14 DAY TRIAL // Apple is getting ready to launch the new iPhone 8, but it turns out that the company is working on more models, including what could be a 6-inch version as well as a second-generation iPhone SE.
The latter would be specifically aimed at customers who still want a small iPhone, and a report from Focus Taiwan claims that Apple is currently finalizing its design ahead of a possible launch in the spring of 2018.
The fall of this year would be entirely dedicated to the iPhone 8, so Apple wants to hold back the new iPhone SE until 2018 and introduce it at approximately two years after the original model.
While there were rumors that Apple could introduce a new iPhone SE as soon as this month, there were also voices indicating that the company wants to give up on the 4-inch iPhone completely, focusing instead on the 4.7-inch, the 5.5-inch, and the new 5.8-inch models.
The new iPhone SE could be bumped to 4.2-inch and feature the latest-generation hardware, including Apple’s new chip that’ll make its debut on the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus this fall.
Made in India
Today’s report suggests the second-generation iPhone SE would be manufactured by Wistron in India, and Apple wants to use the new model to target emerging markets, positioning the device as a more affordable alternative to the top iPhones. India is thus likely to be the first country getting the new 4-inch iPhone, though Apple is expected to launch the device globally as well.
Most likely, Apple wants to use its Indian partners in order to get some incentives from the local government, as the company has been struggling for a long time to expand into the country and make iPhones available to Indian buyers. But according to local laws, companies selling products in India need to manufacture them or at least certain parts in domestic facilities.
As with any report that concerns Apple, you should take this with a healthy amount of skepticism, despite that rumors do seem to make sense.