The ‘iPhone SE 4’ Will Be a More Mainstream Model
Credit: iPhone SE 4 Concept [4RMD]Toggle Dark Mode
While next week’s Glowtime event is expected to be all about the iPhone 16 family, Apple has another iPhone waiting in the wings that could shake up its iPhone lineup even more when it’s released early next year: the next-generation iPhone SE.
While the iPhone 16 models will bring some fun improvements to Apple’s flagship smartphones, the fourth-generation iPhone SE is expected to be an even bigger departure from its predecessors, with a whole new design that will give it a rightful place in the grander scheme of things.
Let’s face it: the iPhone SE has always been a bit of an oddball. To make the most affordable iPhone possible, Apple has repeatedly reverted to older designs and specs, creating an iPhone that always felt like a throwback. The original 2016 iPhone SE was physically identical to the iPhone 5s that debuted in late 2013, while the second-generation 2020 iPhone SE copied the design of the 2017 iPhone 8. Both models packed in new A-series chips to match the then-current flagship iPhones, but little else to set them apart from the models that inspired their designs.
It didn’t help that the first two iPhone SE models arrived just after major iPhone design transitions — the iPhone SE after Apple moved to larger iPhones and the iPhone SE 2 following the adoption of an edge-to-edge display and Face ID. Using 2.5-year-old designs put those models right in the middle of those shifts.
Still, the 2022 iPhone SE felt like even more of an anachronism. Arriving nearly five years after Apple had nixed the bezels and Home Button design from its iPhones, it was an update that seemed primarily intended to bring 5G support to its budget iPhone. As with prior SE models, Apple upgraded the chip inside to the same A15 used in the 2021 iPhone 13, but otherwise, it had the same specs as its 2020 predecessor.
However, that 2022 model was still significant in marking the end of 4G/LTE-only iPhones. If the rumors are true, next year’s iPhone SE could mark another watershed moment as Apple finally eliminates LCDs from the mix.
While earlier iPhone SE rumors suggested the next iPhone SE would follow in the footsteps of the iPad Air redesign, with side-button Touch ID and an edge-to-edge LCD screen, technology has moved on significantly since then, and it looks like Apple is finally ready to bring the iPhone SE into the mainstream. In fact, you may have a hard time distinguishing next year’s “iPhone SE 4” from the rest of the lineup.
These changes will also be more than skin-deep. By all reports, Apple plans to pull out all the stops, ditching the LCD screen in favor of an OLED panel and putting in a True Depth camera with full Face ID support — all for under $500.
Apple has been lining up OLED suppliers for the new iPhone SE for nearly a year, so it’s not exactly a surprise. However, we’ve recently seen additional confirmation of the new display tech from Nikkei Asia, which reports that Apple is preparing to entirely cut off its LCD suppliers, Japan Display (JDI) and Sharp.
While Apple has used OLED displays for its highest-end iPhones since the iPhone X launched in 2017 and its standard models since the 2020 iPhone 12, the iPhone SE still accounted for about 20 million LCD panels annually. That’s a substantial drop from the 200 million panels that JDI and Sharp provided in 2015, but now it sounds like those numbers will soon drop to zero. JDI still provides OLED displays for the Apple Watch but is said to be refocusing its LCD business on automotive systems.
The new iPhone SE’s OLED displays will come from the same suppliers Apple uses for the standard iPhone models: BOE Technology and LG Display. Along with Samsung Display, LG also provides 120Hz LTPO OLED screens for the iPhone Pro models.
Most sources agree that the iPhone SE will feature a design similar to the iPhone 14, including Face ID and other features of that model. As with past iPhone SE models, it will almost certainly get the same A18 chip that’s coming to the iPhone 16 next week, and it’s likely to have 8 GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence since it would be very odd for Apple to release any new iPhones that don’t support its new flagship suite of AI features.
This means the iPhone SE will finally look like it belongs in the iPhone lineup rather than sitting out to one side like an awkward stepchild. It will likely still have only one camera on the back, but it may be indistinguishable from its pricier siblings on the front.
The jury is still out on whether Apple will adopt the Dynamic Island or stick with the notch of the iPhone 14 era. The notch could help to set it apart, but Apple may want to retire that design to unify the user interface at a software level; by the time the iPhone SE launches, the iPhone 14 will be on its way out, with it expected to drop out of the lineup once the iPhone 17 debuts later that year.
Most sources predict an early 2025 launch for the iPhone SE. Some have suggested it could arrive before the Lunar New Year to help boost flagging sales in China, but it’s likely to arrive before May in any case.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]
