iPhone SE 2 launch still on track for this spring despite coronavirus fears
Expect the new cheap iPhone to be released in the first half of this year
While tech and gadgets are not susceptible to coronavirus in the same way the people are, the outbreak is still having a major effect on some major brands. Fortunately, that doesn’t seem to include Apple and its upcoming mid-range phone, likely named the iPhone SE 2.
MacRumors has seen a new investor note, written by the reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, that states that the iPhone SE 2, expected to launch at some point in mid-March, is still on track for its release in the first half of 2020. There is some ambiguity in this wording, as it could mean that the March launch may happen a little late, but it could also just refer to the date the phones hit store shelves.
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Kuo’s note mostly refers to smartphone camera lenses, which reveals that the iPhone SE 2 will use a 6-element plastic lens, rather than the more sophisticated 7-element lenses. This makes sense since the iPhone 8, the chassis of which the iPhone SE 2 is rumored to be using, also used a 6P lens.
The iPhone SE 2 (also known as the iPhone 9 depending on the exact source) won’t be all old tech however. The rumors we’ve heard so far, many also coming from Kuo, say it will use a modern A13 Bionic CPU like the iPhone 11 series, and could get a new side-mounted Touch ID sensor on the SE 2 Plus variant. The SE 2 will be Apple’s first cheap iPhone since the original iPhone SE, and is expected to cost around $400, far less than the iPhone 11.
Other rumors from Apple’s supply chain have said that the next premium iPhone, the iPhone 12, will see delays due to production hold-ups, but that the new phones will still make their expected debut date in September.
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Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.