Apple has remained silent amid the rumors that a next-generation iPhone SE is in the works. There have been speculations that the iPhone SE 2 will arrive sometime this year, along with the other three rumored iPhone 2018 models. According to the latest scoop on the SE 2's manufacturing schedule, the device is about to enter mass production, although the process will be performed exclusively in India.
It was tipped that the iPhone SE 2 will be exclusively manufactured in India, although there are doubts whether this setup will push through. To note, Apple has already entered domestic partnership with Indian manufacturers last year. As for the current iPhone SE, only a portion of the total number of units are being made in India, with the bulk of the orders coming from China.
There could be a valid reason if ever Apple decides to go with an exclusive manufacturing deal in India. Although this move does not seem to benefit the company's sales, given that the iPhone SE 2 will not be sold exclusively in India. Apple has also established a good relationship with its manufacturing partners in China such as Pegatron and Foxconn, and there might be no need to find another partner to export products globally.
The source, Tekz24, also claimed earlier that the SE 2 will boast wireless charging capabilities with its glass back, although some find this information to be quite questionable as well. The original iPhone SE was introduced by Apple back in 2016, sporting a 4-inch display and having a striking similarity with the iPhone 5S. Since then, the handset only received a minor update by increasing the storage capacity options to 32GB and 128GB.
If there will be any major hardware refresh to be featured in the iPhone SE 2, they are expected to be limited to maintain the device's budget-friendly cost. One of the rumored changes is the use of A11 Fusion chip, the same mobile phone processor used in the current iPhone 8 model. Some sources suggest that the iPhone SE 2 will also include 3D Touch and Face ID system, although these will make the price exceed the $300 to $400 range.
