The iPhone 11 model depicted in the render above is pretty much all anyone can talk about right now, which certainly makes sense considering we’re less than one week away from seeing Apple finally make them official. The iPhone 11 Pro pictured above and its iPhone 11 Pro Max counterpart will reportedly be this year’s successors to the iPhone XS and XS Max, flagship models with killers specs and sky-high prices tags. They’ll feature new triple-lens rear cameras and a tweaked design to go along with a new A13 processor that pushes performance to new heights. Then, for those who don’t want to spend over $1,000 on a new smartphone, the new iPhone 11 will replace Apple’s current-generation iPhone XR lineup. It’ll be a lot like the iPhone 11 Pro models but with slightly less impressive specs, an LCD screen in place of the Pro models’ OLED, a dual-lens rear camera instead of the new triple-lens shooter, and a variety of color options.
The iPhone 11 will indeed be less expensive than Apple’s high-end iPhone 11 Pro models, but it’s still expected to start at $750 like Apple’s current iPhone XR models. And with its 6.1-inch display, the iPhone 11 will also still fall squarely into the “phablet” category, leaving people who want a more manageable iPhone without any options unless they want to buy the 2-year-old iPhone 8 or the 3-year-old iPhone 7. Even then, the phones’ 4.7-inch screen and large bezels still make them fairly sizeable. As it turns out, there might be a fourth new iPhone model that’s more compact coming in the next-generation iPhone product cycle, and the news comes from a source that has accurately leaked Apple’s plans in the past.
Japanese financial news service Nikkei has a mixed track record when it comes to leaking Apple’s plans. It has gotten plenty wrong in the past — and we do mean plenty — but it has also spilled the beans on a number of products that ended up being accurate. For that reason, iPhone fans looking for a more compact and affordable iPhone option from Apple have reason to be optimistic. Why? Because Nikkei reported on Wednesday morning that Apple plans to finally release a new version of the iPhone SE early next year.
The report cites multiple unnamed sources in claiming that Apple will release the next-generation iPhone SE this coming spring. Often referred to as the iPhone SE 2, rumors have claimed time and time again that Apple was working on a successor to its original iPhone SE, which debuted in 2016 and started at just $399. Now, the new Nikkei report suggests that Apple fans might finally get the affordable new iPhone that they’ve been waiting for.
Nikkei says the new iPhone SE 2 will be a bit larger than the first-generation model, possibly around the same size as the iPhone 8, but the specs will thankfully be in line with other 2019 iPhone models.
The size of the new model will be similar to the 4.7-inch iPhone 8 that was introduced in 2017, three sources said. The model will share most of the same components with the flagship iPhones this year, and it will feature the lower-cost liquid crystal display that will help Apple achieve the lower starting price-tag, although the final pricing for the model is not yet settled, the people said.
Why might Apple finally be planning to release the iPhone SE 2 now? Nikkei says it’ll be an effort to combat lower-priced Android rivals and help stop the iPhone sales decline Apple has struggled with in recent years.
“The cheaper iPhone SE could serve as a sales momentum kicker the first half next year, if the new premium iPhones do not perform well in the coming months,” GF Securities Jeff Pu told Nikkei. Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute analyst Eddie Han added, “Apple is facing quite a tough year in terms of smartphone competition. A new iPhone SE could at least help Apple secure its user base.”
