iPhone SE and other iPhone 14 models may be discontinued soon.
0 Facebook x.com Reddit
If you're in the EU and considering buying an iPhone SE or iPhone 14 from Apple, you might want to hurry.
A new rumor suggests that Apple may stop selling the current iPhone SE and iPhone 14 models it still offers by the end of the year. The report will likely turn out to be true, but for the wrong reasons.
The theory behind the claim was originally published by French website iGeneration. The claim posits that Apple does not want to violate a European Union regulation that all smartphones sold there must use a USB-C connector from January 2025.
Both the iPhone 14 series and the current iPhone SE still use Lightning ports.
However, EU law does not prohibit older smartphones designed before the regulation was passed from being sold with older ports. It also does not require resellers to stop selling iPhones. The regulation only applies to smartphones designed after the law was passed.
It also won't affect phones sold elsewhere, so Apple can continue to sell the iPhone SE, as well as the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus — the last two iPhone 14 models still available — around the world if it wants.
The Line in the Sand
The real reason Apple may stop selling the iPhone SE and iPhone 14 models a little earlier than expected is much simpler: the company wants all of its iPhones to be able to run Apple Intelligence features in 2025.
Currently, those capabilities are limited to the latest iPhone models, specifically the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, as well as all iPhone 16 models. All M1, M2, M3, and M4 Mac and iPad models already meet the specifications for Apple Intelligence, which is rolling out in stages across iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia.
Previous iPhones up to and including the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will also not get Apple Intelligence features, though they will get other improvements in iOS 18 if they qualify. However, Apple plans to replace the iPhone SE with a newer model expected in the first half of 2025 that could likely run Apple Intelligence.
Given that Apple Intelligence will be rolling out in iOS, iPadOS, and macOS updates through at least the first half of 2025, this could boost sales of the upcoming iPhone 17 lineup, expected to launch in the fall.
Apple could likely entice older iPhone owners, including those with iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, to upgrade to the iPhone 17 lineup with higher trade-in values or other incentives. However, it is not yet clear whether this will happen.
The next iPhone SE model could also be an easy entry point for those upgrading if it supports Apple Intelligence as expected. The upcoming fourth-generation SE will reportedly change its design to resemble the iPhone 14, and could see a price hike to $499 from the current $429.
It is also expected to get significant hardware upgrades, including a 48-megapixel rear camera and an OLED screen, according to reports. It could also be the first iPhone model to get Apple's anticipated new in-house modem.
Follow AppleInsider on Google News
