The future looks bleak for the iPhone SE
(Picture: Apple)Generally speaking, the iPhone is regarded as an expensive luxury — especially if you opt for the Pro models, which retail for more than a grand each.
But there is an option for bargain seekers: the iPhone SE. Released last year, the third-generation SE uses the same A15 chip as the regular iPhone 14, making it every bit as fast but significantly cheaper at £449 thanks to some cut-back features.
For plenty of people, “smartphone” means “iPhone”, and the SE is a good option if your budget is tight. Unfortunately, it looks like Apple is giving up on the handset and the third-generation SE might be the last one for the foreseeable future.
That’s according to Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst who has an unnervingly good track record of predicting Apple’s movements. In his latest Medium post, Kuo writes that his supply-chain sources confirm Apple has cancelled production and shipment plans for the next iPhone SE, due in 2024.
Why is Apple stopping production of cheap iPhones?
The reason? The most recent iPhone SE has struggled to sell, with consumers apparently unenamoured by its bezel-heavy design and small screen.
Said design looked sleek enough in 2016, when Apple’s alternative iPhone 7 still packed a Home button and large borders. But that design has barely changed with the two subsequent SE handsets, and there’s no question that it looks dated six years on.
While Apple was reportedly intending to modernise the handset in 2024, with a design mimicking 2018’s iPhone XR (Face ID and all), such a move would have cost Apple money and raised the price for consumers.
With customers not buying the current SE, this apparently wasn’t a gamble worth taking. Though Apple may regret that if the cost-of-living crisis bites harder than expected in the next 18 months, and consumers accept that a thousand-pound smartphone isn’t a priority any more.
Should you switch to Android?
Assuming Kuo is right and the iPhone SE is no more, what should you do when it comes time to switch phones if money is tight?
The obvious answer is to switch to Android. With dozens of manufacturers pumping out Android smartphones in all shapes and sizes, you should be able to find something to fit your budget and needs. Google even has step-by-step instructions for moving your data over from iPhone to Android, which should make the transition relatively painless.
A direct competitor for the iPhone SE is the Google Pixel-a series, and the latest Pixel 6a currently sells for around £299. If that’s still too rich for your blood, then the up-and-coming Xiaomi’s Redmi Note and Poco series go for even less and are solid budget options, if you’re happy with a Chinese brand, or perhaps a Nokia instead.
But if the idea of abandoning iOS has you breaking out in a cold sweat, then it’s worth flagging that you don’t need the latest and greatest iPhone. Apple offers a heroic level of long-term support for its devices, with the latest version of iOS available as far back as 2017’s iPhone 8.
Apple’s A chips also routinely beat their Android equivalents in benchmarks (aided by Apple’s advantage of making both hardware and software for maximum performance) so getting an older iPhone on the cheap isn’t a bad move at all.
Apple still sells the iPhone 12 on its website, but third-party retailers have the iPhone Xs and 11 still available, too. While neither will last as long as the latest handset, you may find it a good alternative to the SE if it’s really no more.
Finally, it’s always worth paying attention to the big sales windows, with many January sales still on. While SIM-free iPhones rarely budge much in price, you may be surprised at what you can pick up on a contract. Just be sure to multiply the monthly fee by the number of months on a contract (usually 24, but sometimes sneakily 36) to see how much you’re paying overall — if it’s less than the SIM-free price, you’re on to a winner.
