Apple Likely To 'Cancel Or Postpone' Mass Production Of iPhone SE4, Says Analyst — Global Recession Fears Hampering Plans?

Apple Inc. AAPL is likely to "cancel or postpone" the mass production plans for its fourth-generation iPhone SE model — and many factors are in play here. 

What Happened: Sharing a recent survey result on Twitter, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the tech giant might need to reconsider its product positioning and return on investment for the iPhone SE 4. 

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He stated that the full-screen design of the iPhone SE 4 would lead to an increase in higher costs and selling prices, and given the consistently lower-than-expected shipments of mid-to-low-end iPhones, Apple might rethink mass producing the 2024 iPhone SE 4.  

Kuo further suggested that reducing "unnecessary new product development expenses" will help the Cupertino-based tech giant navigate the challenges of the global economic recession in 2023. 

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My latest survey indicates that Apple will likely cancel or postpone the mass production plan for the 2024 iPhone SE 4. I think this is due to the consistently lower-than-expected shipments of mid-to-low-end iPhones (e.g., SE 3, 13 mini, and 14 Plus),

— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) December 21, 2022

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Additionally, reducing unnecessary new product development expenses will also help the company navigate the challenges of the global economic recession in 2023.

— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) December 21, 2022

Why It's Important: Earlier this month, it was reported that while companies like Meta Platforms Inc have declined as much as 70%, Apple has hardly hit bear market territory from its all-time high. 

iPhone SE 4 is expected to feature a 6.1-inch LCD display along with a "notch" cutout on the screen. The iPhone might not include Face ID but will likely have Touch ID like the earlier models to save money.

The iPhone SE series is Apple's entry-level product range and is considered the most inexpensive of iPhones. 

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