Multiple recent reports from Apple's supply chain have indicated that a new, greatly upgraded iPhone SE is on the way.

According to Nikkei, the new iPhone SE is expected to launch in early 2022. The device will feature the same iPhone 8-style design as the existing iPhone—home button included.

But the new SE will have what will be the most recent iPhone system-on-a-chip, the A15, which is expected to debut with Apple's new flagship phones this fall.

The new iPhone SE will also feature 5G cellular activity, something Apple first brought to its high-end iPhones late last year. The article specifies that the iPhone SE will use Qualcomm's X60 modem.

Otherwise, the midrange phone (which also happens to be Apple's cheapest at present) will closely resemble the current iPhone SE, including the 4.7-inch LCD screen. This is in contrast to Apple's flagships, which have OLED screens that offer better picture quality by most measures.

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But new life for the iPhone SE reportedly means death for another of Apple's phone models: the iPhone mini, which was introduced as part of the iPhone 12 lineup just last year.

We've already seen evidence that the iPhone 12 mini did not sell well, compared to the rest of Apple's lineup. In all likelihood, Apple will sell an iPhone 13 mini later this year, but the Nikkei report says Apple probably won't offer a mini model in the 2022 flagship lineup. That's bad news for lovers of small phones who are still willing to pay for the latest and greatest screen technology and cameras.

Instead, Apple may include a "relatively cost-effective version" of the ultralarge iPhone Pro Max phone in 2022. But Nikkei's sources note that the designs for 2022's phones "are not yet locked in," so Apple's plans could still evolve.

This Nikkei report follows previous stories from other supply chain sources, as well as predictions from well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, that also claimed a faster iPhone SE with an iPhone 8-like design is on the way.

Listing image by Samuel Axon