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iPhone SE 4: Latest News and Rumors (Updated October 20)
- Apple could debut a second, bigger iPhone SE 4 Plus model this time around.
- Apple's first 5G modem could finally arrive with the iPhone SE 4.
- Apple is reportedly lining up OLED suppliers for the iPhone SE 4.
- It's looking like the iPhone SE 4 is on track for a launch in early 2025.
- The next iPhone SE could cost more than the current model.
- The iPhone SE 4 is expected to support Apple Intelligence.
Apple began a two-year upgrade cycle with the iPhone SE 2022, but we won't be getting an iPhone SE 4 in 2024. However, the new model might be worth the wait, according to reports circulating about the upcoming iPhone SE.
The iPhone SE, which Apple released in March 2022, maintained the outdated design of the iPhone SE 2020 and added 5G compatibility to the company's most affordable phone. With the upcoming model, which is also anticipated to have an updated camera, a new display, and more modern silicon, that is anticipated to alter. With the latter change, the iPhone SE 4 would be able to support the AI-powered capabilities that Apple is introducing on other iPhones, iPads, and Macs this autumn.
To put it another way, the iPhone SE 4 might be the biggest update since the 2016 release of the first model. Here is everything we currently know about the iPhone SE 4, along with our expectations for when it launches and attempts to compete with the top iPhones.
iPhone SE 4: Release Date Rumors
Generally speaking, the iPhone SE 4 is expected to ship in 2025. Undoubtedly, it became evident that an iPhone SE update would not be possible until 2025 at the latest when the Apple Glowtime event took place in September and brought only iPhone 16 models.
The most recent person to mark 2025 on the calendar is Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who reports that the new phone is expected to ship early in the year.
Gurman's prediction would be supported by the fact that Apple has historically released the iPhone SE in the spring, with the 2022 model arriving in March.
iPhone SE 4: Expected Price
Given that potential competitors like the Pixel 8a and OnePlus 12R cost $499, we wouldn't expect Apple to give up its pricing edge so quickly. The current iPhone SE, at $429, is among the best affordable phones on the market.
But since the last release of the iPhone SE, phones have become more costly. Apple increased the cost of its Pro Max model by $100 during that period, and other phone manufacturers have followed suit. Two years ago, the Pixel 6a cost $449; today, the current model of Google's midrange A series gadget costs $499.
Consequently, there is at least one rumor circulating that an increase in the price of the iPhone SE 4 is imminent. The next iPhone would now cost $499 based on that claim. With all the possible upgrades we're going to discuss, such an increase would make sense. However, this would prevent Apple from marketing the iPhone SE as a low-cost substitute for other midrange gadgets.
iPhone SE 4: Name Speculations
Since it is the moniker being floated in the rumor mill, we are referring to this rumored model as the iPhone SE 4. It's also no surprise that people have chosen that specific name for Apple's low-cost smartphone, as this would be the fourth edition.
However, that's not how Apple usually names their low-cost phones. The iPhone SE has only that name and the year that the new model is released, unlike flagship phones that have used a number in prior years, like as the iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and so forth. As a result, it's quite feasible that a phone that comes out in 2025 will be called the iPhone SE 2025.
Using the iPhone SE Plus name that some analysts have suggested is another option, particularly if Apple decides to give this version a larger screen as anticipated. However, it could lead to confusion with the iPhone 16 Plus, not to mention the other Plus versions that are still available at discounted pricing from Apple.
Apple may ship two phones this time around: the regular iPhone SE 4 and a larger iPhone SE 4 Plus, according to leaked photos that appear to be of iPhone SE 4 dummy devices.
iPhone SE 4: Design & Display Features
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iPhone SE 4 renders (Image credit: Jon Prosser/Ian Zelbo) |
In terms of iPhone SE 4 rumors, here is where we're most confident. According to a 2023 rumor by The Elec, the iPhone SE would have a 6.1-inch OLED screen. According to later reports, the iPhone SE 4 will resemble the iPhone 14 in appearance, with a 6.1-inch screen with thin bezels and a notch in the screen, instead of the Dynamic Island feature that was first introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro and made its way to the regular iPhone a year later. In leaked dummy units, a second model, the iPhone SE 4 Plus, which is reported to be based on the iPhone 14 Plus, has a larger 6.7-inch screen.
There's little doubt that the iPhone SE could use a makeover. It continues to use a design that was last seen on a new flagship iPhone in 2017, with the release of the iPhone 8.
There could be changes to more than just the display's size. According to a September report, the iPhone SE 4 would use an OLED screen rather than the LCD panel used by the current generation. A year prior, there had been rumors of such a transfer. Since the iPhone SE is the company's final LCD-equipped model, it would mark the end of an era for the phone manufacturer.
In any case, according to an October rumor from Asia, Apple is setting up supply of OLED panels, which appears to confirm the switch to OLED screens and the possibility that the iPhone SE 4 may be coming soon.
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A Weibo user's alleged leaks of the iPhone SE 4 also reveal a dummy unit with what looks to be a notch that would house the Face ID components, indicating the removal of Touch ID.
iPhone SE 4: Specs & Features Overview
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(Image credit: AppleTrack / @conceptcentral) |
The chipset of the iPhone flagship, which debuted last fall, was used in earlier iPhone SE models. For instance, the A13 Bionic silicon used to power the iPhone 13 is also used to power the iPhone SE 2022.
The A18 chipset seen in the iPhone 16 would be included in Apple's low-cost phone if that is the case with the iPhone SE 4. Given that our iPhone 16 evaluations show the new phones outperforming Android devices in Geekbench 6 general performance tests, that has excellent implications for the performance of the iPhone SE 4.
In our Tom's Guide battery test, all four of the new iPhone 16 models lasted noticeably longer than their predecessors, which further suggests battery improvements. The iPhone SE 4's larger dimensions would also allow for a larger battery, which should extend the device's lifespan over the SE.
However, there is yet another reason to be optimistic about the iPhone SE 4's potential A18 CPU. The new model would be able to use Apple Intelligence capabilities thanks to it.
Apple's first in-house 5G modem may be concealed behind the processor of the iPhone SE 4. Although the remainder of its iPhone components have been manufactured to a proprietary specification, it has been utilizing off-the-shelf modems for years.
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(Image credit: Shutterstock) |
Apple's next AI-powered features for the iPhone, Mac, and iPad are referred to as Apple Intelligence. Some of these features, like enhanced photo searches, new writing tools, enhanced Siri, and a new photo editing tool that removes undesired elements from your photos, are included in the iOS 18.1 update, which is now available as a public beta. This month is anticipated to see the full release of iOS 18.1.
The chipset and RAM that can support Apple Intelligence are currently only found in the iPhone 16 variants, the iPhone 15 Pro, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max. (The A17 Pro system-on-chip powers the iPhone 15 Pro variants.) An iPhone SE 4 with an A18 processor would join those ranks and provide customers with a more affordable phone to test out Apple's AI.
Is it possible? Gurman of Bloomberg certainly believes so, asserting that the next iPhone SE will feature Apple Intelligence in some way.
The last iPhone model to cut storage is the current SE, which comes with 64GB of storage in its base variant. We anticipate that the iPhone SE 4 will receive a comparable upgrade to the 128GB of storage that Apple began offering with the iPhone 13 series.
iPhone SE 4: Camera Features
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There has only been one camera on each iPhone SE model, and the iPhone SE 4 is not expected to change that. However, the latest model's camera quality may be better.
The primary camera of the latest iPhone SE is 12MP. A 48MP sensor upgrade is suggested by at least one rumor. When the iPhone 15 upgraded its primary camera to a 48MP sensor last year, Apple took a similar step with the regular iPhone. Notably, even though only Pro iPhones feature a dedicated telephoto lens, this enables the phone to shoot 2x optical-quality zooms by cutting in on photos.
Support for a night mode is one of the major features that the iPhone SE lacks, which has made Apple's phone less competitive when compared to devices like the Pixel 8a in a photo shootout. We anticipate that this feature will be fixed in the iPhone SE 4.
iPhone SE 4: Future Outlook
We're excited to see what Apple has in store for the iPhone SE 4, since rumors of it have been going around since the release of the iPhone SE 2022 two years ago. It would be good to hear about the camera's upgrades and the rumored new appearance, which is, at least, new to the SE. Support for Apple Intelligence would be much more significant for this phone.
The only thing left to do is wait until the beginning of next year to find out if the iPhone SE 4's reality aligns with all of these reports.