A new report from Nikkei Asia claims the next version of Apple’s low-cost iPhone SE could be released in the first half of 2022 and will look similar to the current design, which is based on the iPhone 8. The report says the main upgrades to the third-generation iPhone SE will be Apple’s A15 chip, which will also power the Cupertino firm’s 2021 iPhone 13 lineup, and 5G support provided by Qualcomm’s X60 modem chip.
The Nikkei report doesn’t quite jibe with a report earlier this week from DigiTimes, which claimed that the 2022 iPhone SE will include an A14 chip rather than the A15 chip.
The next-generation iPhone SE will keep its 4.7-inch LCD screen. The report does not specifically mention whether the new model will include a Home button, but reports have indicated the design will include a Touch ID button.
The report also mentions that the 2022 iPhone lineup will not include a 5.4-inch “mini” model, due to the disappointing sales of the iPhone 12 mini. Apple will instead debut a second 6.7-inch model, apparently releasing two “iPhone 14” and two “iPhone 14 Pro” models, each in 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch sizes.
However, the designs for the detailed specifications for the four new models next year are not yet locked in,” one of the people with direct knowledge of the matter told Nikkei Asia.
The report says this year’s iPhone 13 lineup should begin production next month, with Apple expected to produce as many as 95 million units through the end of January.