The iPhone SE 4 has been tipped to get the same battery as the iPhone 14, which could give the next-generation affordable iPhone a decent boost in electrical endurance.
This titbit of information comes from a claimed anonymous source talking to MacRumors, and this appears to corroborate other rumors that the SE 4 will reuse the iPhone 14’s battery. It would also then suggest that the next iPhone SE will drop the dated design of the iPhone SE 3 and sport a size and look that’s similar to the iPhone 14; think flat sides, a 6.1-inch display and potential Face ID – we don't expect to see the Dynamic Island make it across, however.
While Apple doesn't officially state how large its iPhone batteries are, the iPhone 14 is believed to hold a 3,279mAh cell, which, if it makes it into the next SE, would be a big boost over the 2,010mAh battery in the iPhone SE 3.
In our lab testing, we managed to get 9 hours and 5 minutes of battery life out of the iPhone SE 3, whereas the iPhone 14 lasted for 9 hours and 28 minutes – though the latter is a more powerful phone with a larger display. So, we could expect the iPhone SE 4 to build out on that, potentially delivering some of the best iPhone battery life yet.
When can we expect the iPhone SE 4?
With this new information, it feels like a bit more life has been breathed into the iPhone SE 4 rumor mill, which has been slow of late.
The original iPhone SE has been rendered obsolete by Apple and now sits as a vintage iPhone, while the last iPhone SE came out in 2022, but lacked much in the way of compelling features. So, the iPhone SE is definitely a ripe candidate for a refresh.
Going by the rumors so far, we could see that refresh next year or in 2025; the jury is still out on a firmer release date. Given the potential repurposing of the iPhone 14’s battery, though, I’d be more inclined to predict a 2024 release date, maybe even as soon as the first half of the year. In the meantime, if you want an affordable phone, check out our list of the best cheap phones you can buy today.
