Chinese news website QQ.com has just released a new supply chain report that confirms earlier rumours of a new iPhone SE 2 to be released later in 2018.
According to the report, the SE will not replicate the iPhone X’s looks, but will instead be aimed at the lower end of the market. It will look quite similar to the original iPhone SE, with a home button, top and bottom bezels in front and a metal frame and back.
One of the main differences will reportedly be a bigger 4.2-inch display, although this is rather doubtful since it might make it more difficult to use the phone in one hand, which some users prefer.
Apple will probably concentrate on improving what’s under the hood of the iPhone SE. The report says the new SE 2 will feature a faster A10 Fusion chip, but that RAM will remain at 2GB with storage limited to a maximum of 128GB.
According to the report, Apple intends to release the iPhone SE 2 in June at the annual WWDC conference. Another possibility that has been mentioned is that the company could launch the device at a smaller media event before the end of next month.
Other sources that also reported about a possible release of a new iPhone SE earlier this year include research company TrendForce and the Economic Daily News.
Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at KGI Securities, recently expressed doubts about this possibility though. If a new SE 2 is released this year, he expects a lower price and a faster processor instead of features resembling the iPhone X.
The present iPhone SE has a 4-inch screen and 2GB of RAM, a 3.5MM headphone jack, a 12MP rear camera and Touch ID. It is powered by an A9 chip and its retail price starts at £349.