Apple’s cheapest smartphone is expected to get a long overdue design overhaul, but we could still be waiting a while for it
The iPhone SE series has been popular since the first model was released back in 2016. No wonder, as it offers the core Apple smartphone experience at a fraction of the cost.
Apple’s most recent iPhone SE was released in 2022. While it’s an impressive phone in many ways, the iPhone 8-style design is quite different to the latest iPhone 15 handsets.
Will Apple finally bring the look of the cheapest iPhone up to date? Here’s everything we know about the fourth generation of the iPhone SE.When will the iPhone SE 4 be released?
One of the biggest mysteries of the iPhone SE 4 is whether it will appear at all.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported in January 2023 that plans for the iPhone SE in 2024 had been cancelled, before stating in February 2023 that the project had been revived. Then, in April 2023, Kuo stated that the model he was referring to might be just an engineering prototype and that “there are no plans for mass production and sales”.
However, a September 2023 report from MacRumors suggests Apple is indeed working on a new iPhone SE. No release date was suggested there, but analyst Jeff Pu (via MacRumors) suggested a launch at some point in 2025.
Korean site The Elec also believe we won’t see the next iPhone SE until 2025. Its reasoning is that Apple is placing sole reliance on a company called BOE for the supply of screens for the iPhone SE 4, and this panel manufacturer is encountering “performance issues”.
An Apple product roadmap, which leaker Revegnus claims has been obtained from Samsung Securities (a subsidiary of the main company), also suggests that the iPhone SE 4 will be released next year.
While it makes sense for the iPhone SE to appear then, an isolated leak like this isn’t enough for us to be sure about some of the other products listed.
For context, here’s when the previous iPhone SE models have launched:
iPhone SE (2016) – March 2016
iPhone SE 2 (2020) – April 2020
iPhone SE 3 (2022) – March 2022
Waiting three years between models, as is now likely to be the case, wouldn’t come as a huge surprise.How much will the iPhone SE 4 cost?
Nothing has been revealed regarding pricing at this stage. But the iPhone SE is a relatively affordable mid-range phone, and that’s unlikely to change on the fourth generation.
Here’s how much the previous models cost at launch:
iPhone SE (2016) – $399/£359
iPhone SE 2 (2020) – $399/£419
iPhone SE 3 (2022) – $429/£419
However, if it gets the expected design overhaul, the iPhone SE 4 may come with a price rise. Apple will want to avoid it being too close to the $799/£799 starting price of the iPhone 15, though.What specs and features will the iPhone SE 4 have?
If Apple does end up releasing the iPhone SE 4, it’s likely to be a significant update, if rumours and leaks are anything to go by.
