Apple iPhone SE 2 preview: Everything we know so far
Apple's compact iPhone is rumoured to get big upgrades
KNOW IT ALL
Remember when iPhones were compact, fit in a single hand, and could be easily used with one thumb? Apple’s iPhone SE is the only model that still fits those criteria, but after two years on the market it’s starting to feel a bit dated. Luckily, the rumour mill is ramping up, and we could be seeing a second-generation model in the near future – complete with some notable improvements. Here’s everything we’ve heard about the so-called iPhone SE 2.
WHEN WILL THE APPLE IPHONE SE 2 BE OUT?
Apple’s next flagship models are expected to all take the form of the screen-focused, Face ID-centric iPhone X, but not the iPhone SE 2 (more on that below). Launching a cheaper, simpler, lower-powered iPhone SE 2 at the same time wouldn’t make much sense. Analyst Karl Ackerman of Cowen and Company wrote in March that he expected an iPhone SE 2 to launch sometime in May or June. Apple’s WWDC keynote happens on 4 June, so perhaps we’ll see it then.
HOW MUCH WILL THE APPLE IPHONE SE 2 COST?
The iPhone X is Apple’s most expensive phone to date, starting at £999/US$999 – but we don’t expect the same from the cheaper, more familiar iPhone SE 2. The original iPhone SE launched at £379/US$399 back in 2016, and while we anticipate some upward movement on the price scale, it shouldn’t be dramatic. Something in the ballpark of £449/US$449 might make sense, given the rumoured enhancements.
WHAT WILL THE APPLE IPHONE SE 2 LOOK LIKE?
Given that, we fully expect the iPhone SE 2 to look near-identical to the iPhone SE in size, shape, and design, aside from one big tweak: rumours and purported leaked images suggest a glass backing for wireless charging. Granted, glass backing seems like a premium feature, especially since Apple just implemented it with last year’s pricier, top-end iPhones. But it would help set these models apart, allow Apple to bump up the price tag a bit further, and lightly refresh a years-old design… just like the iPhone 8 did.
WHAT ABOUT THE APPLE IPHONE SE 2’S SCREEN?
The iPhone SE’s screen was a 4in LCD panel at 1136×640, or 326 pixels per inch (ppi). That’s the same ppi count as the iPhone 8 today, so we’ll probably see the exact same kind of setup. It’ll probably be brighter than the last model, though. Apple left 3D Touch out of the iPhone SE, making it the only recent phone of theirs to do that, and rumours haven’t suggested anything new on that front. The iPhone SE is a cost-cutting model, and leaving out pressure sensitivity is one way to tackle that. Also, it’s currently unknown whether the SE 2 will have a True Tone display like the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X.
HOW MUCH POWER WILL THE APPLE IPHONE SE 2 PACK?
Rumours suggest the iPhone SE 2 won’t stick to the bleeding-edge approach, but rather step back a generation – to the still-powerful A10 Fusion processor seen in the iPhone 7. A Japanese blog reported that recently, which lines up with a report from Tekz24 last August. Even the year-and-a-half-old A10 Fusion chip matches up well against top Android flagships today, so it ought to be a plenty capable processor to power games, apps, media, and more. We’re expecting 2GB RAM here, as you’ll find in the iPhone SE (and current iPhone 8) as well.
WHAT KIND OF CAMERA WILL THE APPLE IPHONE SE 2 HAVE?
What kind of quality should we expect? Well, the iPhone SE packed in the same camera setup as the then-current iPhone 6s, so it’s entirely possible that we’ll see the iPhone 8’s great 12-megapixel shooter on the back of the iPhone SE 2 this time around. On the other hand, if Apple is thinking about going with last-gen specs this time around, maybe we’ll see the 12MP camera from the iPhone 7… which isn’t significantly weaker. Hopefully we see a bump up from the iPhone SE’s 5MP front camera, as well.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE I SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE APPLE IPHONE SE 2?
Yeah! You know how the last couple iPhones have ditched the headphone port? Well, given the older design, the iPhone SE 2 is rumoured to keep its 3.5mm entry. Granted, that might be disappointing for some folks to have the only headphone port-equipped iPhone be the lowest-end model, but at least it’s something. Fans of smaller phones certainly won’t complain about that. On the other hand, this Macotakara report suggests the headphone port is gone. If the general design isn’t changing, then we’d be surprised to see it removed. But then again, Apple did the very same thing with the iPhone 7, so it’s certainly possible.
