New iPhone SE And 3 Other Drops To Expect At Apple’s Launch Event – Forbes
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 05: Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks before the start of the Apple Worldwide … [+] Developers Conference at its headquarters on June 05, 2023 in Cupertino, California. Apple CEO Tim Cook kicked off the annual WWDC23 developer conference. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)It’s almost time: Apple is slated to unveil its new iPhone SE at a launch event on Wednesday, February 19.Tim Cook teased the launch on X, priming Apple fans for an acquaintance with “the newest member of the family.” Although the member in question is likely the long-awaited upgrade to the iPhone SE, which hasn’t received a makeover in nearly three years, Apple is also rumored to unveil a few other products.Here’s what might be in store.First up, the main event: the fourth iteration of the iPhone SE — Apple’s budget handset.The new phone is expected to depart from its older design, ditching the home button, which the late Steve Jobs introduced in 2007.The revamped iPhone SE will sport a larger screen and FaceID, along with the same A18 chip powering the iPhone 16 lineup, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The SE is also said to come with Apple Intelligence — the company’s suite of AI tools.Notably, the phone will be the first Apple device equipped with its in-house cellular modem chip, which is also rumored to land in upcoming, slimmer iPhone models.The last-gen iPhone SE currently retails at $429, but the new model is expected to come with a bump in price due to its numerous upgrades.That’s kind of a shame. No word on how much of a hike we’re in for, so fingers crossed it’s nothing that’ll blow a hole in your pocket.While Cook has hinted at a single new “member,” the rumor mill has spilled speculation about a MacBook Air refresh.Apple will purportedly use the same design as the current generation, but switch the M3 chip with the newer M4, which is expected to deliver power and efficiency improvements, suitable for Apple Intelligence — even though not all users are crazy about it.It’s not yet clear whether Apple will release new MacBooks at the upcoming February 19 event, as noted by Gurman who previously reported the laptops could launch later in the first half of 2025.It’s only been about nine months since we got the sixth-gen iPad Air, but Gurman has hinted Apple could beef up its lineup with a new Air model.Similarly to the MacBook situation, the company will likely reuse the current-gen design, simply swapping out the M2 chip with the more powerful M4, which currently powers the Pro models.Apple has been rumored to be cooking up a new entry-level iPad models, which could bump up the current-gen’s A14 chips to the A17 Pro.Lastly, we could also get new iPad accessories — two new Magic Keyboard models, to be specific.Although somewhat unlikely, it won’t be too surprising to see new color options for the iPhone 16 — or so speculates MacRumors.Traditionally, Apple has stuck to March and April color refresh schedules, but given the occasion it wouldn’t be too outlandish to pair the iPhone SE launch with a few extra drops.It’s not the most exciting of announcements, but it never hurts to have more options, right?Apple tends to keep it simple for such events, mostly relying on press releases for minor product launches like this one. But the company might have enough announcements to put together an impromptu event this time around.In any case, a new iPhone SE is around the corner — stay tuned for more updates. I’ll be covering Apple’s February 19 launch event live.
