iPhone SE 2 Fake MockupSource: iMore

What you need to know

  • The "iPhone SE 2" might start production next month.
  • Apple has been rumored to be readying the release of a low-cost iPhone.
  • The new phone is reported to debut at a $399 price point.

Apple has long been rumored on releasing a sucessor to the beloved iPhone SE, and it sounds like that may finally begin to come to fruition next month.

According to a new report by Bloomberg, suppliers for the company are planning to begin assembling a new low-cost iPhone in February, say people familiar with the plan. One person familiar with the matter also mentioned that Apple may announce the new device as soon as March.

This is quite possible, as Apple has hosted a few March events in the past to announce new products and services. Just last year, Apple used a March event to announce its slew of new services including Apple News+, Apple Arcade, Apple TV+, and Apple Card.

As earlier reported, the new low-cost iPhone will look similar in design to the iPhone 8 and feature a 4.7-inch display, Touch ID instead of Face ID, moves that will help keep the price of the new phone at a more entry-level price. The phone may, however, be powered by Apple's latest A13 Bionic processor and debut at a $399 starting price point. This is also a reasonable prediction as the iPhone SE was priced at $399 when it originally debuted in 2016.

The new low-cost iPhone is set to join a number of new iPhones that will be released throughout the year. With the first 5G iPhones reportedly on the way, we could see an "iPhone SE 2", "iPhone 12", and "iPhone 12 Pro" with non-5G and 5G models all released by the end of the year.