Apple might launch an iPhone SE 2 next year, but with an iPhone 8 design – boo!

We have officially entered the era of the rumor mill cycle of the iPhone SE 2 again. Last month, Nikkei Asian Report noted Apple will release a sub-$500 phone next year, in the spirit of the iPhone SE from 2016. Yesterday, famed Apple analyst Ming Chi-Kuo predicted the company will launch a compact phone early next year with upgraded specifications.

Kuo’s report notes the new version will have the latest A13 Bionic chip and 3GB of RAM. According to an earlier report, the phone is slated to sport a 4.7-inch LCD display. However, this might change, seeing as how Apple is moving towards Face ID for unlocking its devices.

In 2017, we saw plenty of leaks surrounding the iPhone SE 2, but as we all know, Apple never got around to releasing this device.

While I’m certainly keen on a cheaper iPhone, it’d be a bummer if it looked anything like the iPhone 8, which looked dated and similar to every mid-range smartphone around when it first arrived in 2017. The original iPhone SE, on the other hand, shared design cues with the gorgeous iPhone 5, with sleek straight lines, chamfered edges, and a timeless, no-nonsense look. That’s what I’d like to see in a 2020 iPhone that comes in at under $500, rather than a tired old design whose glory has faded.

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It would likely make good business sense to get this out, too. Kuo noted there are more than 100 million people who are still using the iPhone 6, which will not get the latest iOS 13 update. So, if the company releases the iPhone SE 2, it would be a perfect upgrade for them.

There are plenty of people who don’t like large phone designs and would jump on the opportunity to own a small phone with the latest hardware.

iPhone sales have visibly declined in the last few quarters. While the new $699 iPhone 11 might help Apple’s cause, a sub-$500 phone could give the company’s sales figures a major boost.

Just give us the goddamn phone, Apple!