The cheapest phone that you can currently buy from Apple is the iPhone SE 2022. For a starting price of $429, it gets you the same A15 Bionic chip as the $599 iPhone 13 mini. Apple didn't revive the iPhone mini last year, which means that this year's most affordable iPhone will likely start at $799. For a while, there was hope that the iPhone SE will get a successor sometime soon. But if a new report is to be believed, the general public won't be able to buy the iPhone SE 4.
We have been hearing rumors about a more modern looking iPhone SE for well over two years. It was expected to ditch the current model's stale design and LCD screen. The most recent report said that it could arrive in 2025 with an in-house 5G modem.
Apple wants to keep the iPhone SE 4 for itself
Well-known insider Ming-Chi Kuo has thrown cold water on that rumor. Apparently, the iPhone 14-like model thought to be the iPhone SE 4 was an engineering prototype for a custom-built 5G baseband chip. So even though Apple may produce some units for testing purposes, the model will never be mass-produced.
In a bid to reduce reliance on Qualcomm's 5G chip, Apple has been trying to make its own modem. If the iPhone SE prototype performs as intended, we may see a commercial Apple phone with an in-house 5G chip in 2025.
Kuo hasn't said whether an iPhone SE is in Apple's foreseeable roadmap at all. Signs don't look very promising though. We have heard multiple back-and-forth reports about the cancelation of the next iPhone SE. The current model reportedly didn't do well. Given that the mini models were also not a success, it can be theorized that most people just don't want small phones.
Apple's customers seem more into the pricier Pro models, which is apparently why the company is readying an Ultra model that will succeed the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.
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