TL;DR
- Apple’s new budget iPhone has reportedly made it to India for testing.
- The imported unit is priced lower than the iPhone SE 2020.
- Apple could launch the phone sometime in March or April.
It has been two years since the last budget iPhone — the iPhone SE 2020. Needless to say, a refresh is long overdue and it looks like we might get lucky this spring. Information about the s0-called iPhone SE 3 has been trickling in for a while, but a report now suggests that the device has already reached one market outside of the US.
According to information sourced by 91Mobiles, the next-gen iPhone SE with model numbers A2595, A2783, and A2784 has made its way to India for testing. Bear in mind that India is one of the key territories for Apple when it comes to the budget iPhone. Buyers in the country are more price-conscious and affordable phones rule the roost. Therefore, it’s believable that Apple would test the new iPhone SE in the market before making it official.
91Mobiles further reports that the said iPhone imported into India costs $300 before duties and taxes. While this is encouraging, it’s in no way a confirmation of the new iPhone SE’s final price. The iPhone SE 2020 launched with a competitive $399 price tag and as of now, there’s no reason to think that the iPhone SE 3, if that’s what it’s called, will be priced lower than its predecessor.
So when can you expect the budget iPhone? According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple plans to show off new hardware, including the refreshed iPhone SE with 5G, at an event in March or April this year.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that the phone will retain the design and screen size of the existing model. That means you can expect the same 4.7-inch display with thick top and bottom bezels and a device suitable for single-handed use.
