Apple better not forget that the iPhone SE 4 is a 'Special Edition' or I’ll be very disappointed

An iPhone SE 2022 in red, resting on foliage

The iPhone SE (2020) (Image credit: Future)

I'm really gonna miss the iPhone SE. Oh, I know it's not going anywhere, but that iconic design with its last vestige of a home button is sure to disappear, and be replaced by something elegant and also very similar to all other current iPhone 16 models. That technical and aesthetic shift could sap the iPhone SE of what made it special (or Special Edition), and that would be a crying shame.

When, if the rumors are true, Apple unveils the iPhone SE 4 tomorrow (February 19), the Cupertino tech giant will have its work cut out for it. No one expects the 4.7-inch screen, single rear camera, and arguably very iPhone 8 design to survive. But unveiling a $500 iPhone SE that looks almost exactly like an iPhone 16 mini but with no defining characteristics would be a mistake, and it's one I truly hope Apple doesn't make.

There are signs that things could go a different way. Chief among them is Apple CEO Tim Cook's teaser post, which included a GIF that appeared to show the reflection of… something. Some believe they can clearly see the reflection of the next SE in that Apple logo. I, however, see something different.

Mini SE

I suppose there is a chance that the iPhone SE will instead take up the mini mantle and be a reskinned iPhone 13 mini. Back in 2022, the iPhone 13 mini was a little powerhouse with a dual-camera system and the A15 Bionic driving almost all the same photographic experiences you could get on the full-size iPhone 13. At 5.4 inches, the iPhone 13 mini screen is still larger than the iPhone SE's 4.7-inch display.

If Apple goes that route, it would just have to update the screen to accommodate the Dynamic Island (or notch). I don't know if Apple would go fully Super Retina on what is supposed to be a $500 phone. The iPhone 13 mini, by the way, cost $699 / £679 / AU$1,199.

Apple's iPhone mini line never sold well, but this was likely due to that price. The cheaper iPhone SE 4 could fare better. Still, none of the changes I've described put this phone in the 'special' realm.

To be fair, I really don't know what could make the iPhone SE 4 'special'. It's unlikely that Apple would introduce some out-of-band innovation that none of the iPhone 16 models have. That's not Apple's way. The SE line is a trickle-down model; it gets what the other phones have in due course, and tech innovation does not flow upstream.

Still, I'm excited about this mid-year iPhone unveil. Apple doesn't do it very often, and it could be a great opportunity for it to surprise us, and make the iPhone SE 4 as truly special as I want it to be.

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A 38-year industry veteran and award-winning journalist, Lance has covered technology since PCs were the size of suitcases and “on line” meant “waiting.” He’s a former Lifewire Editor-in-Chief, Mashable Editor-in-Chief, and, before that, Editor in Chief of PCMag.com and Senior Vice President of Content for Ziff Davis, Inc. He also wrote a popular, weekly tech column for Medium called The Upgrade.

Lance Ulanoff makes frequent appearances on national, international, and local news programs including Live with Kelly and Mark, the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNBC, CNN, and the BBC.