'iPhone SE 2' Said to Have Entered Final Production Verification Stage Ahead of Launch

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Apple's rumored lower-cost iPhone model recently entered the final phase of production verification at an assembly plant in Zhengzhou, China, according to industry sources cited by Taiwanese publication DigiTimes.


A paywalled preview of the report:

New LCD iPhone enters final verification stage
Apple will soon introduce a new LCD iPhone series, dubbed tentatively SE2, which has recently entered the final phase of verification at an assembly plant in Zhengzhou, China, according to industry sources.

Apple is widely expected to announce an entry-level iPhone dubbed "iPhone SE 2" or "iPhone 9" within the next few months. The device is expected to resemble the iPhone 8, with a 4.7-inch LCD screen and a Touch ID home button, but with a faster A13 chip and an increased 3GB of RAM. Pricing is estimated to start at around $399 with 64GB of storage in the United States.

Last month, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple still plans to release the iPhone in the first half of 2020. Multiple reports have indicated that Apple aims to announce the device by the end of March, but those plans may change due to the uncertainty of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus outbreak around the world.

With major tech conferences like Google I/O and Facebook F8 having been cancelled on a physical basis due to public health considerations, it sounds increasingly unlikely that Apple will host a March event as rumored. Apple could always announce the lower-cost iPhone and other products with press releases, while offering one-on-one briefings with the media in Cupertino and New York City.

Even if the lower-cost iPhone is announced in March, initial supply may be limited until Foxconn and other Apple suppliers resume normal operations and ramp up mass production in the second quarter.

Related Roundup: iPhone SE 2

Tag: digitimes.com

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Deals: Woot Discounting Refurbished MacBook Pros (From $680) and iPhone 6s Models (From $80) Today Only

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Amazon-owned deals site Woot is offering low prices on a few refurbished MacBook Pro models today only. You can get the 2017 and 2018 MacBook Pro in both 13-inch and 15-inch sizes, with prices starting at $679.99.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Woot. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

To start, Woot has the mid 2017 13-inch MacBook Pro (2.3GHz, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) for $679.99, down from an original list price of $1,299.00. You can increase the storage of this model to 256GB for $789.99, and neither of these MacBook Pros have the Touch Bar.

If you want a model with the Touch Bar, Woot has the mid 2018 13-inch MacBook Pro with a 256GB SSD for $979.99, and a 512GB for $1,079.99. The only 15-inch model available on sale today is the mid 2018 MacBook Pro with 16GB RAM and a 256GB SSD for $1,489.99.

Woot also has refurbished models of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus on sale for today only, starting at just $79.99 for an unlocked 16GB iPhone 6s. Prices on the iPhone 6s Plus start at $129.99 for 16GB and increase from there. These iPhones are expected to have a moderate level of wear and tear, and have been tested to be in full working condition.

If you're an Amazon Prime member, you can get free standard shipping on Woot's website. Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

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Apple Temporarily Closes Some Retail Stores in Italy Due to Coronavirus Outbreak

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Apple will temporarily close one of its retail stores in Italy as the government grapples with the spread of COVID-19 in the country, which has experienced the worst outbreak of coronavirus in Europe so far.

Image via SetteBIT
Apple Oriocenter in the province of Bergamo will be closed on March 7 and 8, according to Apple's regional website, on orders from the Italian government.

The notice is the result of a decree of the President of the Council of Ministers issued last week that will see all medium and large retail stores, including commercial outlets inside shopping centers, shuttered over the coming weekend to halt the spread of the virus.

The decree covers the provinces of Bergamo, Cremona, Lodi, and Piacenza. Similar measures will also be undertaken in other Italian provinces.

Similar weekend closures occurred at Apple il Leone, Apple Fiordaliso and Apple Carosello on February 29 and March 1. Those closures were also government imposed.

The number of deaths has surged in Italy, which is now the country with the most deaths in the world outside of China, where the viral outbreak originated. In the last 24 hours, 27 people have died of the disease in Italy, bringing the total number to 79, according to the Civil Protection Agency.

Apple in early February closed all of its corporate offices, stores, and contact centers in China, but many stores have since reopened as the outbreak there appears to be slowing. There were 119 new confirmed cases in China on March 3, compared with 125 the day before.

An additional 38 people died on March 3, bringing the death toll in mainland China to 2,981. China has now had 80,270 cases since the virus first appeared in Wuhan province in December.

(Via AppleInsider.)

Tags: Italy, Apple retail, COVID-19

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