The iPhone SE was released back in May 2020, but what about the iPhone SE Plus? While there was no sign of a larger variant of the budget-friendly iPhone at the initial reveal, rumours suggest that there is an iPhone SE Plus in the works and that it could be dramatically different to the iPhone SE.
Here’s all you need to know about the rumoured iPhone SE Plus, from release date and pricing rumours to the latest feature and spec leaks.
When will the iPhone SE Plus be released?
The first we heard about the potential release of an iPhone SE Plus came back in December 2019 via none other than Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo, an Apple analyst, has a decent track record when it comes to Apple releases, so it’s worth taking what he says seriously.
Initially, Kuo claimed that the iPhone SE Plus would be released quite some time after the iPhone SE. In fact, Kuo claimed that the Plus model wasn’t scheduled for release until the first half of 2021.
However, a July 2021 rumour suggests Apple could be gearing up to launch the next-gen iPhone SE 3 in early 2022. While the Plus model isn’t mentioned, it’s possible that Apple could announce both the iPhone SE 3 and iPhone SE Plus at the same time.
It’s also worth noting that Apple has stopped selling the top-end 256GB variant of the iPhone SE via the Apple Store (though it remains available from retailers and carriers for now), which could suggest Apple is slowly winding down production ahead of the release of the next-gen iPhone in early 2022.
How much will the iPhone SE Plus cost?
There’s no word yet on how much the iPhone SE Plus might cost, but it’s safe to say that it’ll be cheaper than Apple’s flagship range if it keeps the SE branding.
As we discuss below, the iPhone SE Plus does offer a couple of significant upgrades over the standard iPhone SE, which could bump the price up, but we can’t imagine Apple selling the iPhone SE for anything more than £550/$550 without muddying the waters between the different models of iPhone currently on offer.
Considering there was a £100/$100 difference between the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, we should expect something similar with the iPhone SE and iPhone SE Plus, but we’ll update this section if we hear anything different.
What will the iPhone SE Plus offer?
Being more than a year away from a potential release, it should come as no surprise that iPhone SE Plus details are light on the ground – but that’s not to say there’s not any information available.
Much like the release date prediction, our only source of information about the iPhone SE Plus comes from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Along with his original release date prediction, Kuo shared various details about the iPhone SE Plus – and it sounds like it could be dramatically different to the iPhone SE.
You see, the iPhone SE sports the exact same design as the iPhone 8, complete with 4.7in display and a single 12Mp camera on the rear, but Kuo suggests the iPhone SE Plus won’t mirror the iPhone 8 Plus.
Instead, Kuo suggests that the iPhone SE Plus will feature either a 5.5 or 6.1in display and, crucially, it’ll sport a “full-screen design” like that of the iPhone 12 range. While some may argue that this might cannibalise the iPhone 13 lineup, which could be available at the same time as the SE Plus, Kuo claims that the SE Plus won’t feature Face ID.
The lack of Face ID smarts means the notch will be smaller than what’s available on the current iPhone range, and while it won’t feature the rumoured in-display fingerprint scanner Apple is allegedly working on, Kuo claims that the Touch ID scanner will be built into the Power button – much like the iPad Air.
It’s not a new idea – Android counterparts have been doing this for years – but it’ll mark the first time Apple has built a fingerprint scanner into the Power button of an iPhone. It makes sense – iPhone SE Plus will only have to press the power button once to both turn on the display and unlock the iPhone. It’s not quite Face ID level of convenience, but it’s close.
What do you want to see from the iPhone SE Plus? Let us know on Twitter.
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