A New Name?
Predictions on what Apple might call its upcoming iPhone SE models have been all over the place, but it’s also fair to say that even Apple may not have this figured out yet.
Names are always the most mysterious things about new iPhones, and about the only reason we’re able to make educated guesses each year is by looking at trends. The iPhone 13 naturally followed the iPhone 12, although even then we weren’t sure until the last minute whether it would be the “iPhone 12S” instead.
The iPhone SE, however, has no such track record, and we’ve already heard a few names thrown around:
- iPhone SE (3rd generation)
- iPhone SE 5G
- iPhone SE Plus
- iPhone SE 3
- iPhone SE (4th generation)
- iPhone SE 4
- iPhone SE Pro
With two models on the horizon, it’s even more difficult to get an idea of what Apple is going to do here. Much of this probably depends on whether Apple intends to discontinue the current model as each new one is released. It’s done this in the past, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to do this going forward.
For instance, some have suggested that next year’s 5G-capable iPhone SE will get the “Plus” moniker, but that would be extremely odd, since it’s expected to remain the same size. Before the 2020 iPhone SE came along, some had predicted it would follow fully in the iPhone 8’s footsteps, with both a 4.7-inch iPhone SE and a 5.5-inch iPhone SE Plus, but that didn’t happen.
However, Apple has never used the “Plus” designation for any hardware product that wasn’t physically larger than its standard counterpart. Further, the “Plus” suffix was retired with the iPhone 8 lineup in favour of the current “Max” models.
If Apple plans to discontinue the current iPhone SE when the 5G-capable version arrives in a few months, then it’s likely that the new one will simply be called the “iPhone SE” with a “3rd-generation” designation used in support documents, much like how Apple names its iPad models. If not, then it would make more sense for Apple to simply go with something like “iPhone SE 5G” for that model.
It’s the next iPhone SE that’s far more of a mystery. While “iPhone SE 3” seems to be the name that’s floating around, that doesn’t make much sense either. Keep in mind that even “iPhone SE 2” isn’t the official name of the current model — it’s simply the “iPhone SE” for marketing purposes, and the “iPhone SE (2nd generation)” for support purposes.
Generational designations are just that — indications of how many models have come before, and Apple bases these on product family names. For example, the 2017 fifth-generation iPad was actually the direct successor to the second-generation iPad Air, while the third-generation iPad Air (or “iPad Air 3”) ushered in a whole new class of iPad.
So, unless Apple chooses to give a future iPhone SE an entirely different name (and not just a “Plus” suffix), it’s fair to say that by 2023 we’ll be looking at an “iPhone SE (4th generation)” either way.
Of course, Apple could completely surprise us, as there are plenty of other letters in the alphabet. Let’s not forget that a little over two years ago, we were expecting an “iPhone XE” to show up. A redesign that eliminates the home button might be enough for Apple to consider this an entirely new class of iPhone.