There have been rumours that Apple has cancelled the release of the iPhone SE 4th generation, which was scheduled for next year. This comes as the company prepares for what is projected to be a challenging year for smartphone sales.

On Friday, respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed in a blog post that Apple had cancelled the iPhone SE 4, citing sources in Apple’s supply chain. Kuo had previously predicted that Apple may postpone or cancel the phone a month prior.

The iPhone SE 3 and other specialised models, such the iPhone 13 Mini and the iPhone 14 Plus, may be to blame, according to Kuo, because they have had lower-than-expected shipments. The business may have been hesitant to go to a full-screen design with the iPhone SE 3 due to the expected recession in 2023. The iPhone SE 3 retains the large top and bottom bezels and home button design of the iPhone 6.

Preorders for Apple’s standard iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus models have been on the decline in favour of the more expensive iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max as a result of consumers’ tightened purse strings and Apple’s increased emphasis on marketing its premium devices. Analyst firm IDC reports a 9.1 percent drop in global smartphone sales in2022, while Light Reading reports that predictions of shipments have been reduced by 70 million devices for 2023. Maybe in 2024 Apple won’t update the iPhone SE line at all, or maybe it will keep the same form factor and update the internals, like it did with the iPhone SE 3.