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The iPhone SE series has been popular since the first model was released in 2016. No wonder, as it offers the core experience of Apple smartphones at a fraction of the price.
Apple’s most recent iPhone SE was released in 2022. While it’s an impressive phone in many ways, the iPhone 8-style design is quite different from the latest iPhone 15 handsets.
Will Apple finally bring the look of the cheapest iPhone up to date? Here’s everything we know about the fourth generation of the iPhone SE.
When will the iPhone SE 4 be released?
One of the biggest mysteries of the iPhone SE 4 is whether it will appear at all.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported in January 2023 that plans for the iPhone SE in 2024 had already been canceled with mention in February 2023 that the project was revived. Then, in April 2023, Kuo declared that the model he referred to may have been only a technical prototype and that “there are no plans for mass production and sale”.
However, a September 2023 report from MacRumors suggests that Apple is indeed working on a new iPhone SE. No release date was suggested there, but analyst Jeff Pu (via MacRumors) suggested a launch sometime in 2025.
Korean site The Elec also believes that we won’t see the next iPhone SE until 2025. The reasoning is that Apple relies solely on a company called BOE to supply screens for the iPhone SE 4, and this panel manufacturer is facing “performance issues”.
An Apple product roadmap, which is leaking Revegnus claims was obtained from Samsung Securities (a subsidiary of the main company), also suggests that the iPhone SE 4 will be released next year.
While it makes sense for the iPhone SE to appear then, an isolated leak like this isn’t enough to be certain about some of the other products mentioned.
For context, this is when the previous iPhone SE models launched:
Waiting three years between models, as is likely the case now, wouldn’t be a huge surprise.
How much will the iPhone SE 4 cost?
Nothing has been announced about the price at this stage. But the iPhone SE is a relatively affordable mid-range phone, and this is unlikely to change with the fourth generation.
Here’s how much the previous models cost at launch:
However, if the design gets the expected overhaul, the iPhone SE 4 could come with a price hike. However, Apple will want to avoid pricing too close to the iPhone 15’s $799/£799 starting price.
What specifications and features will the iPhone SE 4 have?
If Apple does eventually release the iPhone SE 4, it will likely be a major update, if rumors and leaks are anything to go by.
Design
Reports from MacRumors and X-leaker Unknownz21 suggest that the iPhone SE 4 will essentially be a slightly modified version of the iPhone 14, with a 6.1-inch all-screen design.
To make way for that, Apple is expected to give the iPhone SE 4 a notch instead of a Touch ID Home button. However, it’s not clear whether the Face ID and TrueDepth camera system will be as advanced as on the flagship iPhones, given the expected price of the SE.
Unknownz21 too claims that the iPhone SE 4 will introduce an action button, which will take the place of the mute switch on the side of the phone. However, since this feature is currently exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro models, the regular mute switch feels more likely at this point. However, this could change by the time Apple is ready to release it.
It would be a big surprise not to see a USB-C port on the iPhone SE 4 as it is mandated by the EU and on all iPhone 15 models. On X (formerly Twitter), maker Shea has made renders of what the phone could look like:
Renders of the iPhone SE 4 from 91Mobiles also bear a striking resemblance to the iPhone 14.
Since there’s no room for a home button, we’ll almost certainly get Face ID. The module is similar in size to the iPhone 14 version, so you can expect face unlock to be just as fast and secure.
It will be partially dependent on the front camera, with only one camera on the back. The USB-C port appears to be present, but it’s not clear whether the action button will be as well.
Leaker Majin Bu initially thought Apple would be more ambitious, suggestive that the iPhone SE 4 could adopt a design very similar to the upcoming iPhone 16, with a Dynamic Island and a vertical rear camera module.
However, recent leaked images reveal a case for the iPhone SE without the traditional home button and Touch ID sensor, but with a notch at the top of the screen. Despite previous speculation that it could adopt the design of the iPhone 16, Majin Bu now expects it too to resemble the iPhone 14, with a display notch instead of a Dynamic Island.
According to a Weibo user named Fixed Focus Digital, the back of the iPhone SE 4 will be indistinguishable from the standard iPhone 16.
While the SE 4 is expected to have a single rear camera and a notch display, based on leaked renders from 91Mobiles (seen above), the iPhone 16 is expected to have vertically aligned dual cameras.
Display
The iPhone SE is currently the last remaining iPhone model to feature an LCD display, but it looks like it will be moving to OLED technology.
In March 2023, a Korean site The Elec claimed that the iPhone SE 4’s screen matches the standard iPhone 14 model, which uses OLED. Then, in February 2024, The Elec reclaimed it.
Now, a prolific Chinese leakster, Ice Universe, also says that the phone will apparently have an OLED screen, a first in Apple’s affordable lineup.
However, it’s not clear if the resolution will be improved from the 1334×750 on the 2022 model.
Performance
Details about the chip in the iPhone SE 4 are limited, but if the phone receives a substantial refresh based on the iPhone 14, it would be logical to anticipate the inclusion of Apple’s A16 Bionic chip.
For context, the existing iPhone SE is powered by the same A15 chip found in the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models. Therefore, there is a possibility that the iPhone SE 4 will have a previous generation chip at release. Therefore, we expect it to have the A16 Bionic.
Cameras
The latest iPhone SE is equipped with only one 12Mp camera on the back.
The upcoming iPhone SE 4 could also opt for a single-lens camera configuration to keep the price down.
However, it is speculated that it could have the 48MP primary lens used in the iPhone 15 (shown below). That’s according to MacRumors, and it would make sense.
Chris Martin / Foundry
Chris Martin / Foundry
Chris Martin / Foundry
Charge battery
Assuming the iPhone SE 4 has a larger overall footprint than its predecessors, a larger battery is also likely.
According to a source close to MacRumors, the iPhone SE 4 will reuse the iPhone 14’s battery. If true, this 3279mAh cell would represent a 60% increase over the 2022 model.
Even with its modest 2,018 mAh capacity, the iPhone SE’s latest battery manages to deliver an additional two hours of video playback compared to the SE 2. Battery life was better than you’d expect from a small phone.
Considering the iPhone 14 offers great battery life within the same device size, this will likely be a major selling point for the next iPhone SE.
20W charging on the current model is a bit disappointing, but there’s no indication that there will be any major improvements at this stage.
Software
Since the iPhone SE 4 isn’t expected until 2025, iOS 17 likely won’t run out of the box.
Instead, Apple is expected to unveil a successor in iOS 18 before then, which should run on the next iPhone SE.
Connectivity
Ming Chi Kuo declared in April 2023 that Apple was testing the internal 5G baseband chip with the iPhone SE 4 prototype. A report from MacRumors also confirms this.
The current iPhone SE already has 5G technology, but the next generation will likely have support for additional bands.
There is also no need for Apple to improve on the current Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 standards, even if they are not the latest these days.
That’s all we currently know about the highly anticipated iPhone SE 4. We’ll update this article as soon as we discover anything new.
In the meantime, feel free to check out our roundup of the best iPhone models you can buy right now.