Reports Of iPhone SE's Death Greatly Exaggerated? Top Apple Analyst Reveals Cupertino's Surprise Move

Over a month after saying Apple Inc. AAPL might have canceled iPhone SE 4, a top analyst says the company is restarting it — and the entry-level phone could now upstage iPhone 16. 

What Happened: Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at TF International Securities and popular Apple leaker, took to Twitter to share his latest survey results. 

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He said, “Apple has restarted the iPhone SE 4 and will adopt an in-house 5G baseband chip.”

Kuo says the new iPhone SE 4 will feature an OLED display replacing LCD. It will also support Apple’s 5G baseband chip. “Overall, the SE 4 is a minor modification of the 6.1-inch iPhone 14.”

The analyst stated that while it is still being determined whether the iPhone 16 lineup will integrate Apple’s 5G baseband chip, once the new iPhone SE 4 starts using the technology, “it’s a foregone conclusion" that Qualcomm Inc.'s QCOM Apple "orders will decline significantly." 

Why It’s Important: In January, Kuo said the Cupertino, California-based tech giant has instructed suppliers indicating that the production and shipment for the 2024 iPhone SE 4 have been “canceled rather than delayed.” 

In December also, he said that Apple would cancel or postpone the mass production of iPhone SE 4 — most likely due to the consistently lower-than-expected shipments of mid-to-low-end iPhones. 

The iPhone SE series is Tim Cook-led company’s entry-level product range. It is largely considered the most inexpensive of iPhones. 

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