Will Apple Keep the Old iPhone SE Around at a Lower Cost?

Apple is rumored to be introducing an upgraded version of the iPhone SE as soon as March 8, the prospective date of the company's first event of 2022. The new ‌iPhone SE‌ is expected to be priced at $399 and it will be replacing the current ‌iPhone SE‌, but will Apple keep the older model around and drop the price as it sometimes does when new iPhones come out?

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In his most recent "Power On" newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggested that Apple could potentially keep the 2020 ‌iPhone SE‌ around, dropping the price to somewhere around $199. At this price point, Apple would be able to capture market share in places like Africa, India, and South America, where people gravitate toward lower-cost Android devices.

Apple has never had a sub-$200 iPhone before, with the entry-level $399 ‌iPhone SE‌ positioned as the cheapest ‌iPhone‌ that's been released to date, but as Gurman suggests, component costs are low enough that Apple might be willing to consider an even more affordable ‌iPhone‌ option.

Bill-of-material estimates from two years ago pegged the hardware cost of the iPhone SE at around $200, meaning a $199 price tag would be a money-loser. But time and economies of scale have probably made that cost much lower by now. Would the cost be low enough for Apple to earn its typical profit margins? No, but the chance to sell services and other products to big new markets could make up for that.

Most of Apple's focus is on its flagship devices, with Apple never seriously targeting the low-end smartphone market, but Apple is known for keeping older iPhones around and offering them at more affordable price points when introducing new devices. With the iPhone 13, for example, Apple dropped the price of the iPhone 12 and kept it around. 2019's ‌iPhone‌ 11 is also still available for purchase, and at $499, is Apple's most affordable device next to the ‌iPhone SE‌.

Gurman argues that if Apple does end up keeping the old ‌iPhone SE‌ around and selling it for a ~$199 price point, Apple could see notable sales in developing markets and create long-term services revenue while growing the iOS ecosystem.

Such a device would also allow Apple to replace the long outdated iPod touch, which has gone several years without an update. The iPod touch has seen no updates since 2019 and is still using an A10 Fusion chip. Apple sells the 32GB iPod touch for $199, so a $199 ‌iPhone SE‌ would be a solid replacement.

Gurman has confirmed that there is no sign that Apple actually plans to keep the older ‌iPhone SE‌ around as a lower cost alternative, but it's clear there's incentive. Either way, Apple is poised to bring us a new ‌iPhone SE‌ that features the same general design but chip upgrades and 5G connectivity.

Well-respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said that the 2022 iPhone SE will be Apple's cheapest 5G iPhone to date, bringing faster connectivity to millions of people at an affordable price point.

Related Roundup: iPhone SE
Buyer's Guide: iPhone SE (Neutral)
Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

Shanghaichica Avatar
17 months ago
If Apple have a £199 iPhone I feel sorry for Android.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lounge vibes 05 Avatar
17 months ago
It would be really cool.
A $199 iPhone would be truly a fantastic product.
Even a $299 iPhone SE would be absolutely fantastic, and could still easily replace the old aging iPod touch.
But this is Apple.
What’s more likely is that they completely discontinue the 2020 SE, and the new one just replaces it.
Another very likely possibility is that they keep around the current SE at $399, and just price the 5G model at $499. I think that’s also very likely, and it would just replace the 11.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
now i see it Avatar
17 months ago
My guess: previous SE goes bye-bye after the new one drops.
It’s getting too cheap for the board of directors.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
17 months ago
Personally, I don’t believe an iPhone costing $199 will ever happen. I don't see Apple offering 5G on a $199 iPhone device.

That is the iPod Touch price range.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Shanghaichica Avatar
17 months ago

Umm, no. That's just wishful thinking. Two separate platforms. There are some who don't want anything to do with Android and there are some who don't want anything to do with iOS. I personally would like to try an iPhone but can't because it doesn't have a Call Screener with Google Assistant. Most the Apps I use, I prefer Google's, they just do a much better job.
The $199 android phones don't have call screener on there. Isn't that a pixel exclusive feature? Yes at the high end those that chose an android phone prefer it over iOS. However at the budget end they pick whatever they can afford. The price is the determining factor.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
one more Avatar
17 months ago

Personally, I don’t believe an iPhone costing $199 will ever happen. I don't see Apple offering 5G on a $199 iPhone device.

That is the iPod Touch price range.
That article suggests that the current 2020 iPhone SE (4G) might drop to $199, while its 2022 5G refresh will still sell for $399, as usual. We should know for sure in about a week.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)