iPhone SE 4 tentative launch window pushed back yet again

Rumours about the fourth iteration of Apple's "affordable" iPhone SE have been around since early 2022. Its alleged hardware has gone through a lot of changes (6.1-in OLED panel instead of LCD, different chassis). The iPhone SE 4's tentative release date was pushed back from 2023 to 2024, and now, analysts say it could be 2025.

In a statement to MacRumors, Barclays analysts say a 2024 launch window is unlikely for the iPhone SE 4. The primary cause for the delay is Apple's in-house 5G modems, which are set to debut on the smartphone. Apple is yet to make a working model since acquiring Intel's 5G modem division in 2019, but that likely could be due to Apple's now-settled spat with Qualcomm.

The iPhone SE 4 has the potential to attract a lot more people to Apple's ecosystem, more so when subsequent iPhone models could cost as much as US$1,800. A US$500 smartphone running a one (or even two) generation old processor can disrupt the mid-range market like no other, especially when combined with the upcoming US$99 AirPods Lite and the Apple Watch SE 3 (tentative).

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