Kuo: Apple will launch a new 5G iPhone SE in the first half of 2022

Iphone Se 2020 Hero (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

Apple will reportedly announce a new iPhone SE in the first half of next year.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the device will feature 5G connectivity.

Apple will announce a new iPhone SE in the first half of next year according to a new Ming-Chi Kuo research note seen by iMore. What's more, the new device will feature 5G and become the "cheapest 5G iPhone ever."

Kuo's note says that we shouldn't expect drastic changes compared with the outgoing 2020 iPhone SE beyond the addition of a beefier CPU and the aforementioned 5G radio. That's no huge surprise, with Apple using the device as an entry-level one that's designed to offer parents an inexpensive way to get kids into an iPhone rather than an Android device.

The current iPhone SE is popular, thanks in part to its relatively low asking price of just $399 in 64GB configuration. Kuo didn't mention any capacity changes and I suspect 64GB is the sweet spot at this price point.

Today's iPhone SE is the best iPhone for a whole bunch of people and that will continue to be the case with the 2022 model. Arrival in the first half of 2022 would make plenty of sense and Apple has generally launched its low-end iPhone in that part of the year, too.

Kuo also wrote about the 2022 iPhone 14 expectations including the loss of the 5.4-inch model. The return of Touch ID was also suggested as a big selling point for the new flagship devices – something the $399 iPhone SE already boasts today.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.