The iPhone SE has been the affordable model in Apple's smartphone family, but for a long time has managed to come in at cheaper price because it used such an old design.

Rumours had been suggesting that the next iPhone SE would move the design forward to an all-screen design more like the iPhone XR and finally move on from the dated home button.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo casts doubt on that however, saying that he believes it will be cancelled or delayed, because of poor shipments of low-end iPhone models.

The change to the iPhone SE is expected to increase the overall cost of the device and if Apple isn't going to be able to sell sufficient volume, it might deter the company from committing to it.

That might come as a blow to those holding out for a refreshed iPhone SE design, or wanting to get their hands on a modern iPhone that's affordable and offers all the support of the flagship devices.

Apple may choose to keep the current iPhone SE design and update some of the hardware, thus offering a cheaper design, but whereas the iPhone and the more recently-added Pro have routinely updated year-on-year, the SE has been less predictable.

There are also a number of signals pointing to economic slowdown over the coming years and that might also deter Apple from investing in the development of a new product line.