Apple iPhone SE (4th gen) rumors: the next cheap iPhone is imminent

The iPhone 16 might be the cream of Apple’s smartphone crop, but there’s plenty to be excited about in mid-range phones right now.

A smaller screen and more attainable price as long made the iPhone SE a fan favourite, and the long-rumoured fourth generation is very close to an official reveal by all accounts.

Various rumours point to the iPhone SE (4th gen) landing over coming weeks, with an all-new look inspired by the now-retired iPhone 14. But what can we expect in terms of hardware, and will the design upgrades also mean the price has gone up compared to the 3rd-gen SE?

We’re three years on from the 2022 reveal of the iPhone SE (3rd generation) and the replacement is set to be the first budget iPhone without the home button. Yes, Face ID will be on board.

We’ve gathered together all the latest iPhone SE (4th gen) leaks and rumours. Here’s everything we know so far.

iPhone SE (4th gen) rumored design

The design for the iPhone SE (4th gen) has been somewhat of a hot topic over at the rumour mill. It was certainly set to change after the iPhone 8-type styling of the third-gen model. Initially, FrontPageTech’s Jon Prosser showed off a design similar to that of the iPhone XR, based on leaked information. But this was back in October 2022 and things have certainly changed since then.

More recently than that, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that the fourth-generation SE would take after the iPhone 14 series instead. Kuo explained that Apple is planning to use a 6.1-inch OLED panel on the device, just like the iPhone 14. He went as far as to say the new iPhone SE will be a “minor modification” to the iPhone 14 which would make sense.

Since the new budget iPhone is using the newer display, it’ll need a redesigned body to fit it. The curved edges of the third-generation SE‘s body or the XR won’t house the newer and larger displays. So, it looks like Apple will need to switch to the flat-edge design of more recent iPhones.

We’ve heard that this is even more likely to be the case from leaker Unknownz21. The Twitter user mentioned that the iPhone SE (4th gen) will opt for a design based on the iPhone 14, alongside a list of expected features.

Since then, MacRumors has shared that an anonymous source revealed the SE 4 would use a slightly modified version of the iPhone 14 chassis. The back, however, will look more like the iPhone XR thanks to a singular camera.

Early in 2024, 91Mobiles leaked CAD images that reportedly show the device’s design. As expected, it’s a handset with the same dimensions as the iPhone 14.

As for the back of the device, expect a single camera and flash, as I mentioned above. It’s just like the current SE 3, but there are different designs in testing. In 91Mobiles’ leaked CAD designs, we saw the single camera on the back. However, the camera sensor may get a bump to 48MP, just like the recent iPhone 15 series.

MacRumors’ source also expects an OLED panel for the display, like other sources. This would make sense given that more and more devices are moving to OLED.

Twitter tipster Majin Bu also shared images of what are allegedly cases for the upcoming iPhone SE 4. These images show a device that looks just like the iPhone 14, as expected.

Although, interestingly, relatively unknown Twitter tipster Nguyen Phi Hung shared that the new handset will be more like the iPhone 13 in terms of dimensions. The 13 and 14 are very similar size-wise, and both pack the notch rather the Dynamic Island. So if this slightly different report turns out to be correct, it won’t change much. This report still says the device will have a 6.1-inch screen with a standard 60Hz refresh rate.

iPhone SE (4th gen) expected specs and features

Since the iPhone SE (4th gen) is borrowing the iPhone 14’s design, we can expect the notch to make its way across (though possibly not Dynamic Island) and so Face ID will appear as well. Touch ID fingerprint readers have not disappeared from the iPad lineup – both the iPad (10th generation) and iPad Air still have them. So it’s possible Touch ID could stick around. We think it very unlikely though.

Indeed, in Unknownz21’s list of expected features, the leaker mentions that Face ID will make its way to the new SE. MacRumors also reports a switch to Face ID from a Touch ID button. A more recent leaked spec list also suggests this is the case.

All previous iPhone SE models have only shipped with one rear camera – a noticeable distinction from the two or more on every other iPhone model. It would make sense for Apple to keep the current trend, and Unknownz21 seems to agree in the leaker’s report. Nguyen Phi Hung’s tweet mentions AI photography features, but no further information. He also believes the device will be capable of 1080p Cinematic Mode, but not Night Mode.

Unknownz21 also mentions some other features in the leak. The new iPhone SE (4th gen) will reportedly receive the Action Button that first appeared on the iPhone 15. On top of this, the new budget iPhone will definitely get a USB-C port – a no-brainer considering the EU’s USB-C legislation that came into force in 2024.

Aside from leaks, there are a few other features we expect on the new SE. The iPhone SE (4th gen) will likely get the A18 chipset from the current series of iPhones, so it’s able to use Apple Intelligence. It’s nice to see such a new chipset inside, considering the rumoured price of this handset.

We might also see the new handset bump its base storage to 128GB. While the current SE starts at 64GB, the iPhone 13 series switched the starting storage to 128GB. Apple might follow suit with its cheapest smartphone. Nguyen Phi Hung reports that the new SE device might jump to 6GB of RAM instead of 4GB, again to improve Apple Intelligence performance.

And in terms of the all-important battery life? There could be good news. According to AppleInsider sources, prototypes of the new iPhone SE are being developed with some internals from the iPhone 14, which include a 3279mAh battery. That doesn’t seem like much compared to premium flagships with 5-6000mAh batteries, but it’s still a substantial 60% increase in capacity compared to the previous iPhone SE generation.

If you’re interested in the full list of rumoured specs, Twitter tipster Jukanlosreve released a full list. This looks like more recent information, but largely agrees with the above.

iPhone SE (4th gen) rumored price

Each iPhone SE release has brought an increased price with it. The first generation launched at $399/£379, the second gen at $399/£419, and the third at $429/£449. As component prices increase and the device receives newer features, the higher manufacturing costs get passed on to customers. Given the new features expected on the fourth generation device, we wouldn’t be surprised to see another price jump.

The good news is that the iPhone SE is firmly positioned as Apple’s budget device. As such, we wouldn’t expect the device to cross over £500. For the iPhone SE (4th gen), a launch price of $449/£479 seems most likely given Apple’s recent pricing strategy.

When is the expected iPhone SE (4th gen) release date?

While the flagship iPhone series follows a typical annual launch schedule in September, the same can’t be said for the budget iPhone. So far, Apple has stuck to releasing the iPhone SE in March, but the frequency of launches has been unpredictable. The first generation arrived in 2016, the second in 2020, and the third in 2022.

Analysts had pegged 2025 as the release date for the new smartphone quite some time ago. Ming-Chi Kuo referenced 2025 for the device and 5G antenna.

As such, it looks like later this month or March is the most likely release for the iPhone SE (4th gen), just as Apple has done before.