iPhone 2018 release date, specs & features rumors: SE 2 budget phone to come in all-glass back

Strong rumors have been circulating about a next-generation iPhone SE 2, which will reportedly sport an all-glass back when it comes out this 2018.

This is the latest detail about the budget iPhone, which for the past months has been rumored to be arriving this year.

According to Sachin Bhatt from tekz24.com, "a very reliable source" revealed the all-glass back. This is a huge improvement from the existing SE, which is lined by glass panels along the top and bottom rear, but is still mostly made of aluminum.

An attendee checks out a new iPhone X during an Apple launch event in Cupertino, California, U.S. September 12, 2017. REUTERS/Stephen Lam

Bhatt explained that the possible reason for the upgrade was to enable the SE 2 for wireless charging, which all the recent iPhone releases are capable of. Apple's move to use glass backs for iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X is in part because of wireless charging.

iPhone SE, which was released in March 2016, uses the A9 chip also used in iPhone 6s. Reports say SE 2, which should be released around the same time this year, will be powered by the A10 chip used in iPhone 7.

As for size, SE 2 is believed to be at around 4 to 4.2 inches. It will run on the latest iOS and will come with two internal storage options -- 32 GB and 128 GB. Battery life is believed to be 1700 mAh, just a tad better than its predecessor. SE 2 will feature a 12-megapixel rear camera and 5-pixel front cam.

Estimated price for the next-gen SE is $400. Reports say it will be completely manufactured in Bangalore, India.

According to an August 2017 report from Focus Taiwan, locally-based contract electronics maker Wistron Corp. was at that time preparing to expand its production base in India for the production of SE 2.

According to insiders, this move from Apple was made in the hopes of doubling iPhone's market share in the Asian country over the next five years.

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