Apple iPhone SE 4 rumors: Everything we know so far

Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority

The last iPhone SE model dropped in 2022, but we’re expecting Apple to announce a new model at some point. Unfortunately, all current rumors point to a 2025 launch, as it seems Apple is waiting a bit longer in between releases for its budget phone. The good news is the iPhone SE 4 should be a much bigger upgrade, as it’s suggested it will even adopt a new, more modern design.

Let’s jump right in and talk about what we know from the rumors!

In saying so, the last two iPhone SE models were popular thanks to their sub-flagship price tags. So it seems like a foregone conclusion that Apple is working on a new model. When would it be released? That’s a tougher question.

What is the most likely iPhone SE 4 release date?

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Unfortunately, that doesn’t appear to be the case. We have already passed the Spring window in which we would have likely seen a new budget iPhone. Apple also launched the iPhone 16 series in September, and the SE model was nowhere to be seen. So the soonest we’re likely to see the iPhone SE 4 is Spring of 2025.

In that vein, a rumor from July 2024 strongly suggests we could see the iPhone SE 4 between March and May in 2025. This would make a lot of sense, as that’s where Apple likes to debut these phones, as you can see from the list above.

Bloomberg also reported in October that the new iPhone model is scheduled for launch in early 2025 alongside new iPad models.

For now, our money is on a March or April 2025 launch date.

We’ve seen an increase in iPhone SE 4 leaks in recent weeks and months, so here’s what we’ve gathered and what we think it’ll have.

Design

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The iPhone SE 2020 and 2022 both offered dated designs that were broadly in line with 2017’s iPhone 8 series. Will the company keep this design for the third time? Thankfully, all signs point to no.

Apple-watching analyst Ming Chi-Kuo previously claimed in February 2023 that the iPhone SE (4th generation) would have a 6.1-inch screen and would be a “minor modification” of the iPhone 14. This suggested a larger, more modern design was in store. The display size claim was echoed by The Elec in March 2023.

Of course, the analyst’s comments came before he suggested that the new iPhone SE wasn’t in the works for 2024. But it seems like a possibility that any screen size boost would be accompanied by a tweaked design of some kind — hopefully reducing the size of those bezels in particular.

While there weren’t many iPhone SE 4 leaks around design after that, March of 2024 brought us the first leaked renders, courtesy of 91Mobiles, as mirrored above. The renders indicate an iPhone 14-esque front, with a back that has a single rear camera. We can see the array of Face ID sensors in these, and also a USB-C port. Per these renders, the iPhone SE 4 is expected to have a 6.1-inch display, up from the iPhone SE 3’s 4.7-inch display. There’s a good chance that Apple is reusing the same shell for the iPhone SE 4 as the iPhone 14, as the device dimensions are said to be an identical 147.7 x 71.5 x 7.7mm.

If that’s not enough to convince you a major redesign may be in the SE’s future, a leak in April from GSM Arena claims to have metallic case production dummies that back the above designs. A leaked specs table from July 2024 also corroborates these designs, so we’re feeling pretty confident about them.

The iPhone 14-inspired design was corroborated by Bloomberg too, which claimed it would ditch the home button and offer a display notch and thinner bezels.

When the news of the OLED screen first broke, it was reported that there was a bidding war between Samsung, BOE, and Tianma to be Apple’s supplier. The Elec later reported BOE will be the primary supplier and LG Display has won the rights to be the secondary supplier.

Ming Chi-Kuo also claimed in February that the new device would pack an Apple-designed modem instead of a Qualcomm component. He asserted that this modem would only support sub-6GHz 5G for now instead of the faster but more temperamental mmWave standard. However, a July 2024 leak stated that Apple is still working on whether to drop Qualcomm for the iPhone SE 4.

9to5Mac made several claims in October 2024, and one of these assertions was that the new iPhone SE would have an in-house 5G modem after all. It also claimed that the phone would have a 48MP main camera (no ultrawide here) and a 12MP selfie shooter.

For context, Apple has been working on an in-house cellular modem for ages now, but this has proven to be a tough, protracted challenge. So we’re not sure if we’ll actually see it on the iPhone SE 4. It’s also worth noting that Qualcomm recently signed a new deal with Apple to offer Qualcomm modems inside iPhones in 2024, 2025, and 2026, so what’s really going on is anyone’s guess.

We're expecting a bigger, OLED screen and a flagship-level chipset from the iPhone SE 4, but there isn't much else to know just yet.

Twitter tipster Unknownz21 claimed the iPhone SE (4th generation) would get USB-C, Face ID, and a single rear camera. This would be the first time we see face unlock on an iPhone SE model.

MacRumors issued its own slew of apparent iPhone SE 4 details. It corroborated claims of an OLED panel, USB-C, and Face ID. It also asserted that the new iPhone would offer a 48MP single rear camera. The outlet confirmed that Apple was testing variants of the iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone SE 4 with custom modems. But the iPhone 15 Pro Max shipped with a Qualcomm modem, so these variants are presumably for internal testing only.

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The choice of chipset isn’t known just yet, but all three iPhone SE models used the same processor as the latest mainline iPhones at the time. That means the original model used the A9 chip inside the iPhone 6S series, while the second-generation iPhone SE used the A13 chip inside the iPhone 11 range. Finally, the iPhone SE 2022 used the A15 processor which debuted in the iPhone 13 series.

That means the iPhone SE 4 will use whatever chipset the latest, commercially available mainline iPhones are using, right? Not so fast. Apple has made the decision to effectively split the mainline iPhone series in half, with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus stuck with 2022’s A16 Bionic chip while the iPhone 15 Pro models got the 2023 A17 Pro processor. So we think there’s a possibility that the iPhone SE model could be lumped with an older (but still beefy) chipset as well.

Nevertheless, 9to5Mac‘s October report points to the iPhone SE 4 packing an Apple A18 chip. That’s encouraging news for features like Apple Intelligence.

Other specs aren’t forthcoming from trusted sources just yet, but we’d imagine that a display size bump could also be accompanied by a battery capacity increase.

What might the iPhone SE 4 price be?

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Plenty of Android phone makers upped their prices in the last year or so due to inflation and other factors. Apple did bring a price increase for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, too, so it seems likely that the iPhone SE (4th generation) could receive a price bump.

Adding credence to this idea, a July 2024 leak suggested Apple could go anywhere from $499 to $549 for this new phone. However, we think Apple would want to do whatever it can to keep the iPhone SE 4 under the $500 mark to keep it appealing for shoppers who think the $799 entry point for the mainline iPhones is too much.

This will likely be the last bit of information we find out, so we have quite a ways to go before we’ll know for sure.

Should you wait for the iPhone SE 4?

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The fact that there is no solid word on an iPhone SE 4 release means you could be waiting for a very long time for the new model to break cover. So we wouldn’t advise you to wait for this phone.

There are a few budget-conscious options if you’re an Apple fan, such as the iPhone 14 ($604 at Amazon) or the iPhone SE 2022 ($429 at Amazon). These phones still provide a high-performance experience with a couple of premium bells and whistles. And of course, you’re buying into the Apple ecosystem of services.

Otherwise, there are plenty of great options in the Android space, such as the Google Pixel 8a ($499 at Amazon) and the Samsung Galaxy A55 5G ($387 at Amazon). Both phones bring respectable update pledges and water resistance. But the Pixel 8a also brings flagship-level cameras, the very capable Tensor G3 chip, and wireless charging.