New Report Claims iPhone SE 2 to Debut for $600+ at WWDC

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Apple is widely rumored to be working on a successor for its popular iPhone SE device. And today, a supply chain report might shed a bit more light on what that so-called iPhone SE 2 could look like.

The report comes from Chinese news site QQ.com and cites sources who are extremely close to Apple’s supply chain in Asia. And while the QQ.com report lines up with rumors that have been circulating since last August, the publication’s sources have revealed new possible details about the device. The report was first spotted by Italian outlet KeyforWeb.It.

New iPhone SE 2 Rumors

Specifications

For one, the iPhone SE 2 is expected to be a thoroughly mid-range device. That means it won’t adopt some of the higher-end features of the iPhone X. Rather, the second-generation iPhone will appear similar to the current iPhone SE, complete with top and bottom bezels, a Home button, and a metal back construction.

That means no gesture-based controls, no wireless charging, and likely no Face ID. QQ.com corroborated the fact that the iPhone SE 2 will likely retail Touch ID as its primary authentication method.

Interestingly, the sources also claim that the device will sport a slightly larger 4.2-inch display. While that might make the device a bit more unwieldy in the hand, Apple could slim down the bezels to pack some extra display real estate into the same form factor.

As far as its internals, the Chinese news site says that the device will pack an upgraded A10 Fusion chipset and 2GB of RAM. Two storage configurations will be available: 32GB or 128GB.

Pricing

QQ.com’s sources say that the iPhone SE 2 will retail for about 4,000 yuan when it launches. That’s roughly $630. Which is quite a bit more than the $399 mid-range price point for the current 16GB iPhone SE.

On the other hand, Apple’s devices typically retail for slightly more in other countries than they do in the U.S. The present model 16GB iPhone SE, for example, currently retails for about 2,988 yuan in China. That’s $470 in U.S. currency, and about a $70 markup over the U.S. price.

All things considered, the rumored iPhone SE 2 could still fit within Apple’s mid-range pricing (Estimates were made via Google’s currency converter.)

Release Date

The report claims that Apple will unveil the iPhone SE 2 at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

That’s not outside of the realm of possibility. Apple has unveiled iPhone devices at the event in the past — though the last time it did so was with the iPhone 4 in 2010.

Previous iPhone SE 2 Rumors

Reports about a possible second-generation iPhone SE 2 first surfaced in August 2017. Many of them claimed the device could play a central role in Apple’s “Made in India” strategy.

Notably, today’s QQ.com rumors line up extremely well with a previous spec rumor about the iPhone SE 2. Last year, India-based news site Tekz24 reported that the device could sport an A10 Fusion CPU and 2GB of RAM, and that it would come in 32GB and 128GB configurations.

Additionally, other reports corroborate the fact that the iPhone SE 2 won’t be upgraded with wireless charging or Face ID.

A June announcement date at WWDC is a possibility, and is supported by analyst forecasts. But it’s worth noting that Apple could just as likely announce the iPhone SE 2 in March — which would line up with the company’s track record for the 4-inch device.

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]

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