Apple patrons may get their hands on the iPhone SE 2 as early as this summer.
A new report from Digitimes analyst Luke Lin says the Cupertino-based company is working on four next-generation flagship iPhones, contradicting the popular claim that there are only three. Among them are supposedly a 5.7- to 5.8-inch and a 6.0- to 6.1-inch device with Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), and a 6.0- to 6.1-inch and a 6.4- to 6.5-inch with Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) display. However, there is one more in development targeted at budget- and size-conscious consumers: the sequel to the iPhone SE.
A welcome entrant in 2016, the $400 iPhone SE sports the same design as the iPhone 5s but houses more modern internal components and a fingerprint scanner. It is thinner and cheaper than any other iPhone that Apple sells, only measuring 2.31 inches across, compared to the iPhone 8's 2.65 inches, or the iPhone X's 2.79 inches.
According to Lin, its successor will enter mass production sometime in the second quarter for a May or June release. Assuming he is reporting in Apple's fiscal quarters, that could mean that the phone is already in production right now or could start as late as March.
As Apple has not refreshed the handset's design when it upgraded its storage capacity last year, the iPhone SE 2 will likely retain the overall design, only upgrading the innards yet again. Lin does claim that the new version may offer wireless charging support to align it with the rest of its current lineup. This means it could have a glass or plastic back as the technology does not work with metal back, matching previous rumors about a forthcoming four-inch iPhone SE 2 with a glass rear.
The Taiwan-based publication has a mixed track record when it comes to Apple's product plans. While its sources within the upstream supply chain have proven reliable before, it is hard to say the same about its research predictions. Thus, the aforementioned should be taken with a grain of salt.
