iPhone SE 4: Everything you need to know about Apple’s next budget phone

Macworld

Apple updated its entry-level iPhone in March 2022, adding a few nips and tucks here and there along with a quiet price increase. It kept the “iPhone 8” design with its Home button and small form factor that appeals to some, but the aging design and minimal upgrades meant the new iPhone SE was coolly received by the masses.

The iPhone SE is in desperate need of a big upgrade, and it looks like it will get one in the spring of 2025.

iPhone SE 4 release date: When will the iPhone SE 4 be released?

Spring 2025 (estimated)

Apple’s iPhone SE doesn’t follow the same predictable annual release schedule as the standard iPhone line, and the intervals between updates can be harder to predict, but they seem to always be released in the spring, in March or April. Here’s when the three models released so far made their debut:

iPhone SE (3rd gen): March 2022

iPhone SE (2nd gen): April 2020

iPhone SE (1st gen): March 2016




Apple’s current budget phone, the iPhone SE (2022)Dominik Tomaszewski

iPhone 4 SE price: How much will the iPhone SE 4 cost?

Pricing has steadily increased across the three existing generations, no doubt influenced by the global cost of components and distribution. While the iPhone SE (3rd generation) was released around the same price as the model it replaced, Apple added a chunk onto the cost, making the current model somewhat less desirable than previous iterations, especially when you factor in the measly amount of storage that comes with the baseline model.

At launch the prices were even higher in the U.K. but, in September 2023, after adjusting for inflation, Apple dropped the price back to match the U.S. price. Apple did the same thing for prices in Euros in September 2024.

Here’s how they line up:

iPhone SE (3rd gen, 2022):

64GB: $429/£429 (was £449 at launch)

128GB: $479/£479 (was £499 at launch)

256GB: $579/£579 (was £609 at launch)

iPhone SE (2nd gen, 2020): 

64GB: $399/£419

128GB: $449/£469

256GB: $549/£569

iPhone SE (1st gen, 2016): 

32GB: $399/£379

128GB: $499/£449

However, the iPhone SE needs to be inexpensive relative to other iPhones, and we’d be surprised to see the price increase too much with the next generation, even with several rumored upgrades. The latest rumors claim the 4th-gen iPhone SE could start at $499, still far less expensive than any other new iPhone Apple sells.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claims the next model is intended to help Apple compete with low-end Android phones in China, so a low price would be necessary to achieve this plan.

iPhone 4 SE design: What will the next iPhone SE look like?

Will the iPhone SE get a long-overdue design revamp? Rumors suggest that we could see a move away from the iPhone 8 chassis to something more like modern iPhones, with Face ID and a full-screen display.

That could be good or bad news, depending on your viewpoint. Some people prefer the Home button as a means to interact with their iPhone, for some older people and those who are less dexterous it is helpful to have a physical button.

No Home button is likely to mean a notch—and that’s a notch, rather than the Dynamic Island. In terms of overall appearance, the iPhone SE would likely resemble the iPhone 14.

A rumor in July 2024 suggested Apple will change course with the iPhone SE 4 and instead use the same body as the iPhone 16, making it a true budget version of the latest iPhone lineup.

If Apple chooses to use the chassis of the iPhone 16 rather than the iPhone 14 that could allow the best alignment of two camera lenses for talking videos for the Vision Pro. But that would mean that the iPhone SE would have two cameras on the back, rather than just one, as it does currently. It would also make it hard to differentiate between models, pushing some users who might otherwise consider the iPhone 16 to buy the iPhone SE 4 at a lower price.

iPhone SE 4 specs: Will Apple Intelligence be supported?

The iPhones this year are all about Apple Intelligence AI features, which first arrived with iOS 18.1 in the fall and will continue to get new features in iOS 18 updates. One of the biggest new features, a massive expansion of Siri capabilities, is due for release in iOS 18.4 around the same time the iPhone SE 4 would be released.

Processor & RAM: To run Apple Intelligence an iPhone requires an A17 Pro or A18 chip and 8GB of RAM. There is some expectation that the iPhone SE 4 could meet these requirements. It is common for the iPhone SE to have the same processor as the latest non-Pro iPhone but skimp on other features to differentiate itself, so we expect the iPhone SE 4 to have the A18 processor.

Other than the processor and RAM requirements, we may see some other internal changes including the following:

Modem: The iPhone SE 4 might be the first iPhone to feature Apple’s own 5G modems (codenamed Sinope). It will offers sub-6 support but no mmWave, and lower performance than Qualcomm’s best 5G modems but better power efficiency.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth: Apple is also about to switch over to its own Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, codenamed Proxima. The rumors say this chip will actually appear first in a refreshed HomePod mini and Apple TV, but there’s a chance it could be used in the iPhone SE 4.

Storage: With the iPhone 13 range moving to a baseline of 128GB (and the 14-series handsets following suit), it’s hoped that the new iPhone SE might do likewise, as 64GB isn’t enough for most users anymore, especially since system files take up more than 10GB (and you can add a multi-gigabyte Apple Intelligence model to that).

There are no good rumors one way or the other about the minimum storage for the iPhone SE 4, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it was 64GB.

USB-C: We expect the iPhone SE 4 to feature a USB-C port for charging, as all new iPhones do, and IP68 water resistance. The current SE is one of the last remaining Apple devices to still have a Lightning port.

Camera(s): One of the defining features of the iPhone SE is a single camera on the back. This is probably not going to change, although if the new iPhone SE does adopt the chassis of an iPhone 14 or 16 it is possible. The latest rumors suggest a single 48 megapixel camera, which would at least give the iPhone SE 4 a good 2x “optical zoom” mode using the center 12MP of the sensor, as the iPhone 16 does.

Action Button: An alleged leak of an iPhone SE 4 case shows a cutout for the mute switch rather than an Action Button, and of course there will be no Camera Control button—if the iPhone SE 4 had these features there would be little reason for anyone to buy an iPhone 16!

iPhone SE 4: Will the new iPhone SE use Touch ID or Face ID?

The most recent rumors say the new iPhone SE will have Face ID with a notch (not dynamic island), similar to an iPhone 13 or iPhone 14. That means Touch ID, which has been a staple of the SE line since its debut, will go away.

iPhone history

The iPhone 16 range and the iPhone SE 3 are the current-generation models available from Apple. In addition to this SE 4 model we’re also expecting iPhone 17 to launch in 2025. Below you can find links below to our reviews of all iPhone models, including the latest generation. Learn more about all the new Apple products coming this year and when is the next Apple event. You might also want to check out our advice on when is the best time to buy a new iPhone, our iPhone buying guide, and our comparison of every iPhone that is available to buy today.

Original iPhone (2007) review

iPhone 3G (2008) review

iPhone 3GS (2009) review

iPhone 4 (2010) review

iPhone 4s (2011) review

iPhone 5 (2012) review

iPhone 5c (2013) review

iPhone 5s (2013) review

iPhone 6 (2014) review

iPhone 6 Plus (2014) review

iPhone 6s (2015) review

iPhone 6s Plus (2015) review

iPhone SE (1st generation; 2016) review

iPhone 7 (2016) review

iPhone 7 Plus (2016) review

iPhone 8 (2017) review

iPhone 8 Plus (2017) review

iPhone X (2017) review

iPhone XR (2018) review

iPhone XS (2018) review

iPhone XS Max (2018) review

iPhone 11 (2019) review

iPhone 11 Pro (2019) review

iPhone 11 Pro Max (2019) review

iPhone SE (2nd generation; 2020) review

iPhone 12 (2020) review

iPhone 12 Mini (2020) review

iPhone 12 Pro (2020) review

iPhone 12 Pro Max (2020) review

iPhone 13 (2021) review

iPhone 13 mini (2021) review

iPhone 13 Pro (2021) review

iPhone 13 Pro Max (2021) review

iPhone SE (3rd generation; 2022) review

iPhone 14 (2022) review

iPhone 14 Plus (2022) review

iPhone 14 Pro (2022) review

iPhone 14 Pro Max (2022) review

iPhone 15 (2023) review

iPhone 15 Plus (2023) review

iPhone 15 Pro (2023) review

iPhone 15 Pro Max (2023) review

iPhone 16 & 16 Plus review

iPhone 16 Pro & Pro Max review