iPhone SE (2016) Will Apple release a new budget iPhone?

[Falhófnir]

I think the big question surrounding the iPhone SE plus is whether it'll be a repackaged iPhone 8 Plus or iPhone 11.
In other words, will it be 'all-screen' or old school thick top and bottom framing.

Going to assume 8 plus, otherwise what's the point? If it comes in at $499 (SE +$100) replacing the XR it undercuts the 11 at $599 with presumably the same dual cameras and the newer A14 chip. If they give it the A13 same as in the SE then it is the 11 with a $100 price cut so there should be no SE plus rumour to begin with...

 

[Zaft]

You can get an XR which Apple still sells and will be fine for at least another 3 IOS releases if not more.

 

[JPack]

Going to assume 8 plus, otherwise what's the point? If it comes in at $499 (SE +$100) replacing the XR it undercuts the 11 at $599 with presumably the same dual cameras and the newer A14 chip. If they give it the A13 same as in the SE then it is the 11 with a $100 price cut so there should be no SE plus rumour to begin with...

What if it doesn't have dual-cameras?

Single-lens
A14/3GB
Touch ID on power button
$449

It's less expensive to manufacture than iPhone XR. It's faster than XR with better image processing. The iPhone SE2 will be 18 months old by the time SE2 Plus gets released. I think Apple will drop SE2 to $349. iPhone 11 gets cut to $549.

 

[Falhófnir]

What if it doesn't have dual-cameras?

Single-lens
A14/3GB
Touch ID on power button
$449

It's less expensive to manufacture than iPhone XR. It's faster than XR with better image processing. The iPhone SE2 will be 18 months old by the time SE2 Plus gets released. I think Apple will drop SE2 to $349. iPhone 11 gets cut to $549.

If there's any significant re-engineering effort required I don't think it fits the SE pattern of re-using an old design once more when it's right at the end of its lifespan. The usual pattern would mean waiting until early 2022 then replacing the 11 with an identical model but with the A15, trimmed down to just black, white and red colour options. If it's under the SE branding at the same time as the 4.7" model it seems odd to have a completely unrelated form factor?

So the scenario you give is a more or less completely different phone, with a new form factor. Perhaps it would work, but what I don't understand with a 6.1" SE based on the 11 is what's the point over giving the 11 a $100 price cut as you’d expect at the end of this year either way?

 

[TechLord]

My guess is that that BOTH the XR/11 will be discontinued fall 2021; with a 6.1 inch SE plus taking a price point around where the XR is now, and the 12 being cut down in price and sitting just above where the 11 sat. There's no hard and fast rule which says that Apple must keep the 11 for 3 years till 2022 just because they will have kept the XR around for 3 years. I'm going to say that the SE plus will come with a dual camera set up also.

I really can't see the SE plus being based off the 8+ either; I think it'll be a 6.1 inch 11/XR style design. Could be wrong.

My other guess, is that they'll only discontinue the XR, keep the 11 around till 2022, then bring out the SE plus then.

 

[JPack]

If there's any significant re-engineering effort required I don't think it fits the SE pattern of re-using an old design once more when it's right at the end of its lifespan. The usual pattern would mean waiting until early 2022 then replacing the 11 with an identical model but with the A15, trimmed down to just black, white and red colour options. If it's under the SE branding at the same time as the 4.7" model it seems odd to have a completely unrelated form factor?

So the scenario you give is a more or less completely different phone, with a new form factor. Perhaps it would work, but what I don't understand with a 6.1" SE based on the 11 is what's the point over giving the 11 a $100 price cut as you’d expect at the end of this year either way?

I suspect the XR design is cheap enough and comparable to the cost of iPhone 8 Plus. Without the TrueDepth camera and relatively expensive notch cut, it’s a basic 326 PPI LCD. The engineering would be limited to fitting the capacitive sensor to the power button.

From a cost perspective, I think the 8 Plus with a single camera would be cheaper. But the design is too dated to survive an 18-36 month lifecycle. I suspect that’s the reason Apple didn’t launch SE2 Plus in April 2020.

I think iPhone 11 remains attractive to many consumers even if Apple lowers the price by only $50 this year.