Apple might launch a brand new iPhone SE and PowerBeats Professional headphones as early as February 11, based on reporting from Bloomberg. The announcement is more likely to be on the smaller aspect, on condition that the corporate has not but issued invitations for both an in-person or digital occasion.
A brand new iPhone SE would mark the fourth technology of Apple’s extra budget-minded handset, in addition to the primary within the line to be launched since 2022. On the time, the third-generation system, which was a part of the bigger iPhone 13 portfolio, sported a $429 price ticket and options which might be much like the iPhone 8, together with a Contact ID fingerprint scanner. That product has already been discontinued within the EU owing its Lightning port, which doesn’t adhere to Frequent Charger Directive laws.
As with the remainder of Apple’s product line, a brand new iPhone SE would virtually actually sport a USB-C port. The handset is rumored to resemble the iPhone 14 line, which arrived months after the final SE. The refresh seemingly marks the official finish of iPhone’s Contact ID dwelling button, because the characteristic is supplanted by Face ID biometrics.
Notably, the fourth-gen iPhone SE is believed to be Apple Intelligence-compatible, becoming a member of all iPhone 16 fashions and the iPhone 15 Professional. It is also the primary system to sport an Apple-built, in-house modem, as the corporate continues to minimize its dependency on third-party chip makers like Qualcomm.
The brand new SE is anticipated to see massive adoption outdoors the U.S., particularly in China and India, that are at present ranked the world’s first and second-biggest smartphone markets, respectively. China has lengthy been a key marketplace for Apple, although the corporate has struggled within the nation in latest quarters. Throughout its final earnings report, it revealed that iPhone gross sales in China have slipped 11% year-over-year.
That drop was due largely to the continued progress of home producers, together with Huawei, which has rebounded following commerce restrictions imposed through the first Trump administration. Additionally at play is the truth that Apple Intelligence, the corporate’s reply to generative AI, is just not at present obtainable in China.
Apple is believed to be asserting the PowerBeats Professional 2 in tandem with the iPhone SE. The Beats-branded headphones would arrive almost six years after the first-generation product. The brand new Bluetooth earbuds are anticipated to be the primary Apple-branded headphones with built-in coronary heart price monitoring, as the corporate appears to be like to develop its wearable well being initiative past the Apple Watch.
Later this yr, Apple is anticipated to subject M4 refreshes to the MacBook Air and iPad Air, together with a long-rumored addition to the corporate’s sensible dwelling line. The brand new dwelling hub is alleged to incorporate a show and can also mark Apple’s first step into client robotics. None of those merchandise are anticipated for the February 11 launch, nonetheless.