Young: iPhone SE 5G production set to begin in March ahead of April/May announcement

5g Iphone (Image credit: Apple)

What you need to know

Production of Apple's upcoming iPhone SE 5G is now rumored to begin in April.
Apple's next iPhone SE could be announced in the second half of March or the first half of May.
The new iPhone SE is expected to sport 5G connectivity but not get a redesign.

Apple's heavily-rumored iPhone SE refresh could be with us in the second half of April or the first half of May, according to a new report.

Display analyst Ross Young now believes that Apple will put the new iPhone SE 5G into production in March with the displays set to begin production within the next couple of weeks.

Apple 5G SE model starting panel production this month. Phone production likely from March. This means a launch is likely for 2H April/early May with shipments from late April or early May.Apple 5G SE model starting panel production this month. Phone production likely from March. This means a launch is likely for 2H April/early May with shipments from late April or early May.— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) January 19, 2022 January 19, 2022

Previous reports by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman pointed to an iPhone SE refresh being announced as soon as March or April, potentially matching up with this new timeframe somewhat.

The refreshed iPhone SE is set to gain 5G support and a faster processor while an updated camera system is also likely. However, no new design is anticipated this year with changes potentially coming next year. Young himself recently suggested that a new, larger iPhone SE with a 5.7-inch display could be in the cards for a launch as soon as 2023.. Reports of a full design change with an iPhone XR-like design have also been floating around of late, although that shouldn't be expected until 2024 at the earliest.

If Apple is indeed to announce a new 5G-powered iPhone SE in April or May, a new iPad Air is also possibly coming alongside it. Expect both refreshes to be announced during some sort of streamed event rather than the in-person ones of yesteryear. Hopefully, they're back with us soon!

A new 5G iPhone at a budget price, just like we expect iPhone SE to offer, will surely be the best iPhone for a ton of people who don't want to spend the money needed to get into an iPhone 13.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.