The device I’m looking forward to from Apple this year isn’t theiPhone 17 Proor theiPhone 17 Air. It’s the fourth-generation iPhone SE, commonly referred to as theiPhone SE 4. Apple’s mid-range iPhone is in dire need of a refresh, and 2025 is poised to be the year it finally receives it. There have beenrumors and speculationabout the phone for months, but the timing of the phone’s launch is becoming more apparent.
Last week, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurmanshot down a rumoron X that the phone was launching in January alongside iOS 18.3. Gurman said Apple aims to release the fourth generation iPhone SE “by April.” In arecent blog post, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Cho Kuo shared a similar date range, saying he expects the phone to arrive in the middle of the first half of 2025.
The last iPhone SE came out in March 2022, so a release date of March or April for the new iPhone SE makes sense, especially given that Apple usually reserves September releases for its flagship smartphones.
Why your next iPhone should be the 2025 iPhone SE
Every few years, Apple puts out an affordable iPhone that doesn’t feel outdated.
The iPhone SE could get a name change
The device is poised for significant upgrades
There’s another rumor floating around that the new iPhone SE could be in for a name change and instead be called the “iPhone 16E.” This leak comes fromFixed Focus Digital, a known leaker on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. Another known leaker, Majin Bu, further corroborated the rumoron X. Apple could be considering changing the name of the iPhone SE to the iPhone 16E to align it more with its main family of iPhones.
The current third generation iPhone SE was released in March 2022 and looksincreasingly ancient. The device still has a home button and resembles the design of the iPhone 8, which was released in 2017. With that in mind, the new iPhone SE is in for a significant upgrade and design overhaul. The phone is rumored to feature a 6.1-inch OLED display, an A18 processor, a 48-megapixel rear camera, Face ID, USB-C, andApple Intelligence. The phone is expected to reassemble the look of an iPhone 14.
For users on a budget, the fourth-generation iPhone SE (or possibly iPhone 16E) is shaping up to be a compelling new mid-range offering from Apple, especially if it supports Apple Intelligence. It’s unclear what the price of the latest iPhone SE could be, but it’s expected that Apple will attempt to keep the deviceunder $500. The iPhone SE from 2022 is priced at $429.
I love the Pixel 8a, and the next iPhone SE should be just like it
Google’s Pixel 8a is an extraordinary mid-range phone, and I want to see Apple make it’s next iPhone SE just like it.
