Japanese tech blog Mac Otakara reports that Apple plans to launch new second-generation AirPods Pro and a new third-generation iPhone SE in April 2021, citing Chinese supplier sources.
The report claims that the new AirPods Pro will come with a slightly redesigned charging case. Specifically, the report claims the case will remain 21mm thick, but will have a height of 46mm and a width of 54mm. The current AirPods Pro charging case has a height of 45.2mm and a width of 60.6mm, so the new case will apparently be slightly narrower.
The report does not offer any further details about either the AirPods Pro or iPhone SE… Given that Mac Otakara refers to the upcoming model as a “third-generation” iPhone SE, however, it is possible that Apple plans to stick with a 4.7-inch display like the second-generation iPhone SE — it’s unclear.
MacDailyNews Note: Last April, TF International Securities’ uber-analyst Ming-Chi Ku said a larger-screened [5.5-inch] version of the iPhone SE, “iPhone SE Plus,” had been delayed until the second half of 2021.
When and if the “iPhone SE Plus” finally appears, it will likely still sport with the old Home button which, as users of X-class iPhones and iPads know, is not as nice as having a TrueDepth Camera system and Face ID. Pressing that Home button all day in staccato fashion is just not as fluid as a simple flick. Eventually, Apple will be able to scale to the point of eliminating the Home button everywhere. We’d hoped they’d be able to do so with every new iOS device going forward, but it seems they’re not there yet in terms of pricing. The good news that most people buying these lower-priced iPhone models will be coming from older iPhones with Home buttons anyway, so they won’t know or feel like they’re missing anything.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]