The Apple rumor mill is a merciless mistress, and the twisting story of the long-awaited iPhone SE Four might have simply taken one other flip for the disappointing.

Regardless of current claims that the fourth-generation iPhone SE had secured itself a 2025 launch, seasoned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has now instructed (opens in new tab) that the machine “just isn’t at the moment a part of Apple’s new product planning” for the subsequent couple of years.

Pouring chilly water on his personal predictions relating to the iPhone SE 4’s resemblance to the iPhone 14, Kuo additionally tweeted (opens in new tab) that he believes any currently-in-development iPhone SE Four fashions are merely engineering prototypes for Apple’s ongoing 5G improvement.

I believe SE Four just isn’t at the moment a part of Apple’s new product planning for 2024/2025. https://t.co/5TVl0mkTpbApril 14, 2023

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Suffice to say, that is irritating information for iPhone SE followers – however these excited by the prospect of a brand new inexpensive iPhone have certainly grown accustomed to the iPhone SE Four merry-go-round.

Just a few months in the past, analysts reported that Apple had deserted plans to launch a fourth-generation iPhone SE, owing to doubts over the sequence’ reputation and profitability. Then, two months later, the identical analysts counter-claimed (opens in new tab) that Apple had restarted improvement on the iPhone SE 4, albeit with the corporate eyeing a a lot later launch date than initially supposed.

Now, although, Kuo has solid doubt over whether or not we’ll ever see an iPhone SE 4. Do we actually count on Apple to choose up improvement of a tool with restricted business attraction in 2026 and past? By that time, we’ll doubtless be speculating in regards to the iPhone 18 line.

However then once more, who is aware of? The latest iPhone SE – the iPhone SE (2022) – got here in March of final yr, and didn’t precisely reinvent the sequence from a design perspective, so maybe Apple is ready till it might probably provide prospects an actual purpose to purchase an iPhone SE 4.

If certainly we do see an iPhone SE Four in 2026, leakers have instructed that the cellphone may arrive packing a 6.1-inch OLED display and a notch – although it is price noting that these predictions have been made based mostly on the machine’s anticipated 2024 arrival. A brand new iPhone SE that shares design similarities with the now-outdated iPhone X isn’t prone to go down nicely in 2026.

In all chance, then, the iPhone SE Four is lifeless. Or at the very least, the iPhone SE Four as we envisaged it’s lifeless. There’s all the time an opportunity that Apple may pull a rabbit from its hat and resurrect the inexpensive iPhone line sooner or later, however the outlook isn’t nice proper now. Sorry, SE followers…