The iPhone SE 4 could resemble the iPhone 14 (pictured) (Image: Apple)
Apple’s iPhone first launched in 2007 and remains one the most popular smartphone choices in 2024, but prices have increased over the years to mean not everyone can afford the latest model. The iPhone 15 costs £799, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max can cost up to £1,599.
That’s why Apple also sells the iPhone SE. The latest third-generation version costs just £429 and offers decent modern specs in a design that recalls older iPhones – it still has a Home Button!
As we edge closer to the expected September launch of the iPhone 16 series, rumours are also swirling about a new iPhone SE model that should bring most of the things you want from an iPhone, such as iMessage, FaceTime, the App Store and a solid main camera, but with some of the other stuff you don’t need to keep that price more palatable.
We’ve been keeping an eye out for the latest and most trustworthy rumours surrounding a possible new iPhone SE. Here’s everything you need to know about Apple’s next affordable iPhone.
When is the new iPhone SE coming out?
The latest iPhone SE came out in March 2022 to replace the previous 2020 model. The first ever iPhone SE launched back in 2016.
It doesn’t look as though Apple will launch a new iPhone SE alongside the iPhone 16 series in September – in fact, the company has never done this. Instead it tends to release the iPhone SE about six months after a flagship iPhone:
- iPhone 6s – September 2015
- iPhone SE first-generation – March 2016
- Six month gap
- iPhone 11 – September 2019
- iPhone SE second-generation – April 2020
- Seven month gap
- iPhone 13 – September 2021
- iPhone SE third-generation – March 2022
- Six month gap
The seven month gap to the second-gen iPhone SE can probably be blamed on the start of the covid-19 pandemic, so it’s very likely that Apple will stick to a six-month gap and launch the new fourth-generation iPhone SE in March 2025.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has an excellent track record for accurate Apple information, and he has reported the iPhone SE 4 will come out in “early 2025”.
Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said back in 2022 that he thought Apple was planning to release the iPhone SE 4 in 2024 but pushed the date back. Online whispers are now firmly pointed to the first half of 2025, with leaker Ice Universe claiming it’ll be sometime from March to May.
The current iPhone SE, released in 2022, has the same design of the iPhone 8 (Image: Apple)
How much will the new iPhone SE 4 cost?
There are no solid price rumours or leaks for a new iPhone SE 4, only speculation – which is where we must turn to make an educated guess.
Here is the launch day pricing of all three generations of the iPhone SE:
iPhone SE 2016
iPhone SE 2020
- 64GB: £419
- 128GB: £469
- 256GB: £569
iPhone SE 2022
- 64GB: £419
- 128GB: £469
- 256GB: £569
Although we hope the iPhone SE 2025 will cost £419, we think it is unlikely given inflation, the specs boosts we expect, and the hope that the base model will finally have more than 64GB storage.
Our guess is the iPhone SE 4 will cost £499 in the UK. This would certainly be an attractive price if the iPhone 16 costs, as rumoured, £799.
What will the new iPhone SE 4 look like?
It looks like the iPhone SE 4 will have big design changes, and will possibly be the first iPhone SE that doesn’t use the exact same design as a previous iPhone model.
The first iPhone SE was essentially the specs of an iPhone 6s in the body of the 5s, the second SE was an iPhone 11 in the body of an iPhone 8, and then the third SE was the iPhone 13 in the body of the iPhone 8 again.
The fourth iPhone SE is rumoured to ditch the ageing iPhone 8 design and instead largely resemble an iPhone 14, according to Bloomberg’s Gurman. He also said the SE will get an OLED display for the first time.
It means the iPhone SE 4 will probably have a notch design like the iPhone 14, leaving the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro with the newer Dynamic Island cut-out design at the top of the screen. But where you might expect the SE to have the specs of the iPhone 16 with the body of an iPhone 14, you might be disappointed.
91mobiles posted the below to X in March showing alleged renders of the iPhone SE 4’s design. It shows an iPhone with a notch but a single camera instead of the two found on the iPhone 14:
It’s also thought the new iPhone SE could have a 6.1-inch screen, with Koran tech site The Elec reporting these will be parts Apple still has from the production of the iPhone 13 or iPhone 14 (via Macrumors).
What is new on the iPhone SE 4?
Aside from the new design, the iPhone SE 4 may have the latest chipset that we expect to be found in the iPhone 16. If it does, then that could mean the cheaper iPhone is compatible with Apple Intelligence, Apple’s AI features that are debuting with the upcoming launch if iOS 18.
Surprisingly, Apple Intelligence will only run on the iPhone 16 series and the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max – not even the regular iPhone 15 will get it.
If Apple decides it’s sensible for the iPhone SE 4 to support Apple Intelligence, we think it might use the A17 Pro chip from the 15 Pro. This would make the SE a phenomenally powerful phone and a great deal if the price stays below £500.
Currently there are no solid rumours on this, though Bloomberg’s Gurman has said “you can also bet that it will have Apple Intelligence”.
The next iPhone SE could look like this, the iPhone 14 range (Image: Apple)
Another likely change will be the switch to USB-C on the iPhone SE 4, marking the death of the Lightning port on iPhones. Though Apple moved to USB-C for the iPhone 15, the firm still sells the iPhone 14, 13 and third-gen SE with a Lightning connector. If the iPhone SE 4 goes on sale in 2025, we predict Apple will stop selling iPhones older than the 15 so it has a full range with just USB-C.
The move to the notch design for the iPhone SE 4 means it will also be the first SE with Face ID, marking another end for Apple – no more Home Button. The iPhone SE 2022 is the only device Apple still sells at the time of writing.
Macrumors reported the iPhone SE 4 will have the same size battery as the iPhone 14, further fuelling the idea the phones will share the same design, though it’s thought there will be one 48MP camera on the back, and no ultra-wide lens.
We reckon that the 48MP sensor will be the same one found on the iPhone 15, as the iPhone 14 only packed in a 12MP main camera. If it’s the same sensor as on the iPhone 15 then the SE would be able to effectively have a 2x zoom despite no optical zoom lens, which the iPhone 15 had thanks to high quality cropping.
We’ll update this article as more iPhone SE 4 rumours break cover. If you want to learn more about the upcoming iPhone 16 you can read our full rumour roundup here.
