If the iPhone SE 4 has this feature, I won’t be able to recommend the iPhone 16 anymore

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Mr.Mikla)

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has reported that the iPhone SE 4 could come with support for Apple Intelligence
Due to the hardware requirements of Apple's AI toolkit, we could end up with an iPhone SE that feels like a flagship
The current-gen iPhone SE is reportedly running out of stock, suggesting an imminent refresh

Apple could soon make Apple Intelligence much more accessible by equipping the rumored iPhone SE 4 with the company’s full set of AI features.

A report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggests that the supposedly upcoming fourth-generation iPhone SE will indeed support Apple’s AI toolkit, and as such come with at least 8GB of RAM and an A17 Pro or A18 chipset (all current Apple Intelligence-enabled devices come with some combination of these specs, or better).

Gurman is a leading commentator on all things Apple and we have referred to his reports and predictions several times in the past, so there’s certainly some weight in this latest rumor.

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If the refreshed iPhone SE launches with 8GB of RAM and the A18 under the hood, it’ll match the flagship iPhone 16 for internal power. We’ll likely see differences in battery capacity, and potentially cooling and heat dissipation, but otherwise, the internal hardware of each device could be remarkably similar.

And with Apple Intelligence enabled, the software experience between the two phones could be close to identical, too. We don’t expect the new iPhone SE to feature the Dynamic Island, but otherwise, iOS is likely to feel near-identical on either handset.

The current-generation iPhone SE 3 retails for $429 / £429 / AU$719. We’ve heard rumors of a possible price hike for the iPhone SE 4, but we’re still expecting it to come in below the $500 mark, which would still be substantially cheaper than the iPhone 16, which costs $799 / £799 / AU$1,399.

For some, this value proposition would be hard to ignore. The iPhone SE 4 is expected to launch with a single-camera system, and we’d be surprised to see the Camera Control button make an appearance. But it stands to reason that, for some users, missing out on these features will be worth a couple of hundred dollars in savings.

Personally, if the iPhone SE 4 is as close to the iPhone 16 as these rumors suggest, I think I’ll have trouble recommending the latter – especially considering Apple’s latest flagship is still holding on to an outdated 60Hz display and barely-useful ultra-wide camera.

Android Authority notes that iPhone SE 3 stocks are running low with no sign of replenishment, so it may not be long before we see the rumored fourth-generation model take its place. If you can’t wait until then, feel free to check out our list of the best iPhones.

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Jamie is a Mobile Computing Staff Writer for TechRadar, responsible for covering phones and tablets. He’s been tech-obsessed from a young age and has written for various news and culture publications. Jamie graduated from Goldsmiths, University of London in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism. Since starting out as a music blogger in 2020, he’s worked on local news stories, finance trade magazines, and multimedia political features. He brings a love for digital journalism and consumer technology to TechRadar. Outside of the TechRadar office, Jamie can be found binge-watching tech reviews, DJing in local venues around London, or challenging friends to a game of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.