In a note to clients — as noted by MacRumors — analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that Apple will release a lower-priced iPhone SE 2 in the first quarter of 2020.
He writes: “We forecast that Apple will launch the more affordable iPhone SE2 in 1Q20. For the most part, the form factor design and hardware spec are similar to iPhone 8’s. The most significant hardware spec upgrade will be the adoption of the A13 processor and 3GB LPDDR4X. iPhone SE2 will likely increase iPhone’s market share and benefit Apple’s promotions for service and content. We expect that the iPhone SE2 shipment will reach 30–40mn units in 2020.”
If he’s correc, the new model would be Apple’s first low-cost smartphone since the launch of the iPhone SE in 2016, which started at $399.
Chances the rumor is true, according to the Sellers Research Group (that’s me): 90%. Apple needs a lower priced smartphone.