Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Apple iPhone SE 2 enters final verification stage, paving way for launch

 

Apple’s rumored next iPhone, the budget-priced Apple iPhone SE 2, has entered its final production verification stage, according to a report from the Taiwanese website Digitimes.

Recommended Videos

The long-awaited phone, which is presumed to be the successor to the beloved iPhone SE, is expected to follow in its predecessor’s footprints by offering Apple’s top specs in a cut-price package. While not confirmed, the iPhone SE 2 (or iPhone 9 — rumors are unclear on the actual name) is likely to use the iPhone 8’s design, but with updated specs. Rather than the iPhone 8’s A11 Bionic processor, the iPhone SE 2 is rumored to use the updated and much faster A13 Bionic — the same processor as the iPhone 11 Pro Max, and 3GB of RAM.

iPhone SE 2 renders
Leaked renders of the iPhone SE 2 Image used with permission by copyright holder

The use of the iPhone 8‘s design also means the return of a couple of old friends — the home button beneath a 4.7-inch LCD display and the Touch ID fingerprint scanner. While some may be upset that Apple would use such an old design for a new phone, it makes a lot of sense to keep costs down. Apple still sells the iPhone 8 as a budget iPhone option, so it’s clear Apple is still manufacturing the parts and has plenty in stock — which keeps costs down. With the price expected to be just $399 — $50 less than the current price for the iPhone 8 — keeping those costs down will be paramount to making this phone a success.

How likely are we to see this iPhone soon? Well, the idea of an iPhone releasing in early 2020 release has been churning through the rumor mill for some time now, with noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo lending credence to the whispers in January 2020. As such, the iPhone SE 2 is likely to be one of the headline acts at the upcoming Apple March event, where the cut-price iPhone would be announced alongside a new MacBook and iPad — that is, if the coronavirus outbreak doesn’t cancel the show.

The iPhone SE was a massive success, so it makes sense the iPhone SE 2 would be as well — and while it may be sporting an older design and (probably) older camera hardware, the flagship specs make this a hard prospect to turn down at a $400 price. We’ll let you know as we hear more.

Mark Jansen
Former Mobile Evergreen Editor
Mark Jansen is an avid follower of everything that beeps, bloops, or makes pretty lights. He has a degree in Ancient &…
This one iPadOS 26 feature has me excited for the iPhone Fold
Semi-open state of a foldable iPhone concept

Samsung is set to launch the seventh generation of its Galaxy Z Fold book-style folding phone this Summer, but its biggest rival is yet to show its folding phone hand. Apple has long been expected to unveil an iPhone Fold, and the latest rumors suggest that it will launch next year.

I’ve used almost every folding phone released globally, with some exceptions for extremely obscure ones. While I've always been curious what an iPhone Fold would look like, I was fairly certain that Apple shouldn't build it, as I wasn’t sure they could deliver on one necessary feature.

Read more
These three iOS 26 beta features are my favorite so far
The Liquid Design lock screen on the iOS 26 developer beta 1 running on the iPhone 16 Pro

For fans of the Apple ecosystem, it’s been an incredible week. Apple’s annual WWDC 2025 keynote revealed a whole new Liquid Glass design that’s unified across all its platforms. Also unified across all platforms is the numbering scheme, with iOS 26 designed to represent the year of release… plus one. 

The new platform doesn’t deliver one of the key things I asked for — multitasking, which is available on iPadOS 26 — but it does bring several new features that make the iPhone far more usable. 

Read more
WWDC 2025: Apple announces iOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26 and more
Major updates to iOS, macOS, watchOS, iPadOS, tvOS and visionOS
WWDC 2025 logo

Apple kicked off WWDC 2025 with its keynote presentation at its annual World Wide Developer's conference, and it was a bumper affair.

We were treated to a raft of updates across all of the firm's software platforms, as we were introduced to iOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, macOS 26, tvOS 26 and visionOS 26.

Read more