Prolific Apple tipster, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, doesn't think a second-generation iPhone SE will ever see the light of day, especially not in the second quarter of 2018 as previously suggested.
According to MacRumours, the analyst said in a research note that he doesn't think Apple has the resources needed to launch such another new device so soon after the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and flagship iPhone X at the tail-end of last year.
He said the company is already working on the development of a second-generation iPhone X, an iPhone X Plus, which is said to feature a 6.5in screen and a cheaper 6.1in iPhone, all due to launch at the end of 2018. Freeing up R&D for a low-end version of the iPhone 8 is therefore probably a no-go zone.
"The announcement of three new iPhone models in the same quarter in the second half of 2017 was the first time Apple made such a major endeavor, and we believe the delay of iPhone X, which had the most complicated design yet, shows that Apple doesn't have enough resources available for development," Kuo said.
"With three new models in the pipeline for the second half of 2018, we believe Apple may have used up its development resources. Also, we think the firm will do all it can to avoid repeating the mistake of a shipment delay for the three new models. As such, we believe Apple is unlikely to have enough spare resources to develop a new iPhone model for launch in 2Q18."
He added that if a new iPhone SE were ever to surface, it's more likely to be an incremental update to the existing model, with perhaps a faster processor than the original low-cost iPhone that launched in March 2016 and a lower price point than any of the devices in Apple's existing line-up.
