Apple iPhone SE To Be Discontinued, Analyst Says

Apple iPhone SE was a unique offering from Apple, differing in many ways from the company's flagship devices.

It had budget pricing, at least by Apple’s standards, and unlike the 5.5-inch devices which have become the standard for the company, it had a 4-inch size.

According to China-based analyst Pan Jiutang, the iPhone SE might not be refreshed, making it a one-time product from Apple.

Read: Apple To Make iPhone SE In India? Company To Assemble 400,000 Units, Report Says

“If you are nostalgic about the small screen, buy a iPhone SE or iPhone 5c now. The future Apple iPhones should not be less than 5.5 inches, and the iPhone SE will not have a newer version,” he posted on Weibo Sunday.

The iPhone SE was part of Apple’s effort to target budget-sensitive markets such as India. It also makes Apple one of the few companies that are targeting consumer demand for smaller handsets. Rivals such as Samsung and HTC have moved on to the 5-inch standard long time back.

The iPhone SE is basically the iPhone 5S refurbished, with a better camera and the Apple Pay feature.

Meanwhile, Apple has been mum on the future of the iPhone SE. In fact, it has actually set up a plant in India to manufacture the handset for the local market. Since that is a fairly recent development, chances are that the analyst might be wrong. Or there are two other possibilities — the production of the iPhone SE might be Apple’s tactic to dispose of iPhone 5S production stock left over after switching over to the 5-inch device size with the iPhone 6 or Jiutang might have indicated that the device might not be available in markets where more premium handsets like iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are more popular, such as the U.S.

That said, if the iPhone SE is discontinued it might not be highly surprising, going by how Apple has functioned in the past.

The company is rumored to launch three phones this year — iPhone 8, iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus. If it refreshes the iPhone SE, there will also be an iPhone SE 2. This would entail that Apple will have multiple production lines — one for the iPhone 8, at least one for the iPhone 7S and 7S Plus and one for the iPhone SE 2. That is not how Apple generally produces its devices.

Read: iPhone 8 Release Date: Apple's 10th Anniversary Edition Could Face 'Severe Supply Shortages'

Unlike rival Samsung, Apple has been producing just one flagship product annually since the first iPhone, with certain exceptions such as the iPhone 5C. Both iPhone 5C and iPhone SE represent deviations from Apple’s usual way of working. Chances are that Apple might not want to stretch its production lines so much and instead focus on producing its tenth-anniversary device, the iPhone 8. The discontinuation of the iPhone SE, might let Apple focus more on its flagship devices for 2017, which will determine its future in the smartphone market.