Apple iPhone SE 4: What we all know

Whereas there’s typically quite a lot of pleasure about Apple’s flagship iPhones — this yr, the iPhone 16 and 16 Professional — these are unaffordable for lots of people. There are various buyers who do not want the very best specs, both. Alongside these strains, Apple is lastly making ready a fourth-generation iPhone SE. This is what we all know concerning the machine to this point, together with its launch date, projected value, and key design options.

iPhone SE 4 launch date and value

Quickly, however not that quickly

• Doubtless spring 2025 launch
• Value matching or barely greater than $429

The most recent launch date rumors, courtesy of The Information, point out that the SE 4 will ship in spring 2025. That might be in line with the spring home windows chosen for each earlier SE, distancing them from the launches of flagship iPhones. Particularly we’re anticipating Apple to announce the machine in March or April, probably through a press launch somewhat than a stay occasion until the corporate has different merchandise it desires to debut on the identical time.

As for pricing, that continues to be unsure. A Revegnus leak on X — now deleted — claimed that the SE 4 will match the present mannequin’s $429 US, or at most slot in about 10% greater. Apple is supposedly invested in retaining the telephone underneath $500, which is sensible on condition that the iPhone 14 will possible slip to $599 or much less this fall.

Design

A contemporary look, lastly

• Face ID
• No house button
• 6.1-inch OLED display screen
• Motion button
• USB-C

That is the most important information with the iPhone SE 4. Even the SE 3 was modeled after 2017’s iPhone 8, making it feel and look antiquated, largely because of a 4.7-inch LCD with thick bezels and a house button. It is also the one iPhone that also makes use of Contact ID as an alternative of Face ID.

In response to The Data, the SE 4 is being modeled after the iPhone 14, which means it’ll lastly undertake Face ID and an all-touchscreen entrance interface. It could nonetheless have a notch as an alternative of a Dynamic Island, however consumers ought to at the least get a 6.1-inch OLED show, providing not simply further display screen house however far improved colours, distinction, and brightness. The swap to OLED is backed up by Nikkei Asia, which says that Apple is ordering panels from BOE and LG Show.

A Weibo leaker, Fixed Focus Digital, suggests the backplate might resemble the iPhone 16. That suggests an identical digicam bump.

Transferring to a 6.1-inch display screen might show controversial. Whereas 6-inch telephones at the moment are commonplace, some individuals really choose smaller designs, since they’re simpler to make use of with one hand. The SE 4 will possible mark the dying of Apple shows underneath 6 inches, at the least outdoors of refurbished gross sales.

One other rumored design characteristic is an Motion button. The idea first debuted on the Apple Watch Ultra, then made its option to the iPhone 15 Pro and Professional Max. It is also anticipated to return to the IPhone 16 lineup, so it is maybe unsurprising that Apple desires to maintain management choices constant on the SE.

One thing completely assured is a swap from Lightning to USB-C, as with the iPhone 15. Apple has no alternative — it has to make the leap if it desires to adjust to European Union rules. We’re undecided what USB pace Apple intends to make use of, however to maintain prices down it’d use the slower USB 2.0-level connector present in the usual iPhone 15.

Specs

A blazing quick processor

• A17 or A18 processor
• 48-megapixel major digicam
• Potential Apple-designed 5G modem
• Extra storage
• Apple Intelligence

The core attraction of the SE line has all the time been the prospect to get one in every of Apple’s newest processors with out paying for frills. With the SE 4, nevertheless, there are two prospects. It might get an A17 chip, presently discovered within the iPhone 15 Professional and Professional Max. But when all fashions of the iPhone 16 are getting the A18, as one rumor suggests, the SE 4 might need to comply with swimsuit. Apple is making a serious push into generative AI with iOS 18, and it could be that the A17 will not ship each AI characteristic to Apple’s requirements. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman claims it is a secure wager that the SE 4 shall be outfitted with Apple Intelligence, which incorporates choices like writing instruments and e-mail summaries.

MacRumors sources have stated that the SE 4 might get a 48-megapixel major digicam, an enormous leap over the 12-megapixel one within the SE 3. Apple may additionally be utilizing the SE 4 as a testbed for an internally-designed 5G modem, codenamed “Sinope.” Through the years the corporate has been bringing increasingly more chip design in-house, aiming to each lower prices and ship hyper-optimized expertise.

Apple will presumably improve default storage to 128GB. The 64GB within the entry-level SE 3 is more and more unsustainable, given the rising dimension of iOS and its apps — by no means thoughts including 48-megapixel pictures into the combination. The actual query is whether or not there shall be storage choices over 256GB, though we would not put any cash on a 1TB mannequin.

What else do we all know concerning the iPhone SE 4?

Extra to return

Little to nothing, sadly. Whether it is getting a backplate modeled after the iPhone 16, that might sign comparable digicam tech, however we’re nonetheless anticipating the SE 4 to stay to a single wide-angle rear digicam. Do not get your hopes up for an ultra-wide or telephoto lens.

There’s much more to be taught, reminiscent of obtainable RAM, shade choices, and wi-fi applied sciences. We’ll replace this hub as new data rolls in.