Apple might cancel or postpone iPhone SE 4 mass production reportedly planned for 2024, according to Kuo
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My latest survey indicates that Apple will likely cancel or postpone the mass production plan for the 2024 iPhone SE 4. I think this is due to the consistently lower-than-expected shipments of mid-to-low-end iPhones (e.g., SE 3, 13 mini, and 14 Plus),— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) December 21, 2022
Of course, as with anything that’s a rumor or a leak you should take it with a grain of salt, as Apple is quite secretive about its devices and plans, and nothing will be 100% certain before the actual official release of a device. There are three main reasons that Kuo underlines as possible points why Apple would consider canceling or postponing the release of the iPhone SE 4 for 2024. First off, we have the one we mentioned earlier, the fact that sales on lower-tier iPhones are not as great as Apple would probably want them to be.
It’s no secret that the iPhone SE from 2022 didn’t get as much attention or sales as probably expected. The same happened with the iPhone 13 mini, and even the iPhone 14 Plus.
On the other hand, Kuo also believes the change in plans for the iPhone SE 4 could be due to the larger screen that the device will reportedly have. A larger 6.1-inch screen could mean the cost of the phone will go up, and the same will have to reflect in the selling price.
That’s why Kuo thinks Apple will be reconsidering the placement of the iPhone SE 4 on the market. After all, it is supposed to be a budget-friendly, affordable iPhone, and you can just sell it for a mid-range price and still advertise it as “affordable”.
And the last point Kuo makes in his tweet is that Apple may be trying to alleviate expenses that come with a new product design and production. This, he believes, could be related to a more challenging economic situation that’s predicted for 2023.
(Image Source – Jon Prosser and FrontPageTech) Renders of the iPhone SE 4 showcasing how it may look
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean we won’t see an iPhone SE 4. It could only get delayed, or get released later than expected. There’s of course the chance Apple will decide to not make it… but there’s also the possibility that Cupertino will go with it and surprise Kuo and other analysts. We’ll just have to wait and see about that one!
iPhone SE 4 rumored specs and design
As we already mentioned, the iPhone SE 4 has spent some time in the rumor mill in the past couple of months. In October, reputable analyst Ross Young shared what he believed could be some of the specs the phone may rock.
He talked about the design being inspired by the iPhone XR from 2018 (the current iPhone SE, which is technically iPhone SE 3, has the iPhone 8 design). This means the 4 would get a 6.1-inch screen and a notch, and probably ditch the home button and fingerprint scanning for Face ID. (or, other rumors suggest the fingerprint scanner could be embedded in the power button).
As for a possible release date, it was somewhat expected the iPhone SE 4 to see the light of an official announcement around March or April 2024 (usually, Apple released budget-friendly iPhone SE models in the spring). And so far, that’s mostly what we’ve heard about the phone. For now, we’ll have to wait and see what more to expect from it. Stay tuned!
