Apple is developing an updated version of the low-cost iPhone SE, and the new device is expected to include major changes to bring it in line with the flagship iPhone line.
No new iPhone SE is expected until 2024, but we’re already hearing rumors, so we’ve put all the information together in one handy guide.
Design
The current third-generation iPhone SE is Apple’s smallest device, modeled after the iPhone 8. It measures 4.7 inches and is the only iPhone that features thick bezels and a Touch ID Home button.
That should change with the next iPhone SE update, with rumors indicating that Apple has a new design planned. The fourth-generation iPhone SE will feature an all-screen design like Apple’s flagship lineup, with Apple eliminating the Home button in favor of an alternate method of authentication.
Backer Jon Prosser suggested that the iPhone SE 4 could resemble the 2018 iPhone XR, a device that featured rounded edges rather than the square look of modern iPhones. Previous versions of iPhone SE have all been modeled after previous iPhones, so the suggestion is plausible.
The iPhone XR
The original iPhone was based on the iPhone 5s, while the second and third generation versions resemble the iPhone 8. That said, Apple might instead model the iPhone SE after the iPhone 12 and later, adding the look more modern that the company has been using for a few years.
Display size
The iPhone XR had a 6.1-inch screen, and several rumors have suggested that Apple is considering a 5.7-6.1-inch screen for the device.
Prosser and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo think Apple will use a 6.1-inch display, while display analyst Ross Young thinks Apple is considering both 5-inch display options .7 inches and 6.1 inches for the upcoming iPhone SE. Young said Apple has yet to finalize plans for the iPhone SE 4, so both options are still possible.
Display material
The iPhone SE is the last remaining iPhone to feature an LCD display, and the other iPhones in Apple’s lineup feature OLED. Apple has used all OLED technology for flagship iPhones since the iPhone 12, in fact.
It’s not yet clear whether Apple will use LCD or OLED technology for the iPhone SE 4, and Young says both are possibilities. Apple is considering 6.1-inch OLED displays from two vendors, along with 5.7- to 6.1-inch LCD displays. The iPhone SE is much more affordable than other iPhones and the cost of OLED may cause Apple to opt for an LCD screen instead, but OLED prices may have come down enough for Apple to switch to it. OLED for the upcoming iPhone SE.
Notch
With an all-screen design, Apple is expected to adopt a notch for the iPhone SE, which is the design Apple has used for flagship iPhones since 2017’s iPhone XR.
A notch display will give Apple somewhere to put the front-facing camera, but it’s not yet clear whether the iPhone SE will support Face ID and the TrueDepth camera system given the hardware cost.
By the time the iPhone SE is released, the flagship iPhone lineup will have fully transitioned to the Dynamic Island, so the old notch design will distinguish the iPhone SE.
Touch ID or Face ID?
Apple ditched Face ID and the iPhone SE is the last iPhone with Touch ID. Because Face ID has been around since 2017, Apple might choose to use it for the next-generation iPhone SE.
Information from My Drivers and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the iPhone SE 4 might have a Touch ID power button, similar to the iPad Air, iPad, and iPad mini. This technology has yet to be used for an iPhone, but a Touch ID power button could keep costs down and differentiate the iPhone SE from flagship iPhones.
A-series chip
The current iPhone SE is equipped with the same A15 chip found in the iPhone 13 models, so the iPhone SE might get a previous generation chip when it launches.
Since arriving in 2024, it will be available the same year as the iPhone 16 line and one year after the iPhone 15. The standard iPhone 15 models should use the A16 in the iPhone 14 Pro models, so there is a good chance that the iPhone SE 4 has an A16 chip.
5G
The current iPhone SE comes with 5G technology, and the next-gen version will likely get an upgraded 5G chip with support for more bands.
Release date
Rumors suggest that the iPhone SE will launch in 2024, with no line refresh scheduled for 2023.
#iPhone #rumors