iPhone SE: Upgrades, design changes, 5G, and more

Macotakara has shared a new video that first surfaced on Weibo and shows an iPhone SE-style phone with an iPhone X-style display that appears to be running iOS. Based on the current rumors (and lack of schematics and hardware leaks) so far, however, the likelihood that this is an actual iPhone is next to nothing. The footage does make for some nice visual eye candy however…

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A Chinese site is claiming that Apple will launch a new version of the iPhone SE at this year’s WWDC. Most of what it claims makes sense, but one glaring point leads us to suspect this is nothing more than guesswork …

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In a move which hit Apple harder than other smartphone brands, India increased the import tax on smartphones from 10% to 15% in December. Less than two months later, it has just decided to increase the rate again, this time to 20% …

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Reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities has cast new doubt on the potential launch of an iPhone SE 2 with wireless charging or any other notable new features. In an interesting rebuttal to recent rumors, KGI questions the authenticity of recent claims for a few reasons.

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We’ve seen rumors about the timing of an updated iPhone SE release for a few months now, but the only feature change expected has been a speed boost. Now a new rumor claims the new iPhone SE could pick up a popular feature from the iPhone 8 and iPhone X…

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A KGI report back in November said that Apple was working on two OLED iPhones for 2018, an updated version of the 5.8-inch iPhone X and a larger, 6.5-inch Plus model.

A supply-chain report today states that while Samsung will remain the sole or primary supplier of the OLED panels for the smaller model, LG will supply the panels for the 6.5-inch model …

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A tax hike in India on imported smartphones announced last week has hit iPhone prices as predicted. The company has increased prices of every model except the locally made SE by an average of 3.5% …

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We first heard talk of a new iPhone SE model back in August, and a new report today echoes this. Labelling it the iPhone SE 2, the Chinese report suggests that it will be exclusively manufactured by Wistron in India, though for worldwide sale …

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We’ve already seen one designer’s take on an all-screen iPhone SE, presented not long after the launch of this year’s new flagship phone, and Concept Creator has now given us an alternative vision of Apple’s most compact iPhone.

The overall deal is the same. Take the classic design of the SE, and add a near-bezel-free display with the famous iPhone X notch …

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Apple’s long-standing request to open its own retail stores in India looks likely to be approved by the Indian government after Chinese brand Oppo was granted permission. Apple products are currently sold locally by authorized resellers.

The Indian government only allows single-brand retail stores when at least 30% of the products sold are manufactured in the country. As the iPhone accounts for a high percentage of Apple’s sales, with the SE a popular model in India because of its relative affordability, it seems likely that the requirement will be hit thanks to local manufacturing of the model …

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What if the iPhone SE was updated with specs on par with the new iPhone X? That’s what this concept from Curved.de imagines, with some renderings that show what a 4-inch OLED iPhone might look like with an edge-to-edge display while otherwise mostly retaining the device’s current design.

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The OLED iPhone X has been described by Apple as the future of the phone, but a Korean report claims that Apple isn’t yet done with launching all-new LCD models.

It claims that next year’s line-up will include a brand new screen size. That might not be surprising if it were suggesting a new OLED model, but this one is said to have an LCD screen …

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Apple may be planning to launch an updated version of the iPhone SE with a faster chip early next year, according to at least one rumor. Apple upgraded the storage options for the current iPhone SE earlier this year, but the processor and other specs remained the same.

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Apple has asked the Indian government to extend the tax breaks it has been granted for its own operations to its suppliers. This would enable the company to move from mere iPhone assembly in India – with the actual parts still made in China – to more of a true manufacturing operation.

We described recently how Apple relies on an entire network of suppliers centred around the Chinese city of Shenzhen. Tim Cook’s discussions with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi have extended to establishing a kind of Little Shenzhen within India …

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Even though we are still well in the midst of iPhone 8 rumor season, a new report from The Korea Economic Daily flashes forward a year to the so-called ‘iPhone 9.’ The report claims that Apple has reached an agreement with LG Chemical for it to be the sole provider of the iPhone 9’s battery.

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Earlier today, a somewhat sketchy report outlined the possibility of Apple introducing a new iPhone SE next month ahead of the iPhone 8 later this year. While Apple introduced a higher storage tier of the device earlier this year, it has remained essentially untouched since its debut last year.

Would you be interested in a new iPhone SE?

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While not Apple’s latest and greatest, the iPhone SE has topped the most recent American Customer Satisfaction Index data for May 2017. The data shows a customer satisfaction rating for the iPhone SE of 87 out of 100, putting it 1 point ahead of the iPhone 7 Plus and Galaxy S6 Edge+…

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In a statement to the Wall Street Journal, Apple has confirmed that its manufacturing partners in India have started domestic production of iPhone SE. Up to now, Apple produces almost all of its iPhones in China (although some older models have been assembled in Brazil). Presumably, the devices will bear an ‘Assembled in India’ label on the hardware. Apple is pushing hard into India as it looks for new markets to grow iPhone sales.

The report says that the iPhone SE devices are being made in Bangalore and will ship to customers later in May, with the first domestically-produced phones appearing on store shelves next week. Pricing is unknown …

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There was a supply-chain rumor toward the end of last year that Apple was working on a new red color option for the iPhone 7, and Japanese blog Macotakara cites a Barclays analyst supporting this.

It’s possible that Barclays has heard from the same supply-chain source as earlier reported direct by Macotakara, so this may not be independent corroboration of the idea, but the fact that it is still being suggested a couple of months later does at least lend a tiny bit of weight …

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