Apple fans have something to look forward to next year. Photo: CNET file

Apple fans have something to look forward to next year.

The company?s iPhone SE was last refreshed in March of this year with new memory configurations.

According to a report by the China Economic Daily, a new SE 2 with the same 4-inch screen will be released by July of 2018, reported CNET.

The phone is likely to cost about $450, which is what the SE originally cost when it was first released. The current iPhone SE starts at $349.

While these rumours are to be taken with a grain of salt, consumers with an inclination to smaller form-factor phones are waiting with fingers to see a new version of the SE next year.