iPhone handsets set to be released next year will be 5G-capable, Nikkei reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the matter. This would include all the iPhone models launched in 2022, including Apple's first revamp of its budget handset iPhone SE in two years. The Cupertino company will not introduce any new 4G models from 2022, the report said.
The report cited sources who said that Apple would not launch an updated version of the iPhone mini next year. The phone's poor sales led to this decision, as per sources.
A recent report claimed that iPhone SE 3 — a successor to iPhone SE (2020) — will feature the Apple A14 Bionic SoC and launch in the first half of next year. A13 Bionic powers iPhone SE (2020). With Apple A14 Bionic, the new budget phone from Apple will be at par with the iPhone 12 series and the latest iPad Air.
As noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the next iPhone SE will be the cheapest 5G offering from Apple. In terms of design, Kuo also said it would be "roughly the same" as the current iPhone SE (2020).
The first iPhone SE was launched in 2016 to replace the iPhone 5s. It came with the Apple A9 SoC but retained the physical structure of the iPhone 5s. Then in 2020, Apple launched the next-generation iPhone SE (2020) that borrowed its design from iPhone 8 but came with the Apple A13 Bionic SoC. The next iPhone SE is expected to retain the same design but has upgraded internals. Back in April, it was rumoured that iPhone SE 3 would feature a 4.7-inch display that is the same size as the current generation iPhone SE.
(With inputs from agencies)