There are almost no iPhone SE left in Apple stores – the company is preparing a replacement

Deliveries of the current generation iPhone SE (which Apple introduced in 2022) to company stores are declining at a rapid pace. Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman reported this. The downward trend in iPhone SE shipments is not surprising, since an updated version of the smartphone is expected to debut in just a few months.

Apple is expected to release a new iPhone SE this spring, most likely in April. According to some sources, the smartphone may be called iPhone 16E. This is supposed to be the biggest redesign in the history of the iPhone SE: an updated look with a 6.1-inch OLED display, improved Face ID technology, a USB Type-C interface for connecting a charger, and much more.

The new iPhone SE will receive support for proprietary functions based on artificial intelligence Apple Intelligence. However, all these updates also mean that the new iPhone SE will cost more than the previous generation model. According to rumors, the retail price of the smartphone will be at least $499.

Typically, when Apple releases new smartphones at a higher price, older models remain on the market, which allows them to reach more potential buyers. It looks like that won’t happen with the iPhone SE 3, even though the affordable iPhone has its own audience. However, the decrease in stock of iPhone SE in Apple Stores appears to indicate that the production volume of this model has already been reduced.

«Dwindling inventory is a sure sign that a new model is coming. But it also suggests that Apple probably doesn’t plan to keep the current version at a reduced price after the new model comes out. This appears to be a missed opportunity as a cheaper iPhone could have helped Apple penetrate some markets. The current SE version costs $429, and the new one could cost more given its advanced features, says Gurman.