Apple CEO Tim Cook says Android users looking to switch are interested in the iPhone SE (2020)

Last month, Apple introduced the second-generation iPhone SE. The phone is modeled after the iPhone 8 and keeps the latter's 4.7-inch LCD display and Touch ID fingerprint scanner. There is no notch on the screen, no gesture navigation, and no Face ID. Instead of the A11 Bionic chipset used to power the iPhone 8, Apple has placed the A13 Bionic SoC inside the new iPhone SE; this is the same 7nm chipset that is used on the iPhone 11 series models.

Apple also added a new Image Signal Processor (ISP) which according to the company, makes the 12MP camera on the back of the phone the best single-camera setup on a smartphone.The second-generation iPhone SE is priced at $399 for 64GB of storage, $449 for 128GB of storage and $549 for 256GB of storage. The phone is available in Black, White, and (PRODUCT)RED.

During yesterday's conference call following the release of fiscal second-quarter earnings, Apple CEO Tim Cook was asked whether the high unemployment rate and failing economy are leading consumers to purchase lower priced iPhones with smaller amounts of storage than they would usually buy. Cook responded by saying that he hadn't seen any evidence of that. He did state that "I have seen a strong customer response to iPhone SE which is our most affordable iPhone." The executive went on to say that many of those interested in the new iPhone SE have two "principal reasons" for desiring the device. There are those who want a phone with a smaller form factor but with the latest technology, and others who would like to switch from an Android phone.

The CEO also pointed out that while the pandemic raged, Apple released the latest versions of the premium-priced iPad Pro. With color options of Space Gray and Silver, the Wi-Fi-only 11-inch unit is priced at $799 for 128GB of storage, $899 for 256GB of storage, $1,099 for 512GB of storage, and $1,299 for 1TB of storage. The Wi-Fi-only 12.9-inch variant is priced at $999 for 128GB of storage, $1,299 for 256GB of storage, $1,499 for 512GB of storage, and $1,299 for 1TB of storage. Those who want a cellular connection need to add $150 to the aforementioned prices.

Apple also is offering a new Magic Keyboard that connects to both the 2018 and 2020 iPad Pro models with magnets. It also has a touchpad and a backlit QWERTY keyboard. The accessory is priced at $299 for the 11-inch slates and $349 for the 12.9-inch tablets. Cook says that despite the pandemic, reception for the new iPad Pro has been "incredibly good" and he has yet to see Apple customers buy lower-priced models because of the economy.

The iPhone SE could face competition later this quarter when the yet-to-be-announced Pixel 4a launches. The new Pixel will also start at $399, sport a larger 5.8-inch display, and feature a single 12.2MP camera that is expected to challenge the camera on the iPhone SE. There could be an issue under the hood; the Pixel 4a is expected to be powered by the Snapdragon 730 Mobile platform which is no match for the A13 Bionic chipset. As for the second-generation iPhone SE, Cook said, "I would expect to see it doing even better where the median incomes are less. I’d expect some fair number of people switching over to iOS. It’s an unbelievable offer. It’s the engine of our top phones, in a very affordable package, and it’s faster than the fastest Android phones. It’s an exceptional value."

The original iPhone SE was released on March 31st, 2016, and used the iPhone 5s design. It was powered by Apple's A9 chipset which was being used at the time by the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. Priced at $399 and up, the iPhone SE was well-received for many of the same reasons why many expect the new model to sell well: lower-pricing and a smaller form factor.