Apple is going to launch a cheaper iPhone and it could be this week

A cheaper iPhone is coming

The new ‘budget’ iPhone will be revealed in March, according to industry rumours.

The iPhone SE is a stripped down, more affordable version of the latest iPhone but the new 2025 version will be something special.

An expert says the phone could be revealed in the next few weeks with orders potentially opening in February. 

According to Bloomberg, the phone will not be announced at a launch event but will go on sale on the Apple website in February. The launch will be early than previous versions that typically arrive in March or even April.

Usually the iPhone SE is based on older versions of the iPhone but the 2025 model will have its own design tweaks to make it feel more unique. It also has faster processing than previous models and an OLED display with face recognition for the first time.

Rumours suggest Apple will even add its artificial intelligence, which was added to top-end iPhone 17 models last year, to the SE when it goes on sale.

The phone has proved popular with Apple fans over the past three generations and is set to become a viable alternative to the previous generation iPhone 16 thanks to its low price and updated set of features bringing it closer to the previous generation’s flagship phone. 

The iPhone SE is the cheapest iPhone on the market. The current generation costs just £429 for the handset, which is a third of the price of the iPhone 17 Pro Max. On a contract the third generation is priced at just £14.99 a month on Sky Mobile with no upfront cost.

The new iPhone SE is expected to be available at similar price levels when pre orders open. It will be significantly cheaper than the range-topping iPhone 16, which is priced from £26 a month on Sky Mobile. The most expensive phone in the range, the iPhone 16 Pro Max, is priced from £42 per month on Sky Mobile here.