Apple's CEO Tim Cook hinted at an announcement scheduled for Wednesday, February 19, and it seems that this mysterious announcement will be for the next generation iPhone SE.
We’ve been hearing about the iPhone SE 4 for quite some time, and essentially, we know everything there is to expect. If you want to see what’s coming, read on in the article from MacRumors.
Gadget Name
Apple first introduced the iPhone SE in 2016, and "SE" stands for "Special Edition." Apple has used the SE name for the last three models, but it’s quite possible that this will change again this year.
There have been rumors that the new budget iPhone might be called "iPhone 6E" instead of iPhone SE 4, but this information came from a source with an unreliable reputation.
The budget iPhone will have the same chip as the iPhone 16, along with some other features of the iPhone 16, so it wouldn't be a shock for Apple to give it a new name to better connect it with the current flagship models. When announcing the upcoming product, Cook also said: "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," which could be a reference to the iPhone 16 family. At the same time, "family" could also simply refer to the iPhone family.
Design
We expect the iPhone SE to feature a design similar to the iPhone 14 with a 6.1-inch display. Its launch will mark the end of smaller iPhones, and the 6.1-inch size will become the smallest screen size offered by Apple.
While the current iPhone SE has a 4.7-inch display, the size difference between the 4.7-inch model and the new 6.1-inch one is not as large as one might think. The updated size will be noticeable, but removing thick bezels means the physical size will only increase slightly despite the larger display.
The iPhone SE measures 5.45 inches in height and 2.65 inches in width, with a thickness of 7.3 mm, and the new model will be 5.78 inches tall, 2.82 inches wide, and 7.8 mm thick. The weight will only increase by an ounce.
Earlier, Apple sold a 5.4-inch "mini" iPhone, but production was discontinued after the release of the iPhone 13 mini because it sold poorly. In the future, Apple may soothe those wanting a small iPhone by offering a foldable device that folds in half, but rumors suggest such a device will appear in a year or more.
If you want to see what the iPhone SE will look like, check out the iPhone 14. It will have the same overall design with a full-screen display, aluminum and glass body, mute switch, volume buttons, notch, power button, and a 5G antenna/SIM card tray. The iPhone SE 4 is expected to have a single-lens rear camera, not two like the iPhone 14.
You’ve probably seen early rumors about a button for Action or a camera control button for the iPhone SE 4 during the rumor cycle, but it seems these won't be features in the budget Apple device after all. Fake iPhone models didn't include an Action button or camera control button or cases designed for this device.
Both early cases and fake models are often based on leaks from the supply chain, and they tend to be accurate because there's good profit in having a case ready for immediate release after the new device launches.
Display
The iPhone 14 features Ceramic Shield glass, which is stronger than regular smartphone glass and offers better resistance against drops and scratches, and it's quite likely the budget iPhone will also get Ceramic Shield material.
Apple updates the iPhone SE with an OLED display, which signals the end of LCD technology in the iPhone lineup once the current model is discontinued. While LCDs are still used in some Mac and iPad models, the iPhone lineup will be fully OLED when the SE 4 launches.
The iPhone 14 has a notch housing the TrueDepth front camera and Face ID hardware, and the iPhone SE will have the same notch design. Rumors suggest Apple might use Dynamic Island for the iPhone SE, but this is another feature apparently reserved for higher-end iPhones.
No More Touch ID
With a full-screen design like the iPhone 14, Apple is dropping Touch ID. When the current generation iPhone SE is discontinued in favor of the new model, no iPhone with Touch ID will remain in the lineup.
Touch ID is still used on Macs and some iPads, but Apple will fully switch to Face ID for its iPhone models starting with the iPhone SE 4.
Some people prefer Touch ID over Face ID, but Apple is betting on facial recognition, which is more secure than Touch ID. The odds that a random person could unlock your iPhone with Face ID are less than 1 in 1,000,000, compared to 1 in 50,000 with Touch ID.
The absence of a Home button and Touch ID provides much more screen space, which is a significant advantage. Android manufacturers have combined large displays with fingerprint sensors, placing them on the back of their smartphones, but Apple has never used such a design.
No More Lightning
The iPhone SE will have a USB-C port for charging, continuing Apple's mission of gradually moving away from the Lightning port.
The iPhone SE is one of the last Apple devices still using Lightning, and once Apple stops producing the iPhone 14—which could happen with the release of the iPhone SE—Lightning will be phased out from the iPhone line. It’s entirely possible that the iPhone 14 will be discontinued after the launch of the iPhone SE, as it makes little sense to sell the iPhone 14 with lower specs for $599 when there's a more powerful iPhone SE available at a lower price.
MagSafe
The iPhone 14 introduced MagSafe support, and since the iPhone SE 4 will have an iPhone 14-like design, it will work with MagSafe accessories and support MagSafe wireless charging. MagSafe is not an option for the current iPhone SE model, but MagSafe chargers and accessories are becoming an increasingly important part of the Apple ecosystem over the past few years.
Chip A18 and 8 GB RAM
Apple plans to equip the iPhone SE 4 with the same A18 chip as the iPhone 16, meaning it will have flagship performance at a significantly more affordable price. The A18 chip will allow it to perform well for years, and this will be the most affordable way to get Apple Intelligence in a smartphone.
With the A18 chip, the iPhone SE 4 will support Apple Intelligence features, which will be a huge upgrade over the A15 in the current iPhone SE. Apple Intelligence requires 8 GB of RAM, so the new iPhone SE 4 will also have twice the RAM of the current model.
Storage Capacity
There are no specific rumors about storage capacity, but all other Apple iPhones start at 128 GB, so it’s quite possible that we will see the end of the 64 GB version this year. 64 GB is simply not enough space to store data, even for a budget iPhone.
Camera
The iPhone SE may get the same 48-megapixel wide-angle lens as in the iPhone 16, providing a significant leap in photo quality compared to the 12-megapixel camera in the iPhone SE 3.
Connectivity
In the iPhone SE 4, Apple plans to debut with its new proprietary modem, giving us the first look at how Apple’s modem technology compares to Qualcomm’s.
In the iPhone SE 4, Apple plans to debut with its new proprietary modem, giving us the first look at how Apple’s modem technology compares to Qualcomm’s.
The Apple modem chip will not support the fastest 5G mmWave speeds, but it will connect to more widespread 5G networks on the 6 GHz band. Apple wants to reduce its dependence on Qualcomm, and this new modem chip is the first step in that direction.
We don't know how actively Apple will promote the new modem, but we expect to see a range of speed and performance comparisons where the new modem will be compared with the current Qualcomm modem driving the iPhone 16.
Emergency SOS via Satellite and Crash Detection
This is just speculation, but in the iPhone 14, Apple added a crash detection feature that alerts emergency services if you're in a car accident. This is a vital safety feature that will likely be included in the iPhone SE 4.
The iPhone 14 and newer models also support satellite emergency calls, and it's very likely this feature will be added to the iPhone SE 4. Apple likes to promote its safety features, and they could be a major selling point, so we wouldn't be surprised to see both options included.
Battery Life
There are rumors that the iPhone SE 4 will have the same battery as the iPhone 14, meaning it will last up to 20 hours of video playback, up to 16 hours of streaming video, and up to 80 hours of audio playback.
The 6.1-inch device has significantly more space for the battery than the 4.7-inch one, so it's no surprise that the overall battery life will increase substantially.
The current iPhone SE offers 15 hours of video playback and up to 10 hours of streaming video.
Price
With higher-end components, the iPhone SE 4 might be more expensive than the current model, but Apple still aims to keep the price below $500. The price of the iPhone SE 3 starts at $429.
No Event
The iPhone SE 4 is an important new Apple device, but it reuses components from the iPhone 14 and iPhone 16, so it’s not the most exciting device. Apple does not plan to hold an event to introduce the iPhone SE 4; instead, it was announced via press release and through coverage on the Apple website.
Apple has promoted the launch in advance via social media, but without hints about what specific product will be unveiled on February 19.
Launch Date
After the event on February 19, Apple will most likely accept pre-orders for the iPhone SE 4 before beginning sales a little later this month. 03:43
