Apple does not pad smartphone shipments with cheap, underpowered phones like Samsung et al., but that didn’t stop the Cupertino Colossus from taking 8 of the top 10 best-selling smartphones in 2022, according to Counterpoint Research. The upcoming iPhone SE 4 is shaping up to be Apple’s secret weapon to take even more smartphone share from the Android iPhone knockoff peddlers.
Paulo Montenegro for Ubergizmo:
As for when the new budget-friendly iPhone will be released, recent rumors from The Elec backed up by the already-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that we may see this new device being announced only in the spring of 2024.
A great surprise, according to the latest rumors, is that the next Special Edition iPhone should ditch the outdated 9-year-old design and go for something more modern, closer to what we already have in the iPhone 14 series — this may come as a very good surprise since many tech websites also suggested that the looks could be the same as the super-popular $750 iPhone XR from 2018.
Aside from that, we can also expect in this new iteration of the iPhone SE:
• 6.1″ OLED panel with 60 Hz
• A16 Bionic SoC
• 4 to 6 GB of RAM
• 128 GB of storage (or 64 GB if Cupertino wants to go even cheaper)
• USB-C port (but with USB 2.0 speeds)
• Camera system inherited from the iPhone 14 (Face ID + 12 MP selfie camera and a 12 MP single-sensor on the back)
MacDailyNews Take: Finally, death the the antiquated Home button anachronism!
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Why do they keep going bigger on the smallest phone. Apple, you already have a 6.1” screen phone.
Just get rid of the home button and make it a 5.5” screen.
That sounds more like iPhone 15 mini than SE 4. SE is not about adding another screen size, it’s an entry level model based on an old model (to cut cost). I.e. first SE was based on 5-like design after 5-design was phased out. SE 2-3 were based on 6-like design after that was phased out. It’s the “last incarnation of the previous general design”. So the SE 4 should and will be based on XR-like design (not X/Pro, but the entry level XR/11 models). SE 5 (or 6, if SE 4 gets a speed bump to SE 5) is probably based on 12-like design (maybe around spring 2026?) and that could be based on mini (probably not though), but SE 4 can’t be anything else than 6.1″ because there never was a smaller XR-era model to base it on.
Apple should use the iPhone 12 Mini form factor for the iPhone SE 4.
Bingo. I get many compliments on my 13 Mini, and I love the pocketability.
If there ever is an SE based on mini, that would more probably be SE 5 or SE 6, maybe 2026. SE has never been based on a model that is still on sale (SE 1 came after 5S was dropped, SE 2 after 8). SE 4 can’t be based on any 12 model as long as 12/13 or 14 is still on sale. You would have cheaper entry level model with same design and better hardware? That doesn’t work. SE can have better HW than other models still in the lineup, but only if the design is older. So, the design must be based on XR/11. An SE based on 12-like design can’t be introduced until all 12-based models are phased out, which is (if base-15 gets a new design, not only pro/ultra) is probably 2026. Current SE design (6) was released 2014, SE 2 6 years later. XR 2018, so XR-based SE 4 this year is newer than SE 2 was when it came out. 12 was released 2020, so 2026 would be in line with history, and inline with model upgrades (if base-15 is still 12-like design it probably takes a year more to phase it out.) So, the 12 (mini or not) based SE is still years away.
Yes. Used two new iPhone SE since 2016 & 2019 day it went on sale. Graduated to the slightly larger iPhone 13 Mini and love it best.
If an old hodgepodge bin parts special is now seen as a secret weapon, then either it’s the worst secret or the company has run out of good ideas.
If you actually want to bring more people to ios, keep selling the current SE and drop the price.
At some point keeping old HW on production get’s more expensive than switching to newer. Today they have the production capability etc. for both SE (i.e. iPhone 6-like design) and the XR/11-like design. They have to phase out one or the other, and it makes more sense to phase out the production systems for the older one. At this point it also doesn’t make too much sense to keep up production for Touch ID home button only for one model etc. Apple also has to keep supporting 2 versions of the UX and support etc. if they keep Touch ID home button. That’s not free either. So, it’s possible that the current model would not be any cheaper to make. And they’ll probably get more sales with the XR-based model anyway (and more profits – lowering SE price would create a pricing gap in the lineup). So, they should make the XR-based SE. however, they could, in theory, keep the old one too. Have 2 SE:s on the market at the same time, the XR-based at current price point, and 6-based as even lower priced model. But it’s already 9 years old design, and at some point you jut need to kill old tech. I’d do it now (for one more reason, the low end is actually well served by used phones, those users will still use App Store and upgrade at some point).
The home button should be moved to one of the sides.
Funny thing is … the home button UI still works just fine, and its still on iPads.
As such, there’s going to be a “pry from my cold dead hands” customer base.
Likewise, the Mrs wants something tiny that fits in her (now even smaller) purse. Big slab phones don’t cut it.
YMMV, but I don’t need a new iPhone yet, but if the SE 4 comes out bigger & relying on FaceID, I’ll probably be picking up two SE 3’s before they disappear.
They need to keep making the Mini size, for us customers who don’t want a large phone. If you make the SE 4, make it the size of the mini.. or maybe even make the mini options for every other product cycle..