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Apple's 2018 iPhone Lineup May Include Second-Generation iPhone SE

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Apple is planning to launch a second-generation iPhone SE in 2018 to target the mid-range smartphone market, according to a new report on predicted global smartphone production growth in 2018 shared this morning by Taiwanese market research firm TrendForce.

The first iPhone SE was introduced in the spring of 2016, and it saw no updates in 2017. For that reason, it's been unclear if Apple plans to continue on with the iPhone SE line, but in addition to the information from TrendForce, a recent rumor from Taiwan's Economic Daily News has suggested a new 4-inch device is in the works.

iphonesearray-800x620.jpg

A new iPhone SE could come during the first half of 2018, and it is reportedly being assembled by Taiwanese Apple supplier Wistron at its factory in Bangalore, India. We don't know what specs a new iPhone SE might include, but the original has hardware from the iPhone 6s, including an A9 chip, 2GB RAM, and a 12-megapixel rear camera.

In addition to a new version of the iPhone SE, TrendForce says new flagship iPhones in 2018 will include improved Face ID, more memory, and AMOLED displays for two models, in line with previous 2018 iPhone rumors we've heard pointing towards a second-generation 5.8-inch OLED iPhone X, a larger ~6.5-inch OLED "iPhone X Plus," and a ~6.1-inch iPhone with an LCD display.
iPhone X sparked a heated discussion in 2017, but iPhone's production volume increased by only 3% over 2016 due to the technical barriers in improving yield rate of innovative models. With regard to the supply chain, new iPhones in 2018 will continue to improve Face ID technology, screen to body ratio, etc., moreover, the company plans to increase the memory content and embed AMOLED display in two of its models. [...]

In terms of biometric recognition, iPhone will continue to feature Face ID while other brands will use mainly capacitive fingerprint sensors in the first half of 2018 due to existing technical barriers.
Click to expand...
Apple's iPhone lineup will continue to focus on Face ID, according to TrendForce, while other smartphone manufacturers will stick with capacitive fingerprint sensors in the first half of 2018 due to an inability to match Apple's technology. Later in 2018, the first smartphones using under-display fingerprint technology will enter mass production.

TrendForce believes Apple's iPhone production will expand in 2018, leading to volume growth of 7.5 percent. Samsung won't fare quite as well, though, due to "fierce competition" from rivals that include Apple and Chinese smartphone manufacturers. While Samsung will continue to remain the top smartphone manufacturer worldwide, TrendForce predicts a 3 percent drop in production volume.

Overall, TrendForce estimates that 1.46 billion smartphones were produced in 2017, with that number set to increase an estimated five percent to 1.53 billion units in 2018.

Article Link: Apple's 2018 iPhone Lineup May Include Second-Generation iPhone SE
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2018/01/02/apple-iphone-se-2-2018/
Yeah, like many I hope this rumour is true.

I have stuck with my iPhone SE, as I really dislike the size and curved edge feel of the 6/6s/7/8/X etc..

So a new one with a few spec improvements would be a day-one purchase for me.
Fingers crossed....
 
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Choices are always good. There is no better phone than the other, it all comes down to preference, from the 4 inch phone to the phablet X Plus that I'm gonna shell out my mortgage for. This is great news and everybody wins. Some people prefer the smaller footprint with TouchID and headphone jack, that's great for them.
 
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Relentless Power said:
When the iPhone SE was released in March 2016, it had the exact same internals as the iPhone 6S, which was Apples latest iPhone offered at the time. So it was not Technically behind a generation.
Click to expand...

Exactly, giving the newer internals allows apple to not upgrade it as frequently. A10 is already 1.5 years old, if Apple does another 2 year cycle for the SE2 then the processor will be 3.5 years old by that point...
 
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dominiongamma said:
It will be on par with the 7 at the most, se is always a generation behind
Click to expand...

Headphone jack will be the biggest selling point. I hate having 2 pairs of earbuds all the time, one to plug into my Macbook Air, and one for my iPhone now. I admit, it's a losing battle as I'm sure the 3.5mm jack will be phased out entirely in time. But then Apple needs to update their laptops with the same audio ports their phones use.
 
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Maybe it's gonna be a "mini" version of iPhone 8 sprinkled with dual camera, or it's the iPhone X shape with TFT display and aluminum back.
Either one, I guess they'll ditch the jack.
 
Relentless Power said:
When the iPhone SE was released in March 2016, it had the exact same internals as the iPhone 6S, which was Apples latest iPhone offered at the time. So it was not Technically behind a generation.
Click to expand...

Not true. It lacked:

- the better front facing camera (still used the same as on the 5s)
- the faster TouchID 2.0
- 3D touch

So sadly, it kept a lot of the 5s stuff. In the end, it just got faster with a better rear camera.
 
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Relentless Power said:
When the iPhone SE was released in March 2016, it had the exact same internals as the iPhone 6S, which was Apples latest iPhone offered at the time. So it was not Technically behind a generation.
Click to expand...

No 3D touch, first gen fingerprint sensor, horrible front camera. So not exactly a 6s. Still great if you like small and cheap.
 
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Kobayagi said:
Not true. It lacked:

- the better front facing camera (still used the same as on the 5s)
- the faster TouchID 2.0
- 3D touch
Click to expand...

ectospheno said:
No 3D touch, first gen fingerprint sensor, horrible front camera. So not exactly a 6s. Still great if you like small and cheap.
Click to expand...

You misconstrued my post. It wasn't listing hardware specifications, it was was referring to the processor and RAM being exactly the same as the iPhone 6s, hence why I stated internal specifications.
 
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Relentless Power said:
You didn't read my post correctly. It wasn't listing hardware specifications, it was was referring to the processor and RAM being exactly the same as the iPhone 6s, hence why I stated internal specifications.
Click to expand...

I can read. Thanks for asking.

You SE fans are acting like it is a 6s. It isn't as anyone who ever used a 6s can attest.

Lets say you all get your dream of 8 "internals" in an SE form factor. So what. It will still feel like a childs toy and will have a screen suitable for texting and selfies. But hey, its cheap so...
 
Too bad it probably won’t get a bigger screen. I dislike the slippery feel of my 6 but not sure I’d want to downsize the screen to get the SE design.
 
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