iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Launch Early Next Year With OLED Display, 48MP Camera, and More

[cwwilson]

The original SE kinda shocked me when it came out. It was an iPhone 5S with iPhone 6S specs and as we all know that was best of the both worlds. It really was a truly unique product from Apple, you had one of their best designs with the hardware of one of their most important upgrades (6 to 6S) combined into one package. I even thought of getting one myself back when they came out but I couldn't talk myself into giving up my Plus-sized screen. Even still it amazed me Apple even thought of making the Gen 1 SE a reality.

The subsequent SE phones that followed I thought were not as inspiring, instead choosing to use designs from the lackluster iPhone 8 and others that made the SE fall more into a "budget" category. I know that there is a very loud section of MR users that want a proper, smaller iPhone with top end specs but it's just never going to happen. So the SE continues to get bigger as do the mainline phones. I don't really know what the SE is even supposed to be anymore.

In my opinion, they should bring back the iPhone mini and just call it the Air or even SE and give it a 4.5-5" screen and make it thin and easy to hold with one hand all the while giving it some respectable horsepower. Throw in your best LCD display and a great camera, start it 128GB storage and let it rip for about $499.

 

[Nic727]

The iPhone of the future.

 

[HornOfAbraxas]

Great
Yet another huge rectangle

If you take the current iphone se and put an edge to edge screen on it you get about 5.75" diagonal.

The extra quarter-inch diagonal is going to suddenly transform it into a "Huge rectangle"?

People ranting against change because they don't understand it yet again

 

[Fyrus]

Confusing naming. Why not just make it a 15 SE, or 16 SE

I think that would only work if the phone had design elements of the iPhone 15 or 16.

It would also make it weird if Apple doesn’t release an SE model every year. It would go from 15SE to 18SE. Which would make it more confusing and also make the phone sound old, which it is but isn’t the correct marketing move I think.

 

[svish]

Looks like the new SE will get the design of the modern iPhone and if priced at the current price of SE, it will a very successful iPhone.

 

[Pair]

My XR is struggling to run the latest iOS 18 Beta. The SE 4 can’t come out soon enough. Not too keen on the price increase but I’ll hold out that those rumors end up dead in water like the previous iPhone price increases have.

Might that be because it’s a Beta? What’s the storage situation on it as keeping em full tends to cause slowdowns in my experience

 

[sublunar]

I think that would only work if the phone had design elements of the iPhone 15 or 16.

It would also make it weird if Apple doesn’t release an SE model every year. It would go from 15SE to 18SE. Which would make it more confusing and also make the phone sound old, which it is but isn’t the correct marketing move I think.

I’m just wondering if Apple have made some choices here.

1. SE4 line not entirely capable of Apple Intelligence if there’s a 6gb ram version of the A18. If paired with 64gb storage Apple can declare a base model SE4 incapable of Apple Intelligence. That’s $479 according to the rumour.

2. 128gb tier would come with 8gb ram and therefore capable of Apple Intelligence. That’s the mooted $549 tier.

3. What stops iPhone 16 buyers from going direct to the SE4? If Apple don’t do a 256gb tier for SE4 that pushes people who need more storage up market to:

4. iPhone 15 has no apple intelligence but comes with 256gb option and better cameras. Rather than produce a 15SE with A18 for a year I think Apple takes the hit with an odd looking lineup and the iPhone 15 goes away in 2025.

5. iPhone 16 has Apple intelligence and 8gb on all storage tiers (let’s say 512gb). Probably better cameras again.

Pricing for the SE4 appears to overlap with the iPhone 14 and SE3 so no great surprise if both get retired in Q1/Q2 2025. Third party resellers could see both phones last a while longer at a lower price point.

 

[Sir_Macs_A_Lot]

It this rate the new SE will cannibalize regular iPhone sales and cause those looking for a budget phone to get an Android.

 

[mondaiguy]

I would accept a display bigger than 5 inches if it still had a Home button, but since they're removing the Home button and making the phone much bigger, this is not an SE anymore.

 

[turbineseaplane]

The original SE kinda shocked me when it came out. It was an iPhone 5S with iPhone 6S specs and as we all know that was best of the both worlds. It really was a truly unique product from Apple, you had one of their best designs with the hardware of one of their most important upgrades (6 to 6S) combined into one package. I even thought of getting one myself back when they came out but I couldn't talk myself into giving up my Plus-sized screen. Even still it amazed me Apple even thought of making the Gen 1 SE a reality.

Very much reminds me of the M1 MBA

Time tested and loved form factor with race car power under the hood

 

[sublunar]

It this rate the new SE will cannibalize regular iPhone sales and cause those looking for a budget phone to get an Android.

This is why I think third party retailers will continue to sell the SE3 potentially at discounted prices for a while to come.

 

[histeachn81]

The 2025 iPhone lineup
(shown in Ash Gold)

I would actually buy an iPhone if they replicated a nice red brick color for it…don’t shoot me.

 

[Downhilltenago]

Interesting. I just have to go for the pro from now on. I honestly have to have the best possible tech. The pro max is too big for my liking.

 

[cosmicc]

Might that be because it’s a Beta? What’s the storage situation on it as keeping em full tends to cause slowdowns in my experience

Yea the XR was running okay before I installed the iOS 18 Beta. I expect the performance to improve after Beta. For some more context the XR has 45GB of the 64GB storage occupied. Battery health is 80% (original battery). Trying to ride it out with the XR until the SE 4 is released.

 

[Pair]

Yea the XR was running okay before I installed the iOS 18 Beta. I expect the performance to improve after Beta. For some more context the XR has 45GB of the 64GB storage occupied. Battery health is 80% (original battery). Trying to ride it out with the XR until the SE 4 is released.

In that case I’d say it’s beta and potentially battery

 

[garettap]

For the love of god give us ONE smaller-sized phone

 

[sublunar]

For the love of god give us ONE smaller-sized phone

I suspect given the advent of Apple Intelligence that small phones are definitely not coming back due to the demand on processor power and likely related battery drain going forward. Process shrinks may not make up the difference.

 

[garettap]

I don't want Siri to read all my texts and try to rewrite them to be funnier or invent new emojis... I just want a phone that fits in my hand and doesn't give me wrist pain 😭

 

[sideshowuniqueuser]

The mini always felt like it should have been an SE type of device for those who need to stay connected, but don't live on their phone. My screen time is mostly on my Mac and iPad (both with large screens), with my iPhone just for messaging and quick checks while out and about. Device size is more important than screen size to me, and don't need the latest of anything except OS, just something in the Apple ecosystem.

Au contrare, the purpose of the Mini was to be small, not cheap or reduced in functionality. The mistake for it was to not make it a Mini Pro instead. I think it would have sold much better if it was not seen as a poor person's phone, but rather, was seen as a prestigious, but highly portable, Pro phone. Sure, the reduced frame size may have limited the possibilities of functionality, however, they could have made it as pro as possible with what was physically possible.

 

[garettap]

Au contrare, the purpose of the Mini was to be small, not cheap or reduced in functionality. The mistake for it was to not make it a Mini Pro instead. I think it would have sold much better if it was not seen as a poor person's phone, but rather, was seen as a prestigious, but highly portable, Pro phone. Sure, the reduced frame size may have limited the possibilities of functionality, however, they could have made it as pro as possible with what was physically possible.

Bingo! Botched roll-out. They made us choose between the good one and the nicely-sized one. Also "mini" branding was so female/twee/child coded. Was it really "mini" if it was the size of the first 8 or 9 generations of iPhones? Did they think about what it would feel like for a 40 year old businessman to tell his coworkers he bought the "iPhone Mini 🐣💕🍭" -- basically like buying a Tamagotchi keychain.

 

[sublunar]

Au contrare, the purpose of the Mini was to be small, not cheap or reduced in functionality. The mistake for it was to not make it a Mini Pro instead. I think it would have sold much better if it was not seen as a poor person's phone, but rather, was seen as a prestigious, but highly portable, Pro phone. Sure, the reduced frame size may have limited the possibilities of functionality, however, they could have made it as pro as possible with what was physically possible.

Would possibly have cannibalised the larger pro models though. Same argument exists for the iPad mini which is in the same spec tier as the iPad Air / it’s a tween product between base model iPad and the pro models.

 

[sideshowuniqueuser]

Would possibly have cannibalised the larger pro models though. Same argument exists for the iPad mini which is in the same spec tier as the iPad Air / it’s a tween product between base model iPad and the pro models.

Your argument makes as much sense as saying "The iPhone Pro would possibly canibalise the larger iPhone Pro Max model though," or "The 14" MacBook Pro would possibly canibalise the larger 16" MacBook Pro though" Nope, people choose device size based on size only, not on if it is Pro or non-Pro.

 

[sublunar]

Your argument makes as much sense as saying "The iPhone Pro would possibly canibalise the larger iPhone Pro Max model though," or "The 14" MacBook Pro would possibly canibalise the larger 16" MacBook Pro though" Nope, people choose device size based on size only, not on if it is Pro or non-Pro.

And cost doesn’t come into it then? How much would your 13 pro mini have cost?

for the record, I’d have liked to have a mini phone but the value just wasn’t there for what it was. I think you’ll find that Apple’s market research instead led them to create the plus and max models. It seems consumers want bigger screens, not smaller.

after that the battery life is important, and obviously bigger screen means bigger case and more battery life.

if the vague rumours around the ultra model is correct then the next thing after bigger screen and more battery is thinner and lighter frame.

seems that smaller and cheaper doesn’t cut it.

your 14” argument also doesn’t really hold water by itself. I have a 14” pro. It’s hefty, but the best balance for portability. I’d have a 16” which is effectively a desktop replacement and can more adequately cool an M2 Max chip if I could justify the cost. I’m not solely basing the decision on size alone.

 

[Bandoholic]

I’m Using 13 mini as I need a phone able to be used one handed, waiting for the SE series to surpass mini performance.

 

[thadoggfather]

The original SE kinda shocked me when it came out. It was an iPhone 5S with iPhone 6S specs and as we all know that was best of the both worlds. It really was a truly unique product from Apple, you had one of their best designs with the hardware of one of their most important upgrades (6 to 6S) combined into one package. I even thought of getting one myself back when they came out but I couldn't talk myself into giving up my Plus-sized screen. Even still it amazed me Apple even thought of making the Gen 1 SE a reality.

The subsequent SE phones that followed I thought were not as inspiring, instead choosing to use designs from the lackluster iPhone 8 and others that made the SE fall more into a "budget" category. I know that there is a very loud section of MR users that want a proper, smaller iPhone with top end specs but it's just never going to happen. So the SE continues to get bigger as do the mainline phones. I don't really know what the SE is even supposed to be anymore.

In my opinion, they should bring back the iPhone mini and just call it the Air or even SE and give it a 4.5-5" screen and make it thin and easy to hold with one hand all the while giving it some respectable horsepower. Throw in your best LCD display and a great camera, start it 128GB storage and let it rip for about $499.

Yeah they accidentally made the se1 such a compelling package. 2 and 3 don’t come close for what they offer

An iPhone 8 was fine next to an se2 even though the latter better