According to the rumor mille, Apple will release an updated iPhone SE in May. The rumors apparently surfaced from case makers who spoke with Japanese website Mac Otakara at the Global Sources Mobile Electronics trade show in Hong Kong last week.
The case makers said the second-generation model will retain the same physical size as the current iPhone SE, and Touch ID is expected to remain, suggesting the device will continue to have a four-inch display sandwiched between top and bottom bezels for the home button, camera, and earpiece.
The case makers also stated that they do not expect the next-gen iPhone SE to have a 3.5mm headphone jack. Instead, the handset is expected to feature a Lightning port. If accurate, and should Apple discontinue the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus in September, the company will no longer be selling any iPhone model with a headphone jack.
Like the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, the new iPhone SE will supposedly be powered by Apple’s last-generation A10 Fusion chip, up to 40 percent faster than the A9 processor in the current iPhone SE. The chip will likely enable support for the HEIF image format and HEVC video compression standard.
It’s also speculated that the next-gen iPhone SE may feature a glass back with wireless charging capabilities, like the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X. This feature remains speculative at this time.
WWDC 2018 in June could also provide Apple with stage time to introduce the new iPhone SE, but that hasn’t happened since the iPhone 4 in 2010.
Apple is likely most focused on making under-the-hood improvements to the iPhone SE, as the device is now outdated by a few years. At its $349 price point, its new design is unlikely to resemble the iPhone X.
Apple hasn’t fully refreshed the iPhone SE since it launched in March 2016, but it did double its available storage capacities to 64GB and 128GB in March 2017. It also dropped the device’s starting price to $349 last September.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via MacRumors and Mac Otakara