If the new iPhone SE 4 gets this rumored price hike, I'll struggle to recommend it

After months of rumors, it seems that the fourth-generation iPhone SE could be right around the corner. As we recently reported, Bloomberg’s resident Apple guru Mark Gurman has predicted that the launch of Apple’s next mid-range handset is imminent, with an announcement possible by the end of next week (February 21).

However, there is one rumor that’s caught my attention for unfortunate reasons: we previously heard that the iPhone SE 4 might cost anywhere from its current $429 to as much as $499 – roughly between £429 and £499 in the UK, and between AU$719 and AU$799 in Australia. Now, though, Gurman has suggested that Apple will target the upper end of this range.

In short, we could be getting a $500 / £500 / AU$800 iPhone SE, a substantial price hike for Apple’s cheapest handset

I’ve been getting more and more excited for a refreshed iPhone SE as speculation has grown. We’re currently fairly sure that the next mid-range Apple handset will feature the A18 chipset, 8GB of RAM, support for Apple Intelligence, a single 48MP camera, and inherit design features from the iPhone 14 including a notched display.

With specs like these, it’s sure to be a substantial upgrade over the current-gen iPhone SE, which launched in 2022 with the iPhone 13’s internals and the design, screen, and camera of the iPhone 8 – in fact, the iPhone SE 4 could prove to be one of the most substantial generational updates Apple has ever released.

So, while I do want to see the new iPhone SE succeed, we need to talk about this rumored pricing.

Simply put, I don’t think this rumored higher price matches the iPhone SE whether in terms of concept or components. Apple has always positioned the iPhone SE as an accessible way to get into the iOS ecosystem, but at $500 / £500 / AU$800, I think it’s reasonable to expect something closer to a budget-ized flagship than a straight-up budget phone.

For comparison, let’s look at the Google Pixel 8a, which launched at a price of $499 / £499 / AU$849. For that much, users get the Google Tensor G3 – at the time a flagship processor – 8GB of RAM, and a 6.1-inch display. So far, pretty similar to the proposed iPhone SE 4.

However, the Google Pixel 8a also gets a 120Hz display with a punch-hole selfie camera, a secondary ultra-wide camera, and without a doubt a larger battery than Apple would ever fit into a phone the size of the iPhone 14. The Google Pixel 8a’s display also doesn’t have a notch because, you know, it’s 2025.

How can the iPhone SE be worth the money?

It’s always been the Apple way to charge a little more than the competition while holding onto older components – that might seem flatly negative to begin with, but the smoothness of iOS, lack of bloatware and advertising within the operating system, and entry into the cohesive Apple ecosystem are generally seen as the positives that balance this out.

It’s just that an iPhone SE 4 that matches the rumors would be so outdated in its display and design that I can’t see the justification. Frankly, the current third-gen iPhone SE, with it’s 4.7-inch display and home button, is kind of a ludicrous proposition at $429 / £429 / AU$719, shielded from criticism by nostalgia for its now-classic aesthetic.

There are further rumors that the next iPhone SE might be entirely rebranded as the iPhone 16E, reflecting its similar internal specs to this year's flagship. If you ask me, though, if Apple wants to make a proper sub-flagship phone in the vein of the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE ($649 / £649 / AU$1,099) and OnePlus 13R ($599 / £679), then it should bite the bullet, add another $100 / £100 / AU$200 or so to the price tag, and bring the iPhone 16E close enough to the baseline iPhone 16 to be worthwhile.

Alternatively, Apple could reasonably keep the price the same and keep the iPhone 16E as a less advanced option. As it stands, the rumors suggest a split difference.

I’d like to see the new iPhone SE keep its place on our list of the best cheap phones, so I’m hoping for a reasonable price. What do you reckon? Let us know what you think the next iPhone SE should look like, and how much it should cost, in the comments below.

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