The release of the iPhone SE 2 has been rumored for years. But it is now looking (sort of) plausible that it might land inside Q1 2020…
Remember the iPhone SE? Apple’s uber-popular 4in iPhone that was released in the wake of the iPhone 6 way back when? A sequel has been rumored for years. But in 2020 things really started to heat up, leading many to speculate that we might just see the iPhone SE 2 released in 2020.
So much so, in fact, that a slew of case-makers (it’s always case makers) are now actively prepping for the launch of the iPhone SE 2, despite the fact it has not yet been officially confirmed or acknowledged by Apple. Totallee is one such case maker that is now actively taking pre-orders for its iPhone SE 2 cases.
Isn’t This Just A Marketing Ploy?
I know what you’re thinking: this is just case makers’ using rumors about the iPhone SE 2 to generate more leads and traffic to their sites. The cynic in me is with you 100% on this – it happens all the time. Case makers are always leaking schematics and renders of upcoming phones.
And the reason is simple: the case market is insanely competitive. Giving yourself an edge is nigh-on impossible, so brands operating in the space have to resort to ulterior marketing methods (like taking pre-orders for phones that DO NOT exist).
But What If It’s ALL True?
Here’s the thing: everybody knows that Apple’s iPhone sales are struggling. It’s still making plenty of bank, thanks to the iPhone XR and iPhone 11, but it’s not killing it like it used to back in the day. The numbers are down year-on-year and they have been for a while.
And the reason? It’s the same thing that is killing off Sony, LG, and HTC – cheap phones from Chinese brands like OPPO, OnePlus, and Xiaomi. Punters are wising up to the fact that they don’t have to pay $1200 for an OLED display and triple-lens camera. They know they can get that for less than $450 from one of these new, plucky Chinese phone companies.
Put in this context, a $399.99 iPhone makes a lot of sense. Apple has ZERO presence in the lower end of the market, and the iPhone SE 2 could be just what the doctor ordered to help bolster its sales and market share (especially in emerging markets and outside the USA). But in order for this to work, it’d have to be a $399.99 phone (just like the Pixel 3a).
Any more and it wouldn’t be cheap enough compared to the iPhone 11, which retails for $699.99. And as for the specs? Well, most rumors seem to point to a mesh of iPhone 11 and iPhone 8 specs, combined inside a smaller chassis. Personally, I think that sounds great. And I know for a fact that if Apple released a $399.99 iPhone with an A13 CPU inside it, I’d be first in line to pick one up.