On October 1st local time, Apple is preparing to release a new low-end smartphone iPhone SE, as well as an upgraded version of iPad Air and accompanying keyboard products early next year.
According to insiders, Apple is about to produce an updated iPhone SE, which will become its new entry-level model. Anonymous sources said that Apple also plans to release a new iPad Air and keyboard around the same time, and these plans have not been made public yet. This release will be the first update for the iPhone SE since adding 5G functionality in 2022.
The new iPhone SE has two major changes compared to its predecessor. One is to abandon the Home button and use a frameless screen to replicate the iPhone 14. The current iPhone SE 3 is closer to the iPhone 8, which is the last standard version of the main iPhone to include the Home button, while the next generation iPhone SE 4 will replicate the design of the iPhone 14, with a notch screen at the top, just like the iPhone 14.
Secondly, the iPhone SE 4, like the iPhone 16 series released in September, will receive the support of Apple's personal intelligence system, Apple Intelligence, and will have the artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities of Apple Intelligence.
As for the new iPad Air, reports indicate that Apple will focus on internal improvements and equip the 11 inch and 13 inch versions of the new Air with upgraded Magic Keyboard keyboard accessories, allowing some features of the iPad Pro keyboard to enter the low-end market.
In addition, the report mentioned that Apple may launch a new iPad mini by the end of this year, and will also update the Mac mini, MacBook Pro, and iMac this year. The MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro will be equipped with M4 chips next year.
In addition to the above reports, other recent reports have also exposed the news of iPhone SE 4.
In terms of appearance, the report states that the design of iPhone SE 4 is similar to that of iPhone 14, featuring an OLED display for the first time and a larger size of 6.1 inches, far exceeding the 4.7-inch LCD screen of iPhone SE 3 and maintaining consistency with the main iPhone.
In terms of performance, it is reported that the iPhone SE 4 will be equipped with the A18 chip, which made its debut in the iPhone 16 series released by Apple in September, and is expected to switch from Touch ID to Face ID, marking the complete abandonment of the Home button in the iPhone.
Other related reports mentioning iPhone SE upgrade configurations include:
USB-C port replaces Lightning connector.
Introducing the Action button, which was first introduced on the iPhone 15 Pro.
A 5G modem designed by Apple.
The rear camera adopts a 48MP sensor, which is an upgrade from the 12MP sensor currently used in the iPhone SE3.
The RAM has increased to 8GB, which is twice the 4GB of the iPhone SE3.
In terms of pricing, the current iPhone SE 3 is priced at $429, which is $370 lower than the starting price of the standard version of the iPhone 16 series. The starting price of the Chinese version of the iPhone SE 3 is 3499 yuan, and the lowest starting price of the iPhone 16 series is 5999 yuan. There are reports that the iPhone SE 4 is expected to remain in the 3000 yuan price range.
Some comments suggest that Apple's iPhone SE upgrade looks more like a high-end iPhone product, which should help attract budget conscious consumers and potentially regain market share that was taken away by brands such as Huawei and Xiaomi.
After the news of the affordable iPhone SE came out, Apple's stock price narrowed its intraday decline on October 1st, ultimately closing down 2.91%.