There may be nothing more cliche in the world of tech writing than to say, “Apple may have another hit on its hands.”

Well, apologies but … Apple may have another hit on its hands.

The new iPhone SE is rumored to be gearing up for release this spring. It would be an update of the budget-friendly 2016 iPhone SE.

It’s widely expected this smartphone will be priced at $399, a far cry from the four-digit prices of the current crop of iPhones.

So who’s interested in this?

Right now, 12% of Americans 18 and older said they were at least “somewhat likely” to purchase the new iPhone SE. But the real news is in the age category, with 15% of Gen Z saying they’re at least “somewhat likely” to purchase the phone, with another 19% saying they’re “not sure.” These are big numbers. Capturing the younger market, while not necessarily guaranteeing a customer for life, certainly starts the process of brand loyalty.

And while the above is great news for this budget-friendly phone, not all is rosy, as the vast majority of people who say they’re likely to purchase it are already iPhone owners. Only 3% of current Samsung owners (and 5% of “other” smartphone owners) say they’ll be at least “somewhat likely” to purchase the phone. Might that number rise as Apple gets closer to launch? Perhaps, and CivicScience will be sure to track that data.

Additionally, a full 12% of Americans who don’t currently own a smartphone say they’d be at least somewhat likely to dive in with the new iPhone SE.

Parents are ever-so-slightly more likely to buy this budget-friendly iPhone than non-parents, but it will be very interesting to note intent to purchase this phone as the holiday season approaches later this year. 

A few other points of interest about the phone include:

  • City residents are more interested than suburban and rural Americans in the phone
  • AT&T customers are twice as likely to seek out the new iPhone SE than Verizon customers
  • And, for what it’s worth, 28% of Americans who say they always seek out the lowest-priced coffee also say they’re likely to seek out this lowest-price iPhone.