iPhone SE 4 Rumors: Larger OLED Screen, Apple Intelligence and More to Expect
Apple just launched the iPhone 16 range, but don’t forget the company’s cheaper, smaller model: the $429 iPhone SE.
The small iPhone made a comeback in 2020 and 2022, and a new version is expected to be released in early 2025. Bloomberg.
Unlike Apple’s flagship iPhone family, the iPhone SE’s launch timing is somewhat irregular. The first generation SE was launched in 2016, followed by the second version in 2020 and the third in 2022. Apple also hasn’t said whether it plans to release new iPhone SE models in the future, as future products are rarely discussed is spoken. But now that Apple has moved away from the iPhone Mini, the iPhone SE has an important role to play as the more portable and cheaper iPhone in Apple’s lineup.
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There is plenty of room for Apple to further improve its cheaper iPhone. While my colleague Patrick Holland praised the 2022 iPhone SE for its accessible price and familiar home button, he criticized it for its lack of night mode photos and dated design. Android competitors like Samsung and Google have also improved their similarly priced budget phones in recent years. The Google Pixel 8A and Samsung Galaxy A55 5G both offer features once reserved for premium devices, like high refresh rates and multiple cameras.
It’s impossible to know exactly what to expect from Apple until the company makes an announcement. Based on forecasts and reports from Bloomberg, MacRumors and affiliate TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, along with other leaks and Apple’s product launch history, here’s what we should expect from Apple’s next budget iPhone.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment about a future iPhone SE when this story was originally published.
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iPhone SE 4 may launch in early 2025
There has been a lot of back and forth in recent years about the launch time of the iPhone SE 4. But one August report from Bloomberg’s often accurate Mark Gurman suggests a new iPhone SE could debut in early 2025. That suggests it could arrive in the first quarter, which would be in line with Apple’s previous iPhone SE release dates. For example, the first and third generation models were both launched in March.
The report comes after reports and speculation about the existence of the iPhone SE have been uncertain in recent years. In 2019, analyst Kuo said that Apple was working on an iPhone SE with a full-screen design similar to the iPhone MacRumors reported at the time. Apple has since released two versions of the iPhone SE that retain the old iPhone 8-inspired design, leading to speculation about whether the model Kuo was referring to has been canceled or postponed.
Kuo’s 2023 predictions regarding the iPhone SE 4 were also mixed. He reported last January that an iPhone SE was originally planned for 2024 was cancelled but went on to say it project was revived. He changed his prediction again in April 2023 to say that the model he referred to earlier may be a technical prototype for an internal 5G baseband chip from Apple. His previous comments also suggested that the iPhone SE 4 would include this 5G chip.
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But newer reports, including one of MacRumorsindicate that Apple is indeed developing a new iPhone SE, which reportedly includes some dramatic upgrades.
It will likely have a new processor and Apple Intelligence
The iPhone SE typically has the same processor as Apple’s most recent flagship iPhone. For example, the 2022 iPhone SE has the same chip as the iPhone 13, which launched in September 2021. Since Apple’s latest mobile chip is usually the standout feature of the iPhone SE, it’s hard to imagine Apple straying from that pattern.
But that’s more important than ever now that Apple Intelligence, the company’s suite of new AI features, relies on the company’s latest chips. The iPhone 16 family and last year’s Pro models are the only iPhones that can use these features for now. But based on Apple’s history and Bloomberg’s reportstating that the iPhone SE 4 will support Apple Intelligence, it looks like that could change in the coming months.
Apple Intelligence includes new AI features like the ability to rewrite, summarize, and proofread text, a new version of Siri that better understands words even when you’re fumbling, the ability to spot objects in photos, and more. clear and summaries of notifications and messages. functions. The first wave of Apple Intelligence features will arrive in beta next month, with more features (like the ability to generate custom emojis) coming later.
Otherwise, the next iPhone SE could have an Apple-made 5G chip Kuo. Still, it’s hard to know if that prediction still applies, as he later revised his estimate and said this device was likely an engineering prototype to test that 5G chip. MacRumors also reports that the iPhone SE 4 will have an Apple-made 5G modem.
An iPhone 14-like design with an OLED screen
The iPhone14
If the company is working on another iPhone SE, it will likely have a 6.1-inch screen similar to Apple’s modern flagship phones. For comparison, the current iPhone SE has a 4.7-inch screen with thick bezels on the top and chin, just like the iPhone 8.
The iPhone SE 4 in particular is expected to look a lot like the iPhone 14, which Apple launched in 2022. A MacRumors article reported in September 2023 that the iPhone SE 4 will have a modified version of the iPhone 14’s chassis and reiterated that point again in November. Bloomberg’s report also suggests that the iPhone SE4 will resemble Apple’s two-year-old flagship.
It’s not just the design that’s expected to get an upgrade; the display will also see improvements. Multiple reports, including that of KuoMacRumors, Bloomberg, The Electric and Nikkei Asia suggest that the next iPhone SE will have an OLED screen instead of LCD. That’s a big deal, because OLED typically displays richer contrast and deeper blacks, and these types of screens are consistent across the rest of Apple’s iPhone lineup.
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The iPhone SE will likely have a larger battery
The next iPhone SE could also inherit the iPhone 14’s battery, according to MacRumors. If the blog’s previous posts about the iPhone SE 4 following in the footsteps of the iPhone 14 are correct, a larger battery would be needed to power the larger screen. Apple isn’t disclosing the battery capacities of its phones, but says the iPhone 14 should get an additional five hours of video playback compared to the third-generation iPhone SE. Between the new chip and the larger battery we expect to find in the next iPhone SE, it looks like Apple’s next affordable iPhone could make some pretty significant gains in battery life.
Goodbye Touch ID, hello Face ID
Fans of Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint sensor may be out of luck. MacRumors reports that the next iPhone SE will have Face ID, like other modern iPhones, instead of Apple’s fingerprint sensor. That conflicts with Kuo’s report from 2019which indicated that the next iPhone SE would have a smaller notch area without Face ID and Touch ID embedded in the power button. But since Kuo’s report is about five years old, that information may be outdated.
It may get the camera, USB-C and action button from the iPhone 15
Apple’s next wallet-friendly iPhone may have a few things in common with Apple’s newer iPhones. Since Apple switched to USB-C for the iPhone 15 series to comply with new European rules, it seems likely that the iPhone SE 4 could also ditch the Lightning connector. MacRumors also claims that the iPhone SE 4 will have USB-C.
The more surprising note in the MacRumors story is that the iPhone SE 4 could get the Action button, a new key for programming shortcuts that is currently exclusive to the iPhone 16 family, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. If true, this would be another sign that Apple is looking to make the Action button standard across its iPhone range, after introducing the Action button to standard models this year.
MacRumors also reports that a single 48-megapixel camera could be in store for the next iPhone SE. That would point to a new similarity it could share with the iPhone 15 and 16, which also have a 48-megapixel main camera. If the report is true, the iPhone SE will have just one rear camera, unlike Apple’s more expensive phones. The regular iPhone 15 has wide and ultra-wide cameras, while the Pro versions have wide, ultra-wide and telephoto cameras.
But Apple introduced the “Fusion” camera on the regular iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus this year, which it says allows for a 2x optical quality zoom despite the lack of a dedicated telephoto lens. While reports don’t specify whether the iPhone SE 4 will have this camera, it wouldn’t be surprising if Apple implemented it to compensate for the iPhone SE’s single camera setup.
If the rumors are true, the fourth-generation iPhone SE could bring Apple’s small, budget iPhone up to date with the rest of Apple’s lineup. Depending on the price, it could be a good choice for people who need a more modern iPhone and don’t care about the extra features of the iPhone 16, such as the Camera Control button.
