Apple to release cheap and cheerful ‘budget’ iPhone SE 2 in 2018, as suggested by rumours


The iPhone X has been a rip-roaring success around the world, even though it cost a whopping £999. 

So what if you want some of that Apple goodness but can’t afford the new model? 

Well, you’ll just have to wait until next year because the latest industry gossip suggests the fruity firm is planning to release a new version of its ‘budget’ iPhone SE.

The original SE was released in March 2016 and is still on sale. 

It is a bit of a bargain, offering a lot of the power of more expensive models as well as a great camera and a cool aesthetic that recalls the design of the now classic iPhone 5.


The iPhone SE 2 is going to be made in India and released during the second half of next year, an unconfirmed report in China’s Economic Daily News claimed. 

It suggested the device will feature a similar four-inch screen to the original, along with a Touch ID fingerprint scanner to unlock it. 

Apple has done away with the fingerprint scanner on the iPhone X, replacing it with a very cool system called Face ID which lets owners open up the phone by scanning their face using its front-facing TrueDepth camera. 

The report suggested the phone would cost about £340, which means it will probably come in at a similar price to the original SE. 

Of course, as with all Apple rumours, you should take the claims with a pinch of salt.


We only really know what Apple is doing when it decides to tell us because it maintains a level of secrecy that would put GCHQ to shame. 

Having said that, it seems likely that the tech giant will want to capture some of the ‘budget’ market here in the west as well as in developing countries and markets like India, where 75% of the phones which are sold cost less than $250 (£187).

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