Apple iPhone SE 4: What we all know

Whereas there’s usually a whole lot of pleasure about Apple’s flagship iPhones — this yr, the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro — these are unaffordable for lots of customers. Even the individuals who do have the cash do not all the time want the absolute best specs. Alongside these traces, Apple is lastly getting ready a fourth-generation iPhone SE. This is what we all know in regards to the machine thus far, together with its launch date, projected value, and key design options.

iPhone SE 4 launch date and value

Quickly, however not that quickly

• Possible spring 2025 launch
• Worth between $429 and $499

Launch date rumors from The Information counsel that the SE 4 will ship in spring 2025. That will be in keeping with the timeframes for each earlier SE, distancing them from the launches of flagship iPhones. Particularly we’re anticipating Apple to announce the machine in March or April, presumably through a press launch reasonably than a stay occasion until the corporate has different merchandise it desires to debut on the similar time.

As for pricing, that continues to be unsure. A Revegnus leak on X — now deleted — claimed that the SE 4 will match the present mannequin’s $429 US, or at most slot in about 10% greater. Apple is supposedly invested in preserving the telephone below $500, which is sensible provided that the iPhone 14 is now $599. Numerous analysts have projected a value between $459 and $499.

Design

A contemporary look, lastly

• Face ID
• No residence button
• 6.1-inch OLED display screen
• Attainable Motion button
• USB-C

That is the most important information with the iPhone SE 4. Even the SE 3 is modeled after 2017’s iPhone 8, making it feel and appear antiquated, largely resulting from a 4.7-inch LCD with thick bezels and a house button. It is also the one iPhone that also makes use of Contact ID as an alternative of Face ID.

In line with The Data and different sources, the SE 4 is being modeled after the iPhone 14, that means it should lastly undertake Face ID and an all-touchscreen entrance interface. It will not have a Dynamic Island, in response to 9to5Mac, however consumers ought to at the very least get a 6.1-inch, 1170×2532 OLED panel, providing not simply further display screen area however far improved colours, distinction, and brightness. The change to OLED is backed up by Nikkei Asia, which says that Apple is ordering panels from BOE and LG Show.

A Weibo leaker, Fixed Focus Digital, means that the backplate might resemble the iPhone 16. That suggests an analogous digicam bump.

Shifting to a 6.1-inch display screen will most likely show controversial. Whereas 6-inch telephones at the moment are de facto within the business, some individuals favor smaller designs, since they’re simpler to make use of with one hand. The SE 4 will seemingly mark the dying of Apple shows below 6 inches, at the very least exterior of refurbished telephones.

One other rumored design characteristic is an Motion button. The idea first debuted on the Apple Watch Ultra, then made its technique to the iPhone 15 Pro and the IPhone 16 lineup. Including an Motion button to the SE would preserve interface choices constant, and will not even be a giant deal, because it defaults to changing the mute change.

One thing completely assured is a change from Lightning to USB-C, as with the iPhone 15 and 16. Apple has no alternative — it has to make the leap if it desires to adjust to European Union laws. We’re unsure what USB speeds Apple intends to make use of, however to maintain prices down it would use the slower USB 2.0-level connector discovered within the base Telephone 16.

Specs

A blazing quick processor

• A18 processor
• 8GB of RAM
• 48-megapixel foremost digicam
• Apple-designed 5G modem
• Extra storage
• Apple Intelligence

The core attraction of the SE line has all the time been the possibility to get certainly one of Apple’s newest processors with out paying for different frills. With the SE 4, Apple is reportedly making the leap to an A18 processor with 8GB of RAM, largely to assist Apple Intelligence. That will mirror the specs of the iPhone 16.

MacRumors and 9to5Mac say the SE 4 will get a 48-megapixel rear digicam, an enormous leap over the 12-megapixel one within the SE 3. This may enable 2x “optical-quality” zoom, as on the iPhone 16, however do not anticipate any ultra-wide or real telephoto choices.

Apple may be utilizing the SE 4 as a testbed for an internally-designed 5G modem, codenamed “Centauri.” Through the years the corporate has been bringing an increasing number of chip design in-house, aiming to each reduce prices and ship hyper-optimized know-how. 9to5Mac claims that Centauri will mix mobile, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS right into a single part, dramatically lowering energy consumption.

As for storage, Apple will presumably improve the default to 128GB. The 64GB within the entry-level SE 3 is unsustainable, given the rising measurement of iOS and its apps — neglect about including 48-megapixel pictures into the combo. The actual query is whether or not there will likely be storage choices over 256GB, though we would not put any cash on a 1TB configuration.

What else do we all know in regards to the iPhone SE 4?

Extra to come back

Apple is anticipated to equip it with a 12-megapixel entrance digicam just like the iPhone 15. There’s not a lot else to say on that entrance, however that does imply SE homeowners will get options like autofocus, gradual movement, and a wider aperture for higher low-light selfies.

There’s much more below wraps, corresponding to shade choices, and additional particulars about Apple’s new wi-fi applied sciences. We’ll replace this hub as extra data rolls in.