In a nutshell: Apple’s most affordable iPhone hit the scene more than two years ago and is due for an update. Unfortunately, that may not happen until next year at the earliest but we’ve got some revised specs to comb over courtesy of the rumor mill.
X leaker Nguyen Phi Hung claims the fourth generation iPhone SE will feature a 6.1-inch LTPS OLED display with a 60 Hz refresh rate, which would be a significant upgrade over the 4.7-inch LCD found in the current-gen model. Some might feel this is a bad move, however, as it means Apple would no longer offer a compact iPhone for those who prefer smaller handsets.
Elsewhere, the new iPhone SE will be powered by Apple’s A16 Bionic (originally found in the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max) alongside a Snapdragon X70 modem and Apple U1 UWB chip. It’ll reportedly ship with 6 GB of LPDDR5 and local storage options of 128 GB or 512 GB.
Other noteworthy amenities are said to include Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C, and a 30xx mAh (perhaps 3279 mAh) battery with 20 W wired charging and 12 W MagSafe wireless charging. Appearance-wise, the new iPhone will be constructed from 7000 series aluminum alloy with front and rear glass (but no Ceramic Shield). Hung said that from the front, it’ll look like an iPhone 13 with Face ID support. Around back, the SE will more closely resemble an iPhone Xr with its single rear-camera.
Speaking of camera, the new SE will reportedly employ a Sony IMX503 image sensor mated to an f/1.8 aperture lens. The combo will support smart HDR, AI photography, and portrait mode, but won’t have a dedicated night mode.
In terms of pricing, Apple would be wise to stick to the same pricing structure as the existing iPhone SE. The most affordable configuration starts at $429; and pricing scales to $579 if you want the maximum amount of onboard storage.
Hung didn’t have an update on a potential launch window, but early 2025 seems to be the leading rumor as of today. That’d give the iPhone 16 about six months or so on the market as the newest iPhone.
Image credit: John Appleseed, Akshar Dave
