Time is an interesting concept: humans have been on Earth for about six million years, but the planet is 4.5 billion years old. We're not far off 20 years since the first iPhone was released, but the first phone was invented 148 years ago. So, elapsed time is relative. But one thing is for sure: it feels like a long time since we got a new iPhone SE.
There have been three generations of Apple's most affordable iPhone. The first arrived in 2016 and gained attention as one of the best cheap phones around. It was four years before the year of the COVID-19 pandemic came along, with the appearance of a second-generation SE. Then, in 2022, the current iPhone SE appeared.
So there's no set cadence for iPhone SE releases. However, given that the current version has a design that would have looked dated about six years ago, let alone two, I think Apple's budget phone is in need of an update and a refresh.
However, rumors surrounding the so-called iPhone SE 4 are scarce. As we approach September and a likely event focused on Apple phones, unofficial information about the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models has gained momentum.
But there's very little about a new SE that would be a nice “one more thing” for Apple's next keynote.
We want changes in SE
Based on the rumors circulating so far, limited as they are, we can expect the next-generation iPhone SE to have a design much more similar to the iPhone 14 than other models. We can expect the home button to disappear and a Dynamic Island to be added to the display so that Apple’s phone design language is omnipresent across all of its smartphones.
A decent chipset can also be expected, although its power is still unclear. I also assume that USB-C charging will be a given.
That said, the lack of any major iPhone SE rumors makes me wonder when we can expect to see one. Or if Apple even really plans to make another affordable iPhone — after all, when new models arrive, a selection of older ones are still offered, but at discounted prices.
Part of me thinks Apple will wait until 2025, when its AI-focused work on Apple Intelligence has had time to mature and be applied to other devices.
And next year, there could be enough A17 Pro chips, or similar, floating around for Apple to make an iPhone SE that has the power to handle AI workloads and could therefore help drive adoption of Apple Intelligence; keeping it to only the high-end Pro iPhones could cause adoption of next-generation intelligent tools and software to wither.
Alternatively, Apple could simply offer a capable, affordable iPhone that omits Apple Intelligence features, especially since some people might not care about AI in the slightest.
Of course, this is all pure speculation and I can't say for sure when we'll see a new iPhone SE, but I think there's still hope for an affordable iPhone for everyone.
