iPhone SE 3 won't be arriving in the first half 2021, according to one analyst

iPhone SE 2020
The iPhone SE 2020. (Image credit: Future)

The iPhone SE (2020) was warmly received when it appeared in April – some four years after the original – but according to one prominent Apple analyst, there won't be a follow-up edition released in the first half of 2021.

If you were expecting Apple to switch to a yearly refresh cycle for its small, budget iPhone then it looks as though you're going to be disappointed. It might be another four years before the iPhone SE 3 makes an appearance.

As reported by MyFixGuide, Ming-Chi Kuo – just about the most well-known Apple watcher in the business – has pushed out a new research report that warns electronics suppliers not to expect an updated iPhone SE before July next year.

Kuo doesn't say one way or the other whether an iPhone SE will appear in the second half of 2021, but considering Apple traditionally launches new flagship phones in September, it's unlikely: the company will want to focus its attention entirely on the iPhone 13.

The price is right

Kuo goes on to say that competition is going to be fierce when it comes to supplying components for the iPhone 13. Let's hope we don't see the same sort of delays in production that happened with the iPhone 12.

As for the phone with the smallest screen in the Apple line-up, the iPhone SE (2020) has some new competition in the form of the iPhone 12 mini – although the SE model is substantially cheaper.

Part of the appeal of the iPhone SE phones are their budget price: the latest one starts at $399 / £399 / AU$679. It packs in a very capable A13 Bionic processor, but it doesn't offer the camera quality of the iPhone 12 handsets (or the 5G connectivity).

So far we haven't heard very much about what to expect from the iPhone SE 3, if and when it appears, but we're hoping for a number of upgrades in the screen and camera department – as long as they don't push up the price too much.

Via GSMArena

David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.