Apple’s iPhone SE range has long been the most affordable new iPhone you can buy. Here’s what we know about the iPhone SE (4th generation).
Update: October 14, 2024 (08:10 AM ET): We have updated our Apple iPhone SE 4 rumor hub with a leaked case.
Apple’s iPhone SE range has long been the most affordable new iPhone series you can buy. Coming in at under $500, these handsets still bring a powerful processor, water resistance, and wireless charging.
The last iPhone SE model dropped in 2022, but we’re expecting Apple to announce a new model at some point. Unfortunately, all current rumors point to a 2025 launch, as it seems Apple is waiting a bit longer in between releases for its budget phone. The good news is the iPhone SE 4 should be a much bigger upgrade, as it’s suggested it will even adopt a new, more modern design.
Let’s jump right in and talk about what we know from the rumors!Will there be an iPhone SE 4?
Apple hasn’t issued any sort of confirmation that it’s working on an iPhone SE (4th generation). There have been a number of leaks suggesting an iPhone SE 4 is likely in the works, but even these are far from a guarantee.
In saying so, the last two iPhone SE models were popular thanks to their sub-flagship price tags. So it seems like a foregone conclusion that Apple is working on a new model. When would it be released? That’s a tougher question.What is the most likely iPhone SE 4 release date?
Apple iPhone SE: March 21, 2016
Apple iPhone SE 2020: April 15, 2020
Apple iPhone SE 2022: March 8, 2022
Apple launched the second iPhone SE in 2020 and the third model in 2022, so you’d assume that the iPhone SE (4th generation) would arrive in 2024.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t appear to be the case. We have already passed the Spring window in which we would have likely seen a new budget iPhone. Apple also launched the iPhone 16 series in September, and the SE model was nowhere to be seen. So the soonest we’re likely to see the iPhone SE 4 is Spring of 2025.
In that vein, a rumor from July 2024 strongly suggests we could see the iPhone SE 4 between March and May in 2025. This would make a lot of sense, as that’s where Apple likes to debut these phones, as you can see from the list above.
Bloomberg also reported in October that the new iPhone model is scheduled for launch in early 2025 alongside new iPad models.
For now, our money is on a March or April 2025 launch date.What specs and features could the iPhone SE 4 have?
The iPhone SE 2022 has typically offered a flagship processor in a pocket-friendly form factor. Apple also brought a couple of premium extras to the series in recent years, namely wireless charging and water resistance.
We’ve seen an increase in iPhone SE 4 leaks in recent weeks and months, so here’s what we’ve gathered and what we think it’ll have.
The iPhone SE 2020 and 2022 both offered dated designs that were broadly in line with 2017’s iPhone 8 series. Will the company keep this design for the third time? Thankfully, all signs point to no.
Apple-watching analyst Ming Chi-Kuo previously claimed in February 2023 that the iPhone SE (4th generation) would have a 6.1-inch screen and would be a “minor modification” of the iPhone 14. This suggested a larger, more modern design was in store. The display size claim was echoed by The Elec in March 2023.
Of course, the analyst’s comments came before he suggested that the new iPhone SE wasn’t in the works for 2024.
