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Apple decided to discontinue the two-year upgrade cycle that began with the iPhone SE 2022, meaning that we will not see an iPhone SE 4 in 2024. However, the upcoming iPhone SE model may be worth the wait, according to speculations.
Apple’s most affordable phone, the iPhone SE, which debuted in March 2022, retained the outdated design of the iPhone SE 2020 and added 5G capabilities. With the next 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 action, Apple would be able to enable the AI-powered capabilities that Apple is introducing this autumn for other iPhones, iPads, and Macs, including the iPhone SE 4.
Put another way, since the release of the first iPhone in 2016, the iPhone SE 4 may represent the biggest upgrade to date. Here’s everything we currently know about the iPhone SE 4, along with our expectations for when it becomes available and attempts to compete with the finest iPhones ever.
iPhone SE 4: Rumored release date
Most predictions indicate that the iPhone SE 4 will come in 2025. An upgrade for the iPhone SE would most likely not be available until 2025, at the latest, since the September Apple Glowtime event revealed only iPhone 16 models.
According to a source, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg is the first to mark 2025 on his calendar. The new phone is expected to be released in the first half of the year.
According to Gurman’s prediction, Apple has historically released the iPhone SE in the spring, with the 2022 model making its debut in March.
iPhone SE 4: Rumored price
The current iPhone SE costs $429, making it one of the best affordable phones on the market. Given that potential competitors like the OnePlus 12R and Pixel 8a cost $499, we do not think Apple would relinquish its pricing edge so quickly.
But since the last introduction of the iPhone SE, phones have become more pricey. Apple increased the cost of its Pro Max model by $100 around that period, and other phone manufacturers followed suit. The Pixel 6a cost $449 two years ago; the current model of Google’s midrange A series phone costs $499.
In light of this, at least one rumor suggests that an increase in the price of the iPhone SE 4 is being considered. That assertion was that the next iPhone will now run $499. Considering all of the prospective enhancements we are going to discuss, such an increase would be reasonable. But it would imply that Apple wouldn’t be able to pitch the iPhone SE as a low-cost alternative to other midrange handsets.
iPhone SE 4: Possible name
Since that is the moniker that is making the rounds on the rumor mill, we are labeling this reported model the iPhone SE 4. It is also understandable why some have chosen that specific name for Apple’s entry-level smartphone, as this would be the fourth version of the device.
However, Apple does not usually refer to its low-cost phones by that term. While flagship phones in previous years have been identified by a number, such as iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and so on, the iPhone SE has only ever had that name and the year that the new model is released. Thus, it is quite feasible that a phone that launches in 2025 will be referred to as the iPhone SE 2025.
Another option would be to go with the moniker iPhone SE Plus that several experts have suggested, particularly if Apple decides to give this iteration a bigger screen as is anticipated. However, it might lead to confusion with the iPhone 16 Plus, not to mention the other Plus versions that Apple still has on sale at a discount.
iPhone SE 4: Design and display
When it comes to iPhone SE 4 speculations, this is where we are most secure. The Elec reported in 2023 that the iPhone SE will have a 6.1-inch OLED display. That claim has been supported by additional reports, which suggest that the iPhone SE 4 will resemble the iPhone 14, with a 6.1-inch screen with thin bezels and a notch in the screen, instead of the Dynamic Island feature that was introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro and made available on the regular iPhone a year later.
There is no denying that the iPhone SE could use a redesign. It continues to use a design that was last seen on the 2017 release of the iPhone 8, which was the company’s flagship model.
There might be changes to the display beyond merely its size. According to a September report, the iPhone SE 4 would have an OLED screen rather than the LCD display that the current model has. A year prior, there had been rumors of just such a change. As the final iPhone model to utilize LCD technology, the iPhone SE marks the end of an era for the phone manufacturer.
Weibo user-leaked photos allegedly featuring the iPhone SE 4 also feature a dummy device with what looks to be a notch that would house the Face ID components—a sign that Touch ID would be discontinued.
iPhone SE 4: Specs and features
preceding iPhone SE versions were released with the iPhone flagship’s processor from the preceding autumn. For instance, the A13 Bionic silicon used to power the iPhone 13 is also used to power the iPhone SE 2022.
Should it prove to be accurate for the iPhone SE 4, Apple’s low-cost phone would acquire the A18 chipset seen in the iPhone 16. Given that our iPhone 16 benchmarks show the new phones outperforming Android devices in Geekbench 6 general performance tests, it has extremely positive implications for the performance of the iPhone SE 4.
The fact that the four new iPhone 16 models performed noticeably better on our Tom’s Guide battery test than the previous generation also points to improvements in battery life. The iPhone SE 4’s larger dimensions would allow for a larger battery, which should extend the phone’s battery life beyond that of the SE.
However, there is more cause to be optimistic about the iPhone SE 4’s potential A18 processor. The new model would be able to use Apple Intelligence capabilities thanks to it.
Apple calls the AI-powered features that will be available for the iPhone, Mac, and iPad “Apple Intelligence.” Some of these features are included in the iOS 18.1 update, which is presently accessible as a public beta. These features include enhanced photo searches, new writing tools, enhanced Siri, and a new photo editing tool that allows you to remove undesired things from your photos. This month, iOS 18.1 should be released in its entirety.
As of right now, the chipset and RAM needed to support Apple Intelligence are limited to the iPhone 16 models, as well as the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. (The A17 Pro system-on-chip is used in the iPhone 15 Pro variants.) These would be joined by an A18-powered iPhone SE 4, providing customers with a less expensive phone to test out Apple’s AI.
Is it possible? Gurman of Bloomberg clearly believes as much, stating that the next iPhone SE would feature Apple Intelligence in one way or another.
The base model of the current iPhone SE has 64GB of storage, making it the final iPhone to do so. Since Apple started introducing 128GB of storage with the iPhone 13 series, we’d expect the iPhone SE 4 is in line to get a similar upgrade.
iPhone SE 4: Camera
Every iPhone SE model has had a single camera, and this is unlikely to change with the iPhone SE 4. However, the new model’s camera quality has the potential to improve.
The current iPhone SE has a 12 MP primary camera. At least one rumor claims an upgrade to a 48MP sensor. Apple took a similar step with the conventional iPhone last year, when the iPhone 15 updated its primary camera to a 48MP sensor. Notably, this allows the phone to do 2x optical zooms by cropping images, despite the fact that only Pro iPhones feature a dedicated telephoto lens.
One of the most notable features missing from the iPhone SE is support for a night mode, which has put Apple’s phone at a competitive disadvantage in photography shootouts versus handsets such as the Pixel 8a. This missing functionality is likely to be addressed with the iPhone SE 4.
iPhone SE 4: Outlook
iPhone SE 4 rumors have been swirling since the iPhone SE 2022 was released two years ago, so we’re excited to see what Apple has planned for this smartphone. The expected new appearance — at least for the SE — and camera enhancements would be good. Apple Intelligence support would be much more significant for this phone.
Now all that remains is to wait until early next year to see if the iPhone SE 4 will live up to all of the speculations.
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