iPhone SE 4 Rumors: Bigger OLED Screen, Apple Intelligence and Other Surprises

Apple just unveiled the iPhone 16 lineup, but don’t forget about the company’s cheapest, smallest model: the $429 iPhone SE.

The pint-sized iPhone returned in 2020 and 2022, and another new version is expected to arrive in early 2025, according to Bloomberg.

Unlike Apple’s flagship iPhone family, the timing of the iPhone SE launch is somewhat unusual. The first generation SE was launched in 2016, followed by the second version in 2020 and the third in 2022. Apple also did not say whether it plans to release new iPhone SE models going forward as it rarely talks about future products. But now that Apple has moved on from the iPhone Mini, the iPhone SE has an important role to play as the most portable and affordable iPhone in Apple’s lineup.

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There is plenty of room for Apple to improve its cheap iPhone. While my colleague Patrick Holland praised the 2022 iPhone SE for its affordable price and standard home button, he criticized it for its lack of night mode graphics and outdated design. Android rivals such as Samsung and Google have also developed their similarly budget-priced phones in recent years. The Google Pixel 8A and Samsung Galaxy A55 5G both offer features reserved for premium devices, such as higher refresh rates and multiple cameras.

It’s impossible to know exactly what to expect from Apple until the company makes an announcement. Based on predictions and reports from Bloomberg, MacRumors and TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, as well as other leaks and Apple product launch history, here’s what we can expect from Apple’s next iPhone budget.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment about the future iPhone SE when this story was first published.

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The iPhone SE 4 may be launched as early as 2025

There has been a lot of back and forth regarding the timing of the iPhone SE 4 launch in recent years. But an August report from Bloomberg’s often accurate Mark Gurman suggests that the new iPhone SE could debut as early as 2025. That suggests it may arrive in the first quarter, which coincides with Apple’s previous iPhone SE release dates. The first and third generation models, for example, were both launched in March.

This report comes after reports and speculations about the existence of the iPhone SE were not confirmed a few years ago. In 2019, analyst Kuo said Apple was working on an iPhone SE with a full-screen design similar to the iPhone XR, as MacRumors reported at the time. Apple has released two versions of the iPhone SE since then that retain the iPhone 8-inspired design, leading to speculation that the model Kuo was talking about has been canceled or delayed.

Kuo’s 2023 predictions about the iPhone SE 4 are also mixed. He reported last January that the iPhone SE that was scheduled for 2024 was canceled but followed through on the announcement the project has been renewed. He changed his prediction and in April 2023 to say that the model he talked about earlier may be an engineering prototype of Apple’s in-house 5G baseband chip. His previous comments also suggested that the iPhone SE 4 will include this 5G chip.

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But new reports, including one from MacRumors, indicate that Apple is actually building a new iPhone SE that reportedly includes some surprising improvements.

It will probably have a new processor and Apple Intelligence

The iPhone SE generally has the same processor as Apple’s most recent iPhone. For example, the 2022 iPhone SE has the same chip as the iPhone 13, which was launched in September 2021. Since Apple’s new chip is usually the highlight of the iPhone SE, it’s hard to imagine Apple straying from that pattern.

But that’s more important than ever now that Apple Intelligence, the company’s suite of new AI features, relies on the company’s latest chips. The iPhone 16 family and last year’s Pro models are the only iPhones that will be able to use these features for now. But based on Apple’s history and a Bloomberg report, which claims the iPhone SE 4 will support Apple Intelligence, it looks like that could change in the coming months.

Apple Intelligence includes new features powered by AI such as the ability to rewrite, summarize and analyze text, a new version of Siri that is better able to understand words even if you fumble, the ability to delete objects from photos and notifications and message summaries, among others. features. The first wave of Apple Intelligence features will arrive in beta next month, while additional features — such as the ability to generate custom emoji — will come later.

Otherwise, the next iPhone SE could have a 5G chip made by Apple, according to Kuo. However, it is difficult to know if that prediction is still valid as he later revised his estimate to say that this device may be an engineering prototype to test that 5G chip. MacRumors also reports that the iPhone SE 4 will have a 5G modem made by Apple.

A design similar to the iPhone 14 with an OLED screen

If the company is working on another iPhone SE, it might have a 6.1-inch screen similar to Apple’s modern phones. The current iPhone SE, by comparison, has a 4.7-inch screen with thick borders on the top and chin, like the iPhone 8.

In particular, the iPhone SE 4 is expected to look a lot like the iPhone 14, which Apple will launch in 2022. A MacRumors article reported in September 2023 that the iPhone SE 4 will have a modified version of the iPhone 14 chassis and reiterated that point. and in November. The Bloomberg report also suggests that the iPhone SE4 will be similar to Apple’s two-year-old flagship.

It’s not just the design that is expected to get an upgrade; the display will see an improvement again. Several reports, including those from Kuo, MacRumors, Bloomberg, The Elec and Nikkei Asia, suggest that the next iPhone SE will have an OLED screen instead of LCD. That’s a big deal because OLED tends to display rich contrasts and deep blacks, and these types of screens are consistent throughout Apple’s iPhone lineup.

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The iPhone SE will have a larger battery

The next iPhone SE may inherit the battery of the iPhone 14, according to MacRumors. If previous blog reports about the iPhone SE 4 following in the footsteps of the iPhone 14 prove to be accurate, a larger battery will be needed to power its larger screen. Apple doesn’t reveal the battery capacity of its phones, but it says the iPhone 14 should get five more hours of video playback compared to the third-generation iPhone SE. Between the new chip and larger battery we expect to find in the next iPhone SE, it sounds like Apple’s next affordable iPhone could see significant gains in battery life.

Goodbye Touch ID, hello Face ID

Fans of Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint sensor may be out of luck. MacRumors reports that the next iPhone SE will have Face ID, like other iPhones today, instead of Apple’s fingerprint sensor. That contradicts Kuo’s 2019 report, which revealed that the next iPhone SE will have a smaller notch area without Face ID and Touch ID embedded in the power button. But since Kuo’s report is about five years old, that information may be out of date.

It can get iPhone 15 camera, USB-C and Action button

Apple’s next wallet-friendly iPhone may have a few things in common with Apple’s new iPhones. Since Apple switched to USB-C for the iPhone 15 system to comply with new European regulations, it seems that the iPhone SE 4 may ditch the Lightning connector. MacRumors also claims that the iPhone SE 4 will have USB-C.

The most surprising note in the story of MacRumors is that the iPhone SE 4 may get an Action button, which is a new shortcut key that is currently only available in the iPhone 16 family, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. If true, it could be another sign that Apple wants to make the Action button standard across the iPhone lineup, coming after it brought the Action button to standard models this year.

MacRumors also reports that a single 48-megapixel camera may be reserved for the next iPhone SE. That would show another similarity it shares with the iPhone 15 and 16, which have large 48-megapixel cameras. If the report is accurate, the iPhone SE will have only one rear camera, unlike Apple’s more expensive phones. The standard iPhone 15 has wide and ultra-wide cameras, while the Pro versions have wide, ultra-wide and telephoto cameras.

But Apple introduced a “Fusion” camera on this year’s iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, which it says enables 2x quality zoom despite not having a dedicated telephoto lens. Although the reports do not specify whether the iPhone SE 4 will have this camera, it would not be surprising if Apple could use it to compensate for the single camera setup of the iPhone SE.

If the rumors are true, the fourth-generation iPhone SE could bring a smaller, budget-friendly iPhone in line with the rest of Apple’s lineup. Depending on the price, it could end up being a solid choice for people who need a more modern iPhone who don’t mind the extra flourishes of the iPhone 16, like the Camera Control button.