The next version of Apple's budget iPhone SE could arrive in the first half of 2022 and look very similar to the current design that's based on the iPhone 8, according to a new report from Nikkei Asia. The main upgrades in the new model will be Apple's A15 chip that will appear first in the 2021 flagship iPhone 13 lineup, as well as 5G support provided by Qualcomm's X60 modem chip.
Just yesterday, a report from DigiTimes claimed that the 2022 iPhone SE will include an A14 chip rather than the A15 chip Nikkei is claiming.
With the next iPhone SE remaining similar in design to the current model, it will retain a 4.7-inch LCD rather than shifting to a larger LCD or an OLED display. The report doesn't specifically address whether the new model will include a Home button, but the consistent design suggests that a Touch ID Home button will be included on the new model.
The budget 5G iPhone is set to hit the market as early as the first half of 2022, sources briefed on the matter said. It will be powered by Apple's own A15 processor -- the same chip that will go into this year's premium iPhones -- and its 5G connectivity will be enabled by Qualcomm's X60 modem chip, they added.
The report also corroborates other recent claims that the 2022 flagship iPhone lineup will not include a 5.4-inch "mini" model, as sales of the iPhone 12 mini have proven disappointing. Instead, Apple will introduce a second 6.7-inch model, apparently yielding two "iPhone 14" and two "iPhone 14 Pro" models, each in 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch sizes.
"It is pretty much decided that there won't be a Mini next year, and there will be a relatively cost-effective version of the largest iPhone Pro Max instead. However, the designs for the detailed specifications for the four new models next year are not yet locked in," one of the people with direct knowledge of the matter told Nikkei Asia.
Nikkei Asia says this year's iPhone 13 lineup should begin mass production next month, with Apple set to produce as many as 95 million units through the end of January. Overall, Apple is expected to produce 230 million iPhones in 2021, an 11% increase compared to 2020.
