For several years now, Apple has positioned the iPhone SE as a cut-price way into the iPhone ecosystem. Yet ever since the iPhone X’s all-screen era, the iPhone SE has been something of a throwback, with its chunky bezels and Home button keeping it lodged in yesteryear. Despite all that, though, Apple’s most affordable iPhone could be about to leap into the modern age – something that could happen as soon as early next year.
That’s according to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, at least, who has just claimed that Apple is getting ready to launch the iPhone SE 4 in early 2025. The idea, Gurman says, is to add more modern features and designs in an attempt to woo budget-minded buyers.
Those features will apparently include an edge-to-edge display that drops the Home button and thick top and bottom bezels. That will pave the way for Face ID to come to the iPhone SE, drastically improving its security over the Home button’s Touch ID. The overall design, Gurman says, will resemble that of the iPhone 14, “including the notch cutout at the top.”
As well as that, the new iPhone SE will support Apple Intelligence, Apple’s brand-new artificial intelligence (AI) suite. And although Gurman didn’t specify it in his latest report, the inclusion of Apple Intelligence means that the iPhone SE will need a new, powerful chip in order to run the AI system. This would have to be at least an Apple A17 Pro but could potentially be an A18 to match the chip found in the iPhone 16.
A powerful new device
Gurman has a strong track record when it comes to Apple leaks, and he’s far from the only voice saying a new iPhone SE is on the way. Indeed, rumors have been swirling for years that the device is due for a major upgrade.
For example, display expert Ross Young has claimed that the iPhone SE’s display will be 5.7 to 6.1 inches across, putting it in line with anything from the iPhone X to the iPhone 11 and up. The thing that all those phones have in common? An all-screen display with no Home button, further reinforcing Gurman’s claims.
Other leaks have suggested the iPhone SE will have an Action button and USB-C port, as well as an OLED display and a single 48MP camera. If all these rumors are correct, the lone camera would be one of the few things to make the iPhone SE a clear step below models like the iPhone 16. There’s also no mention from Gurman of the new Camera Control, which if absent could further demarcate the iPhone SE from the rest of Apple’s modern mobile range.
But with an all-screen display, Apple Intelligence, a powerful chip and much more, the upcoming iPhone SE could be a very attractive option to prospective iPhone buyers – and it might even make the iPhone 16 sweat in comparison.
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