If you're an Apple user who might be waiting for a more affordable iPhone model down the line, you might be disappointed to know that the iPhone SE could be pulled out from production altogether, according to reports.
Why Apple Could Cancel the Production
Buyers are always more excited about Apple's newest release on their main line of iPhones, and the iPhone SE is just not cutting it when it comes to the customers' interest. Of course, the company would not pour money into something that doesn't have much demand.
According to The Verge, it could be due to the model selling worse than the company had predicted. Since one of its selling points is that it's cheaper than Apple's flagship products, an increase in price due to inflation could steer buyers away from the iPhone SE.
It might present as bad news, especially for those who wanted to experience the quality that Apple can offer at a lower cost. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote in a blog that the iPhone manufacturers canceled production and shipment plans for the iPhone model.
Although, reports say that Apple was already planning on reducing the production of the iPhone SEs just weeks after it was released. The model isn't exactly getting a lot of love from the company seeing as it only has three generations as compared to the flagship phone.
It was even mentioned that iPhone 14 Pro sold more than the iPhone 14, which shows that customers might prefer Apple phones that are at the top of the line. This could mean that Apple would pour resources into other innovative upgrades for its main line of iPhones.
Apple Dropping the Ball
The rumor about the iPhone SE is not yet confirmed, but if it is going to happen, it can only either hurt or help the company. Apple can't afford to make any more mistakes since they have been facing obstacle after obstacle lately.
In late December, Apple failed to use a next-level chip that they planned to use on the iPhone 14 Pro. The chip was said to have a ray-tracing feature, but the engineers miscalculated and made the phone overheat and drain the battery.
The mistake was caught late in development, according to Engadget. Which is why Apple used the A16 chip instead. 2023 wasn't too kind on Apple either, as they were fined $8.5 million for issues concerning their users' data privacy.
Reports say that Apple was collecting user data without their permission in certain iOS versions, just so they can be applied for targeted ads. A data protection authority in France flagged the flaw which led to the fine.
It's also worth noting that the company has lost much of its market value, specifically 31%. The drop has caused Apple to be among the very short list of companies that lost $1 trillion of its worth, following in Amazon's footsteps.
