This May Be Your Last Chance to Own a ‘Classic’ iPhone

By all reports Apple is preparing to release a next-generation iPhone SE in the next few weeks that will bring the wallet-friendly model into the modern era. However, this also means we’ll soon be saying goodbye to the 2022 iPhone SE — the last model to feature Apple’s once-iconic iPhone design.

However, that “iPhone classic” may disappear sooner than expected. The iPhone SE has never been Apple’s biggest seller, and with a replacement model on the horizon, Apple has likely been scaling down production of the current one over the past few weeks.

This is reflected by the fact that stock levels are rapidly dwindling in Apple Stores around the world. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman highlighted this in his most recent Power On newsletter:

According to people working in Apple’s retail operations, a surprisingly large number of US stores have little to no inventory of the iPhone SE remaining. Consumers can still get the device from the online store — and it ships out within a few days — but finding one at a brick-and-mortar outlet is going to be harder and harder.

Mark Gurman

A straw poll of Apple Stores in Canada has revealed that the situation isn’t much different here and is likely the same in other countries. Except for Europe, where the Lightning-equipped iPhone SE was pulled from shelves at the end of December to comply with the new USB-C requirements.

The new iPhone SE is expected to adopt the design of the iPhone 14, minus the dual-camera array. That means flat sides and an edge-to-edge OLED display with Face ID. Most reports have maintained that it will feature the same notch as the iPhone 14, although a recent update from an oft-reliable leaker suggests that it will adopt the Dynamic Island from the iPhone 16 instead. That lines up with a prediction we heard last February that was seemingly refuted by several other reliable sources, so we’ll have to wait and see.

That early departure from Europe led to speculation that the “iPhone SE 4” could launch sooner than expected, but Gurman maintains that it won’t be arriving until at least March — Apple’s typical timeframe for iPhone SE releases.

Still, if a Dynamic Island is in the card, it lends weight to the rumor that Apple will call the new model the “iPhone 16E” to set it apart from the iPhone SE models that have come before. We’re still not expecting an Action button, which seems to have been confirmed by photos of dummy units shared last week, but those photos only showed the rear and sides, so they don’t land either way on the Notch versus Dynamic Island debate.

Nevertheless, if you liked the look of the traditional iPhone era, you’ll want to hurry as it won’t be with us much longer — at least not in a new form sold by Apple. Some speculated that Apple might keep the 2022 iPhone SE around at a lower price — another reason for the ”iPhone 16E” name, which would help distinguish the two models — but the shrinking stock levels suggest that won’t be happening, at least not in the US and other major markets. There’s some possibility Apple might keep it around for emerging markets.

The current 2022 iPhone SE was based on the design of the 2017 iPhone 8 and features the same rounded edges, screen bezels, and front-facing Home Button that was the norm on all iPhones until the iPhone X changed the game that same year. Although Apple’s first two iPhone SE models, released in 2016 and 2020, adopted the design of their 2.5-year-old predecessors, the 2013 iPhone 5s and 2017 iPhone 8. By all rights, the 2022 iPhone SE should have been based on the 2019 iPhone 11, the same way this year’s iPhone SE will follow the 2022 iPhone 14 design.

However, the 2022 iPhone SE stuck with the older design as it was primarily intended as an interim release to bring 5G to Apple’s most affordable iPhone. The result is that the classic iPhone design phased out in Apple’s flagships seven years ago has hung on for far longer than anyone expected. Still, all good things must come to an end, and it looks like 2025 will spell the final death knell for the Home Button and the Lightning connector.

So, if you want to grab onto a piece of Apple history and get an affordable iPhone at the same time, you may want to pick up the current iPhone SE before it’s gone. Plus, while Apple sells the 2022 iPhone SE for $429 for a base 64 GB model or $479 for 128 GB, the new iPhone SE is expected to get a higher price tag. That’s unsurprising, considering all the technology Apple will be packing into it. This year’s model will likely start at 128 GB, but the price could reach $500 or more.