Rumors about a follow-up to the iPhone SE have been circulating for some time, and now we may have a few more details about the so-called “iPhone SE 2.” According to a report from well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chu Kuo, the device will have an improved antenna design, and may go into production in early 2020.
The new antenna design is called a liquid crystal polymer antenna, and it’s aimed at offering a better signal — so hopefully the device won’t suffer from call-dropping issues. According to Kuo, Career Technologies and Murata Manufacturing will be supplying antennas for the new device starting in early 2020 — hinting at a release date for the phone.
Kuo has been able to provide other details about the phone in the past. For starters, he has said that the phone will look like the iPhone 8, with a 4.7-inch display and a Touch ID fingerprint sensor under that display. The device will reportedly also offer an Apple A13 Bionic processor, 3GB of RAM, and options for either 64GB and 128GB of storage. It reportedly won’t have 3D Touch, and will start at $399.
That the device will come with an A13 Bionic chip is pretty notable. While in some respects, the phone will be a little dated, when it comes to raw performance, it should offer just as much power as the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. That helps ensure that it’ll last for years to come, which is important considering the fact that those buying the device may not be able to afford to buy a new phone every few years.
Of course, there are things we still don’t know about the upcoming phone, though not many. Perhaps the biggest question mark right now is what the phone will be called. Some rumors suggest that the device might be called the iPhone 8s or the iPhone 9. But Apple might simply stick with the iPhone SE branding and call the new device the iPhone SE 2.
The original iPhone SE was released in March 2016, and it’s possible we’ll see the follow-up around that time in 2020.
