Apple iPhone SE 2: Mass production of Apple's US$399 "budget" smartphone to start next month ahead of March announcement

The release of the iPhone SE 2 could just be a few weeks away, according to a new rumour. Citing industry sources, Bloomberg claims that the iPhone SE 2 will enter mass production next month. Apple will reportedly split the assembly of its next budget handset across three companies too; namely Hon Hai Precision Industry, along with the Pegatron and Wistron Corporations.

The jury is still out on what display the SE 2 will feature, though. On the one hand, Bloomberg still states that the device will have a 4.7-inch LCD panel in the body of an iPhone 8, as demonstrated by OnLeaks' recent renders. This display would also include space for a Touch ID-enabled home button, with Face ID apparently not making the cut. On the other hand, there have been rumours of Apple including a 5.4-inch display instead, which would resemble those included in the recent iPhone 11 and XS series. Consequently, Apple would include the hardware need for Face ID with this panel.

Bloomberg also expects the SE 2 to launch "as early as March", a date supplied by "one person familiar with its [the device's] road map". The website makes no claims about pricing, but the consensus so far has been that Apple will price the device at US$399 as it did with the original iPhone SE.