Apple may be about to launch a new, cheap iPhone SE

REUTERS/Edgar Su

Apple CEO Tim Cook.

• Apple may be about to launch a 4.7-inch budget iPhone called the iPhone SE.
• According to 9to5Mac, Apple is "definitely ready to start accepting orders very soon" for the device, and could do so as soon as today.
• 9to5Mac also learned the low-cost device will be called simply "iPhone SE" while referencing the new hardware as the 2020 version.
• Apple did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

There are multiple indications that a new iPhone SE is about to launch.

According to 9to5Mac, which received an anonymous tip-off, Apple is "definitely ready to start accepting orders very soon" for the device, and could do so as soon as today.

The new phone will be a 4.7-inch entry-level device and is, theoretically, the iPhone 9.

9to5Mac learned the low-cost device will be called "iPhone SE", like its budget predecessor from 2016, while referencing the new hardware as the 2020 version.

It will be available in black, white and red, and will come with 64, 128 and 256 GB of storage. The phone is expected to use Apple's A13 processor, the same chip found in the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Plus.

Though prices for the device remain unclear, prominent Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said Apple plans to sell it from $399.

Another clue that a new iPhone SE is coming is on Apple's own website. As noted by The Verge, Apple's online store lists a Belkin screen protector for the iPhone SE, iPhone 7, and iPhone 8.

Shona Ghosh/Business Insider

Apple's website lists a screen protector for the iPhone SE.

It's likely the new iPhone SE will be aimed at iPhone users who are reluctant to upgrade from their older, yet perfectly serviceable iPhones, such as the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6S.

The tech giant will also be aiming to convert Android phone users who see iPhone's cost as a prohibitive factor.

It might make sense for Apple to launch its cheaper model now. The tech giant is reportedly weighing up a delay of its expected 5G iPhone, which will likely cost in the region of $1,000. Apple is thought to be worried that people's finances will be too straitened during the coronavirus pandemic, sinking demand for a pricey phone, according to the Nikkei Asian Review.

Apple did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

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