iPhone SE 4: What to expect from Apple’s upcoming affordable iPhone

Now that the iPhone 16 line has been made available to customers, some may be wondering what’s next for the iPhone. However, it’s not iPhone 17 and it won’t be a year…

The next iPhone should actually be the iPhone SE 4, barring any delays. This iPhone should arrive next spring, which means we’ll see it in about six months. This will be the first iPhone SE update in three years and will likely be the biggest upgrade to the iPhone SE since its inception.

Newer design, better display

Apple has been sticking with the iPhone 8 since the launch of the iPhone SE 2 in 2020. This design still has a 4.7-inch LCD display, rounded edges, and a home button. However, the next iPhone SE should move away from this…

Instead, we expect a design similar to the iPhone 14, with a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, a slim design, Face ID, and a smaller notch from that era. However, we still expect it to have a single camera and not a dual camera like the iPhone 14.

Another rumor also claims that the next iPhone SE will gain an Action Button, originally introduced on the iPhone 15 Pro and now across the entire iPhone 16 line. This would replace the mute switch and give iPhone SE buyers a new, customizable button.

USB-C

Unlike the iPhone 14 and the current iPhone SE, Apple is expected to move away from the Lightning connector on the iPhone SE 4.

This is mainly due to EU regulations requiring all devices equipped with a charging port to switch to a unified connector, i.e. USB-C.

Apple initially moved to USB-C in its iPhone 15 lineup last year, and the next iPhone SE will be the last iPhone to make the switch. If you’re an iPhone SE buyer, you’ll soon be able to charge your phone with the same cable as your iPad and laptop.

Better cameras

Apple’s next iPhone SE will likely feature the same 48MP rear sensor as the iPhone 15, which is a huge step up from the iPhone SE 3’s 12MP sensor in the iPhone 8.

The iPhone SE 4 will likely use the same 12MP selfie camera as the iPhone 15, which is another huge step up from the 7MP selfie camera of the iPhone SE 3.

Apple Intelligence

According to reports by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the next iPhone SE should support Apple Intelligence, probably with an A18 chip and 8 GB of RAM. It’s a bit surprising, but it seems like Apple wants to put Apple Intelligence in as many hands as possible, even in its cheapest new iPhone.

As a reminder, Apple Intelligence is introducing tons of new features like writing tools, photo cleanup, Genmoji, image playground, notification summaries, and the all-new Siri.

The first Apple modem

The fourth-generation iPhone SE is expected to feature Apple’s first-ever internal modem, which has been in the works for many years. Apple acquired Intel’s old modem business in 2019 with the intention of developing its own modems and moving away from Qualcomm.

We reported exclusively at the beginning of this week at 9 to 5Mac that Apple will release its first internal 5G modem codenamed Centauri in the iPhone SE 4. This modem will also support Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS.

Qualcomm’s 5G modems are some of the most expensive components in the iPhone, so it’s logical that Apple is trying to move away from them. This may be one of the key factors why the iPhone SE 4 has such a low starting price despite being such a modern iPhone.

iPhone SE prices

According to rumors, the next-generation iPhone SE will be more expensive, potentially $499. However, this is still quite a decent price, considering the fact that it is a very modern iPhone for less than $500.

Apple is also currently selling the iPhone 14 for $599, so the fact that we would get an upgraded version of that phone for even less would be quite a steal. Apple will most likely discontinue the iPhone 14 once the next iPhone SE is released, which means the iPhone lineup will potentially look like this:

• iPhone SE: $499
• iPhone 15: $699
• iPhone 15 Plus: $799
• iPhone 16: $799
• iPhone 16 Plus: $899
• iPhone 16 Pro: $999
• iPhone 16 Pro Max: $1,199

This would be a fairly unified iPhone line, with all iPhones having USB-C. It would definitely be a little weird if the cheaper iPhone SE had Apple Intelligence support while the more expensive iPhone 15 didn’t, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple discontinued this phone as well.

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Are you looking forward to the next generation of iPhone SE? Let us know in the comments.

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