MacworldGood news, everyone! The next version of the iPhone SE is set to arrive sooner than expected. The latest report now puts the launch at sometime in February (it could even be announced today, ruining this articles shelf life), rather than March or early April thats more usual for products that dont fit in Apples fall and summer slates. Given that weve been waiting since March 2022 it feels a little presumptuous to call this early, but lets at least try to be positive and say that our long national nightmare is almost over.If Apple has chosen to bring forward the launch, we dont have to look far for reasons. One is the companys need to increase usage of its AI platform, which makes it vital to get an Apple Intelligence-ready mass-market smartphone in stores. The other is the companys failure to prepare for incoming EU regulations, resulting in it having no budget iPhone on sale across numerous markets since the start of this year. Apple needs the next SE, and soon.I do wonder, though, whether Apple really grasps the importance of the SE to its mission. For one thing, up until this recent injection of urgency, the product has followed a truly glacial upgrade cycle. Since the first model came out in March 2016, almost nine years ago, Apple has managed two further models, neither of which have done much to evolve the form factor. I appreciate that budget buyers are less demanding when it comes to state-of-the-art technology, but you hit a snag when a phone has a dated design and then doesnt change for three years. You cant take customers for granted.Another clue to Apples priorities is the likely lack of fanfare surrounding this launch. Mark Gurman, the leaker who last week predicted the phone would come out in a matter of days, says it wont be unveiled at an event, so were probably looking at a website update and email. It doesnt quite compare to Lana Del Rey at the 2018 iPad Pro unveiling. But why would Apple bother to generate hype for a product it doesnt believe in?The iPhone SE is the sort of product that Apples customers like, but Apple hates. Its profit margin is scant compared to flagship iPhone models, and its more basic design and feature set means it has far less capacity to dazzle an owners friends (or infuriate their enemies) and evangelize the Apple lifestyle. Cupertino is notorious for wanting to control the user experiencethe fact that this is lessening is due to political and regulatory pressure and is in no way a reflection of changed prioritiesand a major reason behind this is a desire to present products, even after being sold, at their very best. Apples customers are its most numerous and frequently most enthusiastic salespeople, and you cant sell effectively if you havent got a top-of-the-line kit.But the tech world is changing, and the philosophies that have brought Apple to this point may not serve it well in the second half of this decade. The days of shifting millions of expensive smartphones may be numbered, as the improvements become less and less worthwhile and each generation blends into the next. Last week I talked about Apples commitment to the long-term pivot away from dependence on the iPhone and towards related products, services, AI, and so on. But it doesnt yet seem to understand the corollary of that plan: that in the future, the number of iPhone owners will be more important than the amount of money they each paid.The iPhone SE, like the 10th-gen iPad now and the iPod long ago, has the power of accessibility. Its easy to use and (relatively) cheap to buy, making it perfect for bringing new customers (and new markets) into the fold and keeping existing customers loyal in periods of economic uncertainty. Given its many benefits, and the three-year gap since the last model, the least Apple could do for the launch of the next SE is throw a party.FoundryWelcome to our weekly Apple Breakfast column, which includes all the Apple news you missed last week in a handy bite-sized roundup. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it goes great with a Monday morning cup of coffee or tea, but its cool if you want to give it a read during lunch or dinner hours too.Trending: Top storiesHaving lost its passion for risk-taking, Apple needs to re-discover its weird side.Apples M3 nightmare is coming to an end.Can we still trust Apple? A few recent events give Peter Mller pause.Apple is doomed because it cant see the future, reckons the Macalope.Theres a magical iPhone feature hiding in your new Mac that you need to try!Apple has launched a brand-new Invites app infused with AI and it Invites copycat criticism.Apple killed the wrong Vision Pro project! Stylish smart glasses are the way forward.Apple shares a secret MacBook tip that power users will love.If you owned an early-gen Apple Watch, you could be getting $50.Podcast of the weekAI is all the rage, and Apple Intelligence is supposed to change how we use our Apple devices. But has it? We discuss this question on the latest episode of the Macworld Podcast.You can catch every episode of the Macworld Podcast onSpotify,Soundcloud, thePodcasts app, orour own site.Reviews cornerClicks for iPhone 16 review: Clever iPhone keyboard case (not) for everyone.Parallels Toolbox review: Dozens of fun, handy utilities.Ugreen CM850 USB4 Enclosure review: Fast 40Gbps with any NVMe SSD.The rumor millA calm month for once? Heres everything we expect from Apple in February 2025.Or maybe not so calm. The new iPhone SE launch might be just days awayForget the M4, the M5 iPad Pro and Macs are on track for release this year.Apple reportedly ends its Mac-connected Augmented Reality glasses project.Software updates, bugs, and problemsI received the worst iPhone text scam ever. Thanks, Apple!Hackers are using AI to attack your Mac and its only going to get worse.Apple rolls out mysterious iOS update for a single iPhone model.And with that, were done for this weeks Apple Breakfast. If youd like to get regular roundups, sign up forour newsletters, including our new email from The Macalopean irreverent, humorous take on the latest news and rumors from a half-man, half-mythical Mac beast. You can also follow uson Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, or X for discussion of breaking Apple news stories. See you next Monday, and stay Appley.