportunity to ship over 30 million units in its first year:

We estimate this new iPhone SE can translate into 30 million+ incremental units over the next year as globally there is pent up demand for this next SE based on recent supply chain checks. For the low price point and new specs/speed with multiple storage capabilities (64GB, 128GB, and 256GB), we believe the value proposition for consumers is a “standout” relative to competitors and could translate into some further Android share gains…

The $399 USD iPhone SE gives consumers a low-cost option to join Apple’s ecosystem and get their hands on an iOS device. If Apple can keep the cost where it is while adding 5G, the SE will be among the more affordable phones equipped with the latest connectivity standard.

Apple’s iPhone SE starts at $599 CAD in Canada.

We don’t know much else about the forthcoming iPhone SE, though a dual-camera setup and upgrades to the second generation iPhone SE’s 3G of RAM and 64GB of base storage would be welcome changes.