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If you’re an Apple iPhone fan but not bothered about having all the latest bells and whistles that tend to come with modern smartphones, then the affordable iPhone SE may be perfect for you.
While Apple’s flagship iPhones come out each year with all the latest technology, features, and perks, the iPhone SE is designed to be an entry-level version and as a result, doesn’t follow the same release schedule as its older siblings.
The third-generation iPhone SE was released two years ago. It kept the home button while the more premium iPhone editions removed it in favor of a full touch screen display and facial recognition unlocking, while its design remained outdated compared to newer models. It also lacked many of the standard features you would expect to find in an iPhone, including trivial things such as night-mode photos.
Here’s what we know so far about a possible future iPhone SE 4.
iPhone SE 4: What we know so far
As it’s been two years since the last installment of the iPhone SE range, it would be fair to expect several upgrades to a fourth-generation handset.
Apple has somewhat fallen behind the curve in the mid-range, affordable smartphone market. Google has the Pixel 8a and Samsung has its A Series, both of which provide the types of features many would come to expect in a premium, top-of-the-range smartphone.
So Apple has a lot of catching up to do if it wants to remain competitive in this market, as the iPhone SE 3 no longer matches up to its mid-range competitors.
Design
The iPhone SE 3 is the smallest device in Apple’s iPhone line-up, with a 4.7-inch display, and is modeled on the iPhone 8 in terms of its thick bezels and Touch ID home button.
Rumors reported by Mac Rumours suggest the iPhone SE 4 will ditch the Touch ID home button and join the rest of the flagship iPhone lineup in having an all-screen display, while the overall design is expected to look similar to the iPhone 14. Meanwhile, John Prosser believes the SE 4 will adopt a similar design to the iPhone XR.
Speculated CAD renders, though, suggest it’s likely going to be similar to the iPhone 14 after all.
We could also see the first introduction of the notch to the SE range, thanks to the removal of the Touch ID home button, allowing for a front-facing camera and, likely, Face ID.
One thing we can be certain of is the introduction of a USB-C charging port, thanks to the EU’s ruling that every smartphone must have it by 2024.
Display
All of Apple’s iPhones have OLED technology, except the SE 3, which has an LCD display.
Therefore, it’s likely the fourth-generation SE will OLED technology.
Screen Size
If Apple is modeling the SE 4 on the iPhone 14, then we can likely expect a 6.1-inch display, according to Mac Rumours.
That’s much bigger than the current 4.7-inch display on the third-generation SE, so those who prefer a smaller, more compact handset might be disappointed.
Camera
There is likely to be a camera upgrade in the iPhone SE 4. The current third-generation SE boasts a single-lens, 12-megapixel camera but rumours suggest the SE 4 will be upgraded to a single-lens 48-megapixel camera.
While the iPhone 14 has a dual-lens camera, it’s believed the SE 4 will keep a single-lens in order to keep costs down.
When is the iPhone SE 4 expected to be released?
The iPhone SE release schedule hasn’t followed the same pattern as the company’s flagship models. The first iPhone SE arrived in March 2016 and we didn’t get a second-generation until April 2020. The third-generation SE came in March 2022.
One thing is almost certain, and that’s that we won’t see anything in 2024. As a result, a Spring 2025 release is more likely at the very earliest. This is backed up by tech analyst and researcher Ming-Chi Kuo, who claimed in April 2023 that a fourth-generation iPhone SE wasn’t on Apple’s roadmap for 2024/2025.
I think SE 4 is not currently part of Apple's new product planning for 2024/2025. https://t.co/5TVl0mkTpb
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) April 14, 2023
How much could the iPhone SE 4 cost?
The iPhone SE 3 hit the shelves at $429, which was a small increase on the SE 2’s $399.
We can expect to see another increase for the SE 4, with some reports claiming it to be $499. Any higher, and Apple risk competitiveness in the mid-range market.
This means $499 is arguably going to be the absolute maximum Apple will go to in terms of pricing.
Featured Image: Apple
