The 2020 iPhone SE is official now, promising budget-conscious consumers a scaled-back version of the iPhone 11 in the body of iPhone 8. While the prospects of the A13 Bionic and iOS on a device starting at $399 might excite some consumers, a new report doesn’t see that happening in China, despite the fact that the same report states that it will appeal to users who are upgrading from an iPhone 6.
Chinese Consumers Are Expecting a Further Drop in the iPhone SE’s Price
The iPhone SE is largely expected to entice iPhone 6 owners who want to upgrade to the latest version of iOS without spending a lot. These are the consumers who typically hold on to their phones for as long as five years, upgrading only when the device breaks or the battery reaches a stage where they are forced to upgrade.
Beyond performance gains and elevated software experience, the iPhone SE still pales in comparison to some mid-range Android devices when it comes to features like an in-display fingerprint scanner and a multi-camera array. This can adversely impact demand in China.
The iPhone SE also offers Gigabit LTE but not 5G, and the latter is a huge selling point in China. In the Android camp, 5G is no longer limited to high-end devices. According to a poll carried out on Weibo, around 60 percent of the 350,000 respondents said they wouldn’t purchase the 2020 iPhones SE. Only a fifth of the participants said they would buy it, and the rest said they might consider a purchase.
It appears that a further reduction in pricing is what would cause those remaining respondents to get the device. Apple often allows retailers in China to reduce prices of new iPhones to boost demand and consumers are expecting the same for the 2020 iPhone SE. Given that this is already Apple’s cheapest phone in the new lineup, it remains to be seen if the company would actually go forward with this.
China is Apple’s third-largest market and since the country is slowly returning to normalcy as the rest of the world lies low because of the coronavirus pandemic, it makes it all the more important. Pre-orders for the iPhone SE open on Friday, so we will get to know more about the initial response in the coming days.
Here’s some more iPhone SE coverage for you if you’re interested.
- 2020 iPhone SE Battery, RAM Tech Specs Revealed, According to Chinese Carrier
- Key 2020 iPhone SE Specs, Features Get Highlighted in New Infograph, Summarizing Everything You Need to Know
- 2020 iPhone SE Retail Box Content- Here’s What You Get for $399 and Above
News Source: Reuters
