According to a report from Bloomberg, Apple is able to launch the new iPhone SE and PowerBeats Pro headphones as soon as possible. Given that the company has not issued invitations for either in-person or virtual events, the announcement could be on the smaller side.
The new iPhone SE marks the fourth generation of Apple’s more budget-oriented mobile phones and the first generation to be released after 2022. At the time, the third generation device, part of the larger iPhone 13 portfolio, had a $429 price tag and functionality similar to the iPhone 8, including a touch ID fingerprint scanner. The product has already been discontinued in the EU due to a lightning port that does not comply with the general charger directive law.
Like the rest of Apple’s product line, the new iPhone SE almost certainly comes with a USB-C port. The phone is rumoured to resemble the iPhone 14 line that arrived a few months after the last SE. This feature will replace Face ID Biometrics, so Refresh probably marks the official end of the iPhone’s Touch ID Home button.
In particular, the fourth generation iPhone SE is considered to be Apple Intelligence compatible, participating in all iPhone 16 models and iPhone 15 Pro. It is also the first device to have an in-house modem built by Apple, as it continues to reduce its dependence on third-party chip makers like Qualcomm.
The new SE is expected to see major adoption outside the US, particularly in China and India. It currently ranks as the world’s first and second largest smartphone market. China has long been an important market for Apple, but the company has struggled in the country in recent quarters. The final revenue report revealed that iPhone sales in China fell 11% year-on-year.
That decline was primarily responsible for the continued growth of domestic manufacturers, including Huawei, which imposed trade restrictions imposed during the first Trump administration. It also comes from the fact that Apple Intelligence, the company’s response to generator AI, is currently unavailable in China.
Apple is believed to be unveiling the PowerBeats Pro 2 on iPhone SE and tandem. Beat brand headphones arrive almost six years after the first generation product. The new Bluetooth earphones are expected to become the first Apple branded headphones to incorporate heart rate tracking as they look to grow their wearable health initiative beyond the Apple Watch.
Later this year, Apple is expected to be M4 refreshed to MacBook Air and iPad Air and to add to its smart home line for a long time. The new home hub is said to include a display, and it may also mark Apple’s first step into consumer robotics. However, these products are not expected for the release on February 11th.
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