Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Inventory of the iPhone SE 3 is running low in the run-up to the iPhone 16 launch, indicating that a refresh could be possible.
- Other products expected to be refreshed at the event are also running low in stock.
- The iPhone 16 is expected to launch at the announced Apple event on September 9, while the iPhone SE 4 has previously been rumored to launch in 2025.
The iPhone SE is the cheapest iPhone the company sells, undercutting the more advanced mainline iPhones. Apple doesn’t upgrade the iPhone SE line annually like the mainline iPhones, so we’ve been stuck with the iPhone SE 3 from 2022. The company was widely expected to launch the iPhone SE 4 in the middle of 2025, but it seems there may have been a change of plans in the run-up to the iPhone 16 launch.
According to a Bloomberg report, inventory of several key Apple products and accessories is at an all-time low. This includes the FineWoven faux leather cases and Apple Watch bands, many Apple Watch models and other material bands, AirPods, iPad mini, and several iPhones. Curiously, low stock is also reported for the iPhone SE, a refresh of which isn’t expected until next year, according to the same report.
Within the context of the FineWoven cases, the report explains that the low stock means that Apple is either getting ready to kill off the case material or plans to update the lineup with different colors and support for new hardware.
Considering the other products mentioned in the list are widely expected to be refreshed, there’s a chance that Apple could refresh the iPhone SE, too. However, chances are low since most rumors for the iPhone SE 4 so far have indicated a launch between March 2025 and May 2025.
Apple has been unpredictable in the past, and the launch schedule for the SE line has been erratic. The low inventory for the iPhone SE 3 gives us hope for an early SE 4 launch, and Apple’s push towards Apple Intelligence could just be the impetus it needs to refresh the iPhone SE earlier than expected with the upcoming A18 chips. It would also give the consumers a budget phone to experience Apple’s latest AI innovations, and considering how leaks suggest the phone could be redesigned into the iPhone 14 shell, many consumers who yearn for fancy new AI features may feel right at home with this “upgrade” if it pans out.
Do you think Apple will launch the iPhone SE 4 alongside the iPhone 16 series? Let us know your opinion and the reason in the comments below!
Should Apple launch the iPhone SE 4 alongside the iPhone 16?
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