Apple's second-generation iPhone SE is official, and it's still just $399

After months of rumors and speculation about Apple working on an iPhone SE successor, we finally have an official announcement. Apple has unveiled the second-generation iPhone SE, a smartphone that looks like an iPhone 8, complete with a Touch ID-equipped home button but with upgraded internals. 

Better yet? The new iPhone SE starts at just $399. It’s the most affordable iPhone model in Apple’s lineup, undercutting the iPhone now-discontinued iPhone 8 by $50. 

Powering the iPhone SE’s 4.7-inch display is Apple’s A13 Bionic processor, with storage options of 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB. The latter two will cost $449 and $549, respectively. It will be available in black, white, or red. 

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Other notable features included a 12-megapixel rear camera, a 7-megapixel front-facing camera, an IP67 rating, and wireless charging. 

With the iPhone 11 starting at $699 or the 11 Pro starting at $999, the iPhone SE offers a more affordable option, while simultaneously providing a phone with modern internals and features they can rely on for the next few years. 

It’s not only a reliable starter phone for a teen, but it’s an ideal solution for fleets and companies looking to provide its workers with iPhones without spending a fortune. 

The original iPhone SE launched in 2016 with the same design as the iPhone 5: A 4-inch display and upgraded internals and priced at $399. It was the first time we’d seen Apple release an entry-level iPhone model that wasn’t an older model at a lower price point. 

Apple’s head of marketing, Phil Schiller, told me during the event that the “SE” stood for Special Edition, and as most special editions go, the original iPhone SE wasn’t available for very long. Hopefully, Apple has realized the demand for a smaller, more affordable, and routinely updated iPhone is great enough to keep the SE line current; even if it’s every two years.