Apple’s entry-level iPhone was updated in March 2022. There were a few minor tweaks and an increase in price. However, the iPhone SE’s outdated design and minor upgrades were not well received. Many looked forward to the next generation of iPhone SE and revieweders hoped Apple was working on a radical redesign.
As if by magic, rumors began to surface about the design. In this article we’ve gathered together everything we know so far, and what we can reasonably speculate, about the iPhone SE 4.
Update 10/31 Ross Young reports that the next iPhone SE might have a display of 5.7 inches.
When will the iPhone SE 4 debut?
Apple’s iPhone SE doesn’t follow the same predictable annual release schedule as the standard line, and the intervals between updates can be hard to predict. The timing of this year’s launch points to a biennial routine, but that followed a far longer gap between the first and second phones. Here’s when the three models released so far made their debut:
As you can see, after Apple introduced the SE line back in 2016 we had to wait four years until the device was updated—so long that the original SE was discontinued in September 2018. The 2nd generation took it from the iPhone 5/5S design, to the iPhone 6/6S design it still has to this day. Since then we’ve had two versions, two years apart. It is likely that the iPhone SE (4th generation) will be available in March or April 2024.
Ross Young from Display Supply Chain Consultants, an industry expert who specializes is displays, believes a new iPhone SE would arrive in 2023. However he has suggested that there might be a new model. Could arrive in 2023.
Dominik Tomaszewski
What will the iPhone SE 4 price?
The global cost of components, distribution and pricing has influenced the price increases in all three generations. The iPhone SE (3rd Generation) was priced the same as the previous model, but Apple has added some cost to the price, making it less attractive than the older models, especially considering the small storage available with the base model. Here’s how they line up:
iPhone SE (3rd gen, 2022):
- 64GB: $429/£449
- 128GB: $479/£499
- 256GB: $579/£609
iPhone SE (2nd gen, 2020):
- 64GB: $399/£419
- 128GB: $449/£469
- 256GB: $549/£569
iPhone SE (1st gen, 2016):
- 32GB: $399/£379
- 128GB: $499/£449
However, the iPhone SE needs to be inexpensive, and we’d be surprised to see much of an increase with the next generation, even with several rumored upgrades.
How will the new iPhone SE look?
The iPhone SE is a small device Apple makes, so it’s only natural that the iPhone 13 mini model might be available at a discount to replace the iPhone 6 chassis. This is just one option Apple has for the SE line.
A recent episode of the Geared Up podcast, tech tipster Jon Prosser said the “iPhone SE 4… is just the iPhone XR,” meaning it has an “all-screen” design and a 6.1-inch display. In an episode of his own Front Page Tech show, Prosser showed off an “exclusive first look” at the new iPhone SE which, indeed, is very similar to the iPhone 11. Prosser also claims that the new iPhone SE will feature a notch just like the iPhone XR.
However, Ross Young reportsLate October reported that Apple was also considering a 5.7 inch display. This would be a new size of iPhone. The iPhone 13 mini is 5.4inches, and the iPhone XS was 5.8inches. Young claims that Apple is still deliberating whether OLED or LCD should be used as the display.
What features will iPhone SE 4 include?
Although the iPhone SE 4 has a notch, it may not come with Face ID. Apple’s higher-end products, such as the iPad Pro and iPhone SE 4, have Face ID. However, leakers aren’t sure if it will include this face-scanning technology. Having a notch without Face ID would be weird but not unprecedented—remember the MacBook Pro has a notch that only houses the front camera. We’ve seen older reports from industry analyst Ming Chi-Kuo (MacRumors) and Chinese tech site MyDriversApple claims that it will move the Touch ID sensor from the power button to the power button in the new iPad 10.
Front Page Tech renders the iPhone SE 4 with only one camera. This means that you can expect a similar 12-MP wide-angle lens. However, we’re hoping it includes some of the features we didn’t get with the iPhone SE 3, namely Night Mode and Cinematic Mode.
Depending on when it comes out, it could get the enhanced A15 chip that’s in the iPhone 14 or the newer A16. Both of these would be an improvement over the A15 on the current model.
With the iPhone 13 range moving to a baseline of 128GB (and the 14-series handsets following suit), it’s hoped that the new iPhone SE might do likewise, as 64GB really isn’t enough for most people anymore, especially since system files take up more than 10GB. But we’re not terribly hopeful—the iPhone SE (3rd gen) launched after the iPhone 13 range and still started with the same 64GB of storage, and the redesigned 10th-generation iPad also starts at 64GB. You can read more about it here why you shouldn’t buy the 64GB iPhone SE.
Hopefully, we won’t have to wait too long to find out. We’ll update this article as more information becomes available, so check back regularly to see what we can dig up. In the meantime, if you can’t wait until next year, here’s a roundup of the best iPhone dealsAvailable at the moment
