'iPhone SE 2' Said to Have Entered Final Production Verification Stage Ahead of Launch

[MacRumors]

Apple's rumored lower-cost iPhone model recently entered the final phase of production verification at an assembly plant in Zhengzhou, China, according to industry sources cited by Taiwanese publication DigiTimes.

A paywalled preview of the report:

New LCD iPhone enters final verification stage
Apple will soon introduce a new LCD iPhone series, dubbed tentatively SE2, which has recently entered the final phase of verification at an assembly plant in Zhengzhou, China, according to industry sources.

Apple is widely expected to announce an entry-level iPhone dubbed "iPhone SE 2" or "iPhone 9" within the next few months. The device is expected to resemble the iPhone 8, with a 4.7-inch LCD screen and a Touch ID home button, but with a faster A13 chip and an increased 3GB of RAM. Pricing is estimated to start at around $399 with 64GB of storage in the United States.

Last month, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple still plans to release the iPhone in the first half of 2020. Multiple reports have indicated that Apple aims to announce the device by the end of March, but those plans may change due to the uncertainty of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus outbreak around the world.

With major tech conferences like Google I/O and Facebook F8 having been cancelled on a physical basis due to public health considerations, it sounds increasingly unlikely that Apple will host a March event as rumored. Apple could always announce the lower-cost iPhone and other products with press releases, while offering one-on-one briefings with the media in Cupertino and New York City.

Even if the lower-cost iPhone is announced in March, initial supply may be limited until Foxconn and other Apple suppliers resume normal operations and ramp up mass production in the second quarter.

Article Link: 'iPhone SE 2' Said to Have Entered Final Production Verification Stage Ahead of Launch

 

[nicho]

I love faceid and all, but i'd seriously consider ditching my iphone X for one of these if it comes with the a13 and a 256GB storage option. faceid is no fun when wearing a face mask.

 

[austyn23]

My 11 Pro is already for sale, bring it on SE2!

 

[mcilwraith]

good, low cost iPhones are very welcome! same great iOS, affordable handset = winner

 

[ruslan120]

Woohoo! Might snag one of these depending on the camera as a second camera phone.

My 11 Pro is already for sale, bring it on SE2!

Why? (Just wondering)

 

[azentropy]

I love faceid and all, but i'd seriously consider ditching my iphone X for one of these if it comes with the a13 and a 256GB storage option. faceid is no fun when wearing a face mask.

LOL, but touchid doesn't work well when wearing gloves either!

 

[Swazaloo]

I love faceid and all, but i'd seriously consider ditching my iphone X for one of these if it comes with the a13 and a 256GB storage option. faceid is no fun when wearing a face mask.

You could add an "Alternate Appearance" of yourself wearing the mask.
[automerge]1583336585[/automerge]

 

[Plutonius]

I hope Apple hasn't decided to call it the SE 2 .

 

[thadoggfather]

an actual leak of the device would be so hot right now

 

[gaximus]

I don't think it'll be called the SE2, its obviously an iPhone 9.

 

[Pearple]

Due to the Corona-Outbreak, Apple has faced serious problems regarding shortage of Displays and Cases. In a swift manner, Apple has redesigned the components to fit in the housing of the original iPhone SE as there are still enough SE Displays and Cases available at the factories.

 

[gaximus]

You could add an "Alternate Appearance" of yourself wearing the mask.
[automerge]1583336585[/automerge]

This only works if your goggles allow IR light through, mine did not.

 

[John Connor]

We've been hearing about this for so long. I'm (almost) bored of it before it's even out.

Also...surely calling it iPhone 9 is ridiculous?

 

[JosephAW]

Eventually I'll need to retire my 7 plus and I think my next iPhone will be a lesser model in power and size because of the costs.
That $599 deal with sprint was the best hope for me. Maybe this will be my next driver.

 

[peterpayne]

Also...surely calling it iPhone 9 is ridiculous?

It could make sense if they market it as "iPhone 9: the missing link" or something like that. An iPhone 9 was never released and it would fit betweeen the 8 and the X if the rumored specs are true.

 

[Mr. Awesome]

I don't think it'll be called the SE2, its obviously an iPhone 9.

Also...surely calling it iPhone 9 is ridiculous?

I know it sounds unlikely, but Apple could theoretically call it the iPhone 11R, iPhone 11C, iPhone 11E, or iPhone 11 Mini or something. Just to keep it in the "iPhone 11 Lineup."

It's probably not going to happen, but it's a possibility. (I actually kind of like "iPhone 11E," to be honest...)

 

[recoil80]

Going to buy it in a couple of years when price will be low to replace my parent's old iPhones. Some people like them still like the home button

 

[TheShadowKnows!]

I love my SE.
It is all I want from a "one-handed" mobile communicator.
And fits on my front tight pants without a problem.

Love it so much, that I plan to have its battery replaced, and not buy this hideous SE Mk2.

For now, though, my SE is showing (via coconutBattery running on my MBP) 1386mAh/1624mAh or 85.3% of Design Capacity at 100% Full Charge with 210 cycle count.

SE ::= A winning design, at least for those that do rely on the phone as their only computing device.
(And for those that have no interest on feeding the beast at $1000+ a click.)

 

[nicho]

I know it sounds unlikely, but Apple could theoretically call it the iPhone 11R, iPhone 11C, iPhone 11E, or iPhone 11 Mini or something. Just to keep it in the "iPhone 11 Lineup."

It's probably not going to happen, but it's a possibility. (I actually kind of like "iPhone 11E," to be honest...)

But with no faceid it wouldn't look iPhone 11ey at all!

 

[cb3]

Should I wait 14 days before opening the box? 😬

Here is hoping this is a winner!

 

[Attirex]

After paying 1k for my iPhone X and then realizing I never leave the house (i.e., don't really need a 1k mobile device I barely use), this could be the phone for me. I also find Face ID kind of annoying.

 

[CrazyForCashews]

Finally we can put the "SE 2" name to rest.

 

[Falhófnir]

Sounds like a winning formula to me, I am interested in replacing my 8 plus as long as they can close the battery life gap a little (which is conceivable if it really is a little thicker than the 8 and jettisons the 3D touch layer).

 

[Cosmosent]

Which image sensors it gets will determine its ultimate market success.

The initial surge of buyers will probably have NO clue, AND/OR won't care.

But AFTER that, the image sensors may dominate the Buy / Don't Buy decision.

And here I'm referring to younger "potential" iPhone buyers who will care greatly.

My gut feeling is that it will get the same image sensor that the XR, XS, & XS Max have for their Back Wide Camera, which is ALSO the same one that the 11, 11 Pro, & 11 Pro Max have for their Front Camera.

Economies of Scale will be the #1 reason to go with it (i.e., Apple gets better pricing across the board for ALL the camera modules that use it).

The rumored 3 GB is probably NOT accurate; it will very-likely have ~2.8 GB of DRAM, just like the X & XR ! ... which makes these two UN-usable with High Perf Camera Apps !

 

[tripleburst]

It's just going to be called the "iPhone". Just like the base iPad is just called "iPad".