iPhone 8

What you need to know

  • Kuo says iPhone SE 2 will cost $399.
  • The phone will launch in Q1 2020.
  • It will feature an Apple A13 chip.

Renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has a new reseach note out in which he goes into further detail about iPhone SE 2. The new entry-level phone will slot in below iPhone XR at $399, Kuo believes.

The analyst has a particularly solid track record when it comes to such predictions. So when he says that the handset will look more like an iPhone 8 than the original iPhone SE he's likely to be correct. That's bad news for those who enjoyed the smaller 4-inch screen of iPhone SE, but there is at least some good news around the corner.

Top of the list is the belief that the phone will come with an Apple A13 chip inside. That's the same chip that powers iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro so that's more than enough oomph.. You'll also get Space Gray, Silver, and Red color options which is pretty sweet. Storage capacities of 64GB and 128GB will be offered when the phone goes on sale in Q1 2020 as well.

All of that appears to make sense, but the ability to pick up an iPhone with an A13 chip inside, costing just $399, is a huge deal.

The only real question I have left is the name. Kuo has repeatedly gone with iPhone SE 2, but that's possibly because it's easily identifiable as the low cost iPhone. I'm more inclined to think we'll see iPhone 11R or iPhone 9. But iPhone 11R is a problem when iPhone XR will still be around and cost more. The numbers don't quite make sense.

But iPhone 9? That's one lower than 10, which makes it easier for people to understand when making a buying decision. The new phone will have an LCD display, no Face ID, but will have Touch ID. That's a pre-iPhone X configuration if ever there was one. Hence, iPhone 9. It's likely iPhone 8 would be removed from sale at the same time, too. Apple doesn't need five different iPhones no sale at the same time.

Let us know what you make of the name in the comments!