Apple might be working on a new iPhone SE 4 with a different look.
According to rumours regarding Apple’s phone intentions, an iPhone SE 4 may be in the works. What should we anticipate from this new iPhone? When might it appear, too?
Apple’s cheapest phone, the iPhone SE 2020, received 5G compatibility with the iPhone SE 2022, which was released in March 2022, but kept the iPhone SE 2020’s outdated appearance. That’s anticipated to change with the new model, though rumours suggest Apple will adopt the design of an additional previous iPhone for its upcoming SE model.
Here is what we currently know about the iPhone SE 4 and what we anticipate seeing when it launches and tries to compete with the greatest iPhones.
Release date rumoured for the iPhone SE 4
According to the newest reports, the iPhone SE 4 may not be released until 2024 or perhaps 2025.
Ming-Chi Kuo, an Apple analyst, stated that Apple “restarted the iPhone SE 4” after initially declaring that work on that phone was placed on hold at the end of 2022. Kuo has since revised his assertion that this phone won’t ship until 2025 or later. However, a lengthier delay could be made up for with more significant changes if this reset results in an iPhone SE 4 with an OLED display and an inside 5G modem chip.
iPhone SE 4’s display and design
In terms of iPhone SE 4 rumours, this is the area where we have the most concrete information. According to a source from The Elec, the iPhone SE will have a 6.1-inch BOE OLED screen, which would be a considerable improvement over the previous 4.7-inch panel.
According to a tweet by Ross Young, the handset may upgrade from its current 4.7-inch screen to a 5.7- or 6.1-inch panel and switch from LCD to superior OLED technology. That would probably need a redesign of the iPhone SE, which now adopts the aesthetic of the 2017 iPhone 8 down to the thick bezels and Touch ID button.
According to leaker Jon Prosser, Apple will take design cues from a more contemporary, albeit older, iPhone. He predicts that the iPhone SE 4 will adopt the design of the 2018 iPhone XR, including its 6.1-inch display. The iPhone SE 4 would have Face ID and have a notch in the display, though it would no longer have Touch ID. It’s unclear if the notch would be the same size as the one on the iPhone XR or smaller like the one Apple introduced with the iPhone SE.
You do not need to picture what such a phone might be like. Based on the design rumours Prosser has thus far advanced, artist Ian Zelbo has produced renders of the iPhone SE 4. When you look at the product, you’ll notice many similarities to the iPhone XR.
It’s feasible Apple may incorporate the Dynamic Island on an iPhone SE released in 2024 given that this fall’s iPhone 15 phones are expected to do away with the notch in favour of the Dynamic Island first shown with the iPhone 14 Pro. But at this moment, we would only be speculating about it.
Possibly-named iPhone SE 4
Since the rumour mill is using the term “iPhone SE 4,” we’re referring to this device as such. It’s not surprising that folks choose that name given this would be the fourth version of Apple’s budget smartphone.
However, Apple doesn’t normally brand its budget phones in that manner. The iPhone SE just carries the name of the new model and the year it was released, unlike current flagship phones that have a number on them (iPhone 12, iPhone 13, etc.). It is therefore entirely possible that a phone introduced the next year would be known as the iPhone SE 2024.
If Apple ultimately decides to give this version of the iPhone a larger screen, as is anticipated, a third option would be to use the iPhone SE Plus name that has been suggested by several analysts. But we’re not sure Apple would go in this path considering the apparent lack of enthusiasm for the recently announced iPhone 14 Plus.
What we anticipate for the iPhone SE 4
A new design for the iPhone SE 4 would address one of our main issues with the current model, and choosing a larger screen would broaden the appeal of the iPhone SE as bigger phones have grown in popularity since the release of the original iPhone SE in 2016. However, there are certain more adjustments Apple needs to make to any low-cost phones it has planned for the upcoming year.
Support for night mode: This one should go without saying, and we’re amazed we even got to it, but it’s absurd that the current iPhone SE can’t snap a good photo in the dark. Similarly priced phones have this feature, and several phone manufacturers, including Apple, have worked hard to make low-light photography for mobile devices better. No matter how excellent Apple’s computational photography is, the iPhone SE 4 must join the fray or risk losing all relevance as a camera phone.
More storage: We understand Apple’s desire to separate its least expensive iPhone from its flagship models. However, 64GB of storage is insufficient for a modern smartphone, especially one that can handle some of the complex apps that have recently appeared in the Apple App Store. Keep prices down in other ways, but don’t compromise on storage.
Yes, if the iPhone 14 Pro design is any indication, Apple appears to be moving away from the notch. However, if adding a notch to the iPhone SE meant reducing the top and bottom bezels around the screen, we’d still be thrilled with it.
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are now limited to 60Hz displays, so we can already state that this isn’t likely to result in a display that refreshes quickly. But the truth is that several smartphones in the same price range as the iPhone SE come with a fast-refreshing screen, most notably the Galaxy A53. Apple is really underserving its customer base by refusing to provide such a feature to its own phone.
Better battery life: If the iPhone SE 4 has a larger display, there will be more space for a larger battery, therefore we should receive a longer battery life. The iPhone SE 4 may be able to run longer on a charge thanks to these factors and a more sophisticated chipset, which will help it differentiate itself from other similarly priced phones.
specs and features for the iPhone SE 4
The iPhone SE’s specifications aren’t subject to many leaks, but Apple has a pretty decent track record when it comes to what it includes and leaves out of this particular model. For instance, the phone frequently uses the same CPU as the flagship models released the autumn before.
Apple may release the iPhone SE 4 in the spring of 2024 with the A16 Bionic chip from the iPhone 14 Pro models, which is most likely to power this fall’s iPhone 15 release. Even while the A17 processor, which is anticipated to debut with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, is unlikely to be used, everything is conceivable.
It’s also possible that Apple’s long-rumored integrated 5G chip will make its debut in the forthcoming iPhone SE. Since Apple will have precisely engineered it for its phones rather than adopting an off-the-shelf device, it may have other advantages outside only sub-6GHz 5G, as the current type does.
We don’t expect the iPhone SE 4 to depart from the tradition of the previous iPhone SE models’ single rear camera. Keep an ultrawide lens off the SE looks like one way to do that. Apple needs to find a method to set the SE apart from the least costly flagship iPhone. But with the upcoming version, we would anticipate that Night Sight would finally make it to the iPhone SE.
Although Apple could stick with 64GB of storage for the iPhone SE 4 and has done so for the original model, we’d prefer to see an increase to 128 GB.
Another feature that we can’t see Apple including on the iPhone SE is wireless charging. Once more, it appears that Apple is differentiating its various phone models in this way while also keeping an eye on how to keep the price of the iPhone SE low.
A style formed from the iconic history
The iPhone 14 served as the design model for Apple’s flagship product, the iPhone SE 4.
The SE series has regularly used parts from earlier flagship models, thus this uniformity in design language is nothing new.
The justification is straightforward: the iPhone 14 will have been in use for more than two years by the time the iPhone SE 4 launches, making its design DNA a natural basis.
The revolutionary “Action Button”
The iPhone SE 4 has a number of ground-breaking design features, including a “Action Button” that can be used to do various actions.
This new information is consistent with rumours that said this multipurpose button would take the place of the mute switch on the iPhone 15 Pro variants.
This new button can be customised and can be used for a variety of tasks, including operating a camera shutter.
This innovation has the potential to alter how users interact with their iPhones because of how adaptable it is.
Face ID and USB-C compatibility
There will likely be two significant changes in the iPhone SE 4.
First off, the device is reported to have Face ID, which was clearly missing from the iPhone SE 3, its predecessor, which solely depended on Touch ID for biometric authentication.
By enhancing security and convenience, this technology has the potential to revolutionize the user experience.
Second, a USB-C port is anticipated on the iPhone SE 4, which aligns with Apple’s planned transition away from the Lightning port and towards USB-C throughout its whole product line.
Faster data transfer speeds and more device compatibility will result from this upgrade. This tendency is supported by Apple’s commitment to technological innovation.
Conclusion
A new design and 5G compatibility are rumoured to be features of the next iPhone SE 4. The iPhone SE 2022 added 5G compatibility while maintaining the outmoded design of Apple’s cheapest phone, the iPhone SE 2020. According to rumours, Apple’s forthcoming SE model will feature the same design as a different older iPhone. The iPhone SE 4 is anticipated to debut in 2024 or 2025, with a release window of 2024 or 2025.
The iPhone SE 4 is expected to include a 6.1-inch BOE OLED screen, which would be a significant improvement over the model’s 4.7-inch screen. It might upgrade from the current 4.7-inch screen to a 5.7- or 6.1-inch panel and switch from LCD to the superior OLED technology. The iPhone SE 4 is expected to adopt the 2018 iPhone XR’s design, including its 6.1-inch touchscreen. It might still have Face ID and a notch in the display even though Touch ID is gone.