According to analyst, who makes his predictions based on sources in the supply chain, they may not receive a new iPhone SE in 2024. Following his prediction last month that a fourth-generation iPhone SE could be canceled or delayed, Kuo wrote on Friday in a blog post that Apple had canceled plans for the phone’s production and shipment.
According to Kuo, Apple’s lower-end phones were not selling as well as the company had hoped (in September, Bloomberg reported that there was more demand for iPhone 14 Pros than regular iPhone 14s) and concerns that a further price increase for the lineup might make it less appealing to buyers who are concerned about their budgets.
It won’t necessarily come as a surprise if Apple doesn’t release an iPhone SE in 2024. Kuo and Nikkei Asia reported in March that just a few weeks after the iPhone SE was released, Apple was already reducing the number of units it planned to produce.
Even though they haven’t heard much about how the phone has been selling since then, it would be understandable if Apple didn’t rush to make a follow-up to a phone that didn’t make a lot of money. This is especially true considering that the economy and big tech companies could have a hard time in 2023.
Since the more affordable model has only gone through three iterations, it’s unlikely that Apple would set a new model release record after two years.
There was a gap of four years between the first model and the third-generation iPhone SE, which was released two years after the second. However, it would be disappointing for Apple to see the line fail once more, especially considering that my colleague Sean Hollister had suggested that the next model would return to the iPhone Mini’s design.
Qualcomm, which manufactures the 5G modems for the presently available iPhones, may not be saddened by the possibility of the iPhone SE being discontinued. Kuo claims that Apple planned to test its own versions of the chips in the upcoming iPhone SE before incorporating them into its flagship models. He says that Apple’s modems haven’t been working as well as Qualcomm’s, so the company needs to start over. He also says that the iPhone 16 in 2024 will probably still use Qualcomm modems, which is supported by the chipmaker’s own predictions that it won’t lose Apple as a major source of revenue until 2025.
All of this information should be taken with a grain of salt. Plans could alter in 2024, which is still a year away. Additionally, despite Kuo’s general dependability, no rumor source is flawless. He has stated that Apple’s virtual reality headset would be available in 2022 and then in January 2023, but he has repeatedly pushed back his predictions. He said on Friday that “issues with mechanical component drop testing and the availability of software development tools.”
However, if Kuo is correct about either or both of these predictions, it paints an unsettling picture for Apple, especially when combined with other reports such as the one that Apple had to reduce its plans for the A16 chip in the iPhone 14 Pro due to rare engineering errors. Tim Cook, the company’s chief executive officer, is well-known for maintaining order, particularly in the supply chain. However, the ongoing effects of the pandemic, a weakening economy, and tense political situations worldwide are putting those skills to the test.