iPhone SE 2 ‘faster than the fastest Android phones’: Tim Cook

Apple CEO Tim Cook expects high demand for the iPhone SE 2nd gen especially in areas where the average income is less.

Apple iPhone SE 2nd gen starts at Rs 42,500 in India, and it comes in three storage variants. (Apple)

Apple reported its Q2 earnings earlier today where the company's profits and iPhone sales in particular dipped due to the pandemic. iPhones were hit the hardest with sales dropping by 7% as compared to the same time last year. Apple CEO Tim Cook is however quite hopeful and expects a strong demand for the new and affordable iPhone SE 2nd gen.

Tim Cook in response to a question by JP Morgan's Samik Chatterjee during the earnings call explained how he expects the iPhone SE (2020) demand to be. The new iPhone SE has a starting price of RS 42,500 which is the most affordable iPhone from the latest lineup.

Cook expects the iPhone SE to do quite well in areas where the average income is less. He also expects this as an opportunity for more people to switch to iOS. Cook even said that the iPhone SE which runs on Apple's A13 Bionic chip, is "faster than the fastest Android phones".

Here's Cook's full response - "I think, it plays in every geo, but I would expect to see it doing even better in areas where the median incomes are less. And so, we'll see how that plays out. And I expect some fair number of people switching over to iOS. So, it's an unbelievable offer. It's, if you will, the engine of our top phones in a very affordable package. And I think -- and it's faster than the fastest Android phones. And so, it's an exceptional value."

The A13 Bionic chipset is used on the flagship iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro as well. While that remains the one major highlight of the iPhone SE, the rest of the parts are quite similar to that of the iPhone 8 whose looks it also borrowed. It has a 4.7-inch Retina HD display with a Touch ID button which doubles as a fingerprint sensor.

iPhone SE 2nd gen has a single 12-megapixel wide rear camera, and a 7-megapixel front camera for selfies and FaceTime. iPhone SE 2 is available in three storage variants of 64GB, 128GB and 256GB. Apple hasn't launched the iPhone SE 2 in India as yet but sales could begin once e-commerce rules are relaxed in the country.