Cheapest iPhone till date could be launched in March: Report
What's the story
Apple's upcoming low-cost iPhone, popularly referred to as iPhone SE 2 on the internet, could be launched sometime in March this year, according to a Bloomberg report.
Citing people familiar with Apple's plans, the report says that the company plans to begin assembling the handset next month and is expected to officially unveil it as early as March.
Here are more details.
Design
iPhone SE 2 will look similar to the iPhone 8
According to reports, the iPhone SE 2 will look similar to the iPhone 8 we saw in 2017. The handset will sport an outdated design featuring a rectangular 4.7-inch LCD display and prominent bezels.
It is also expected to have Touch ID biometric authentication built into the physical home button instead of an in-screen fingerprint sensor that is present on many Android rivals.
Internals
However, it will be powered by a flagship A13 chipset
Most interestingly though, the iPhone SE 2 will come with an Apple A13 Bionic processor, the same flagship silicon that powers the current iPhone 11 line-up.
It is also expected to come with 3GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB of non-expandable built-in storage. Further, it should offer an all-day battery life (considering how power-efficient the A13 chip is) and run on iOS 13 out-of-the-box.
Information
Apple iPhone SE 2 could replace iPhone 8
In an investor note released in October last year, reputed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that iPhone SE2 will be priced at $399 (Rs. 28,000). Notably, at this price point, the handset could replace the iPhone 8 which is currently available for Rs. 34,999.
Lost territory
Apple aims to reclaim market share with cheaper iPhones
According to market research firm Counterpoint, Apple is currently the third biggest smartphone vendor in the world, behind Huawei and industry-leader Samsung.
With iPhone SE 2, Apple hopes to increase shipments in 2020 as it aims to mimic the success of the iPhone 11 and iPhone Xr that have done well across all regions, including a price-sensitive and fast-growing market like India.