A new report claims the next-generation iPhone SE has entered production, alongside the iPad Air 5. The report goes on to state that the budget iPhone will not support MagSafe like the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models do. Both devices are expected to be announced at Apple’s first special event of the year in late March or early April.
Next-gen iPhone SE and iPad Air are now in production
The iPhone SE 3 will still feature wireless Qi charging like its predecessor but it will not feature support for MagSafe. As per supply chain sources cited by Macotakara:
According to reliable sources in China, the iPhone SE (3rd generation), which is supposed to be the successor to the iPhone SE (2nd generation) released in April 2020, will retain the iPhone SE (2nd generation) chassis design and will continue to support Qi wireless charging, but will not support MagSafe. According to reliable sources in China, the iPhone SE (3rd generation) will retain the design of the iPhone SE (2nd generation) and will continue to support Qi wireless charging, but will not support MagSafe.
The report also claims the Cupertino tech giant has started production of the iPhone SE 3 and a new iPad Air. The fifth-generation iPad Air’s rumored specs include the A15 Bionic chip, 5G connectivity, and improvements to the front-facing camera, which will be upgraded to a 12MP ultra-wide sensor and feature Center Stage. The device will also use a similar chassis to the third-generation 11-inch iPad Pro, featuring a twin-lens camera on the back, but it is still believed Apple will continue to use a single-lens camera,
According to a previous report from TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the next-generation iPhone SE will have a similar design to the current model with a 4.7-inch LCD panel, unlike high-end iPhones which feature OLED panels. Alongside 5G connectivity, the iPhone SE 3 will be equipped with the A15 Bionic chipset.
A previous report from J.P. Morgan analysts suggests the smartphone has the potential to attract more than a billion non-premium Android users due to the addition of 5G connectivity. J.P. Morgan analysts also estimate a rise in iPhone SE “unit sales to 30 million units and annual iPhone shipments expectations to 250 million units, 10 million higher than a year earlier.”
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