The flagship iPhone always steals the show and that’s no different with the iPhone 14. However, we can’t forget about Apple’s budget-minded iPhone SE series. It may be entry-level, but some of us aren’t looking for the latest and greatest iPhone. Apple has been quiet about what to expect for the iPhone SE 4, but serial industry leaker Ross Young has recently provided some crucial design details. More recently, conceptual artist Ian Zelbo worked with Jon Prosser and an anonymous source to mock up some renders.
Here’s what we know about the iPhone SE 4 so far:
WHAT WILL THE IPHONE SE 4 LOOK LIKE?
Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants, told MacRumors that the iPhone SE4 will have 6.1-inch LCD screen. It looks like Apple is updating the iPhone SE 4 design with a notch on the front screen too, along with the size upgrade from the existing 4.7-inch iPhone SE 3. This design would make the iPhone SE 4 look a lot like the iPhone XR, which makes sense since Apple tends to use its older designs for its entry-level smartphones.
The latest renders based on Prosser’s leaks support this potential design of a 6.1-inch display with a notch and no home button.
We have to exercise some skepticism here with the screen specs. That’s not to say that Young isn’t a reliable source for leaks and rumors, it’s just that he previously noted that the iPhone SE 4 would have a 5.7-inch screen with a punch-hole camera. With the potential 6.1-inch screen for the next iPhone SE, it’s clear that Apple is over small phones, just like its discontinued mini variant of its iPhone.
WILL THE iPHONE SE 4 HAVE TOUCH OR FACE ID?
The 6.1-inch screen may also be an all-screen design, moving away from the blocky bezels of the iPhone SE 3. If this design is accurate, that means there’ll be no room for a home button for the iPhone SE 4. In that case, there’s some potential that Apple wants to incorporate Face ID into its SE lineup. It’s also just as likely that Apple will keep Touch ID and instead move the sensor to the lock button, much like what we see with certain iPad models.
Face ID is certainly the norm for iPhone users, but Apple has opted for Touch ID with its SE models both for cost-effectiveness and differentiation between entry-level and flagship. Of course this could still be the case, as Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that Apple may move the Touch ID capabilities to a sensor on the lock button.
WILL THE IPHONE SE 4 HAVE A DYNAMIC ISLAND?
Unfortunately, there’s a slim chance that Apple would slap its brand new Dynamic Island feature that we see with the flagship iPhone 14s onto its more affordable iPhone SE lineup. Going off Young’s prediction, the iPhone SE 4 will have a notch, but it’ll probably be even smaller than the iPhone XR’s since there’s a possibility it won’t have Face ID capabilities.
WHEN WILL THE iPHONE SE 4 COME OUT?
Apple hasn’t even officially mentioned the iPhone SE 4 yet. Going off its release timeline, the iPhone SE 4 could see a potential spring 2024 launch considering the third-gen iPhone SE was released in March 2022, following an April 2020 release for the second-gen iPhone SE. There’s no indication that Apple is going to strictly follow this two-year pattern, but it’s likely we’ll hear more about the iPhone SE 4 next year.
HOW MUCH WILL THE IPHONE SE 4 COST?
The iPhone SE 3 started at $429, while the iPhone SE 2 started at $399. It’s too early to tell if there will be any price hike, but that could easily be the case with increasing material costs. However, Apple is likely to keep the iPhone SE 4 firmly in the affordable smartphone category.
