iPhone SE 4: release date rumours, screen speculation, design hearsay and more

Apple is holding a launch event on Wednesday 19th February, and speculation is rife that we'll see the next iPhone SE.

It's due a refresh. The last model launched in March 2022, so we've gone nearly three years between them. This one is rumoured to be a substantial upgrade, resembling the iPhone 14 (which physically wasn't all that different from the iPhone 16 ).

Excited? Let's run down all the latest rumours.

iPhone SE 4: picture leaks

One of the potentially most exciting iPhone SE 4 rumours concerns the screen. It's said to take inspiration from the iPhone 14 (pictured). If accurate the phone will have a full-screen display with a notch – a big departure from the home button and thick-bezelled design of the iPhone SE 3.

That would allow the screen to be much bigger. According to Korean publication The Elec, it will have the same 6.1-inch OLED display as the iPhone 14 (and indeed the more recent iPhone 16). Which would be much larger than the previous SE's 4.7-incher (which is positively titchy by today's standards).

OLED on a (relatively) budget phone is also a big deal. OLED panels allow for greater contrast, adding more depth to the image and making it more immersive. They only became standard across the iPhone range on the iPhone 12 family – prior to this, they were reserved for the Pro variants. Now it looks like the cheapest iPhone will have one. How times change.

If these rumours are true, the SE 4 will miss out on the Dynamic Island that debuted on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max and that became standard across the range from the iPhone 15 onwards. But that would be asking a lot of a budget phone.

iPhone SE 4: sound speculation

We haven't seen any rumours concerning the audio capabilities of the iPhone SE 4 yet, but we are keeping our eyes peeled.

If – as looks likely – the SE 4 ends up being a rebadged iPhone 14, that should bode well for the audio.

In our iPhone 14 review, we commented on the phone's "weighty bass with sparkling and clear vocals," adding that "timing is snappy and the iPhone’s excellent handling of dynamics allows for the dramatic sections of the song [James Blake's Limit To Your Love] to punch through alongside the softer moments."

Even its built-in speakers are pretty good, delivering clear and punchy vocals and a more spacious soundscape than most smartphones.

iPhone SE 4: release date rumours

As you can see above, Apple CEO Tim Cook has promised to introduce the world to the "newest member of the family" on Wednesday 19th February. This is widely rumoured to be the iPhone SE 4, given the steady drumbeat of recent rumours concerning the handset's launch.

Of course, the SE 4 isn't the only Apple device rumoured. The firm is also thought to be readying a new iPad Air and new MacBooks, and it's thought to be working on a HomePod with a screen, though that isn't thought to launch until later in the year.

All eyes on Wednesday.

iPhone SE 4: price predictions

The current iPhone SE starts at £429 / $429 / AU$719 – pretty cheap, for an iPhone. But Apple isn't alone at this section of the market. Rivals Google and Samsung also sell phones around this price – the Pixel 8a and Galaxy A35, respectively. Then there's competition from a whole host of other manufacturers like OnePlus, Nothing, Motorola and Xiaomi.

Competition is fierce. But phone prices have been rising since the iPhone SE 3 launched in 2022. We expect the SE 4 to cost a little more than its predecessor, especially given all the improvements it should involve. One tipster (via PhoneArena) reckons the SE 4 will cost $499. Given that you can currently buy an iPhone 14 new for £499, we would say this leak might be on the money (pardon the pun).

iPhone SE 4: design whispers

If the SE 4 has the same screen as the iPhone 14, chances are it would inherit most of the chassis as well. Which would make it essentially a rebadged iPhone 14. The iPhone SE 3 was basically the iPhone 8 in new clothing, so Apple has previous when it comes to this. Cue Alan Partridge declaring "they've rebadged it you fool."

Not that that's a bad thing. It would mean the SE 4 had very slim bezels and an Action button that can be assigned to different tasks. It would also consign Touch ID to the bin, for Apple's mobiles at least, leaving Face ID as the main method of unlocking the device.

iPhone SE 4: specs 'specs-ulation'

Probably the biggest rumour concerning its specs and features is that the iPhone SE 4 might come with artificial intelligence, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Usually, the SE model comes packing the same processor as the iPhone that launched the previous September. So the iPhone SE 3 (launched March 2022) has the same A15 Bionic as the iPhone 13 (launched September 2021). If that holds true, the SE 4 would have the same A18 Bionic as the iPhone 16. Golly.

That A18 Bionic is not only super fast and highly efficient, it's also enabled for AI. So the iPhone SE 4 could have the same smarter and more context-aware Siri, predictive writing tools, AI image editing and more. It would mean the iPhone SE 4 leapfrogs the iPhone 15, which lacks AI (though the 15 Pro and Pro Max do have it). Hence Apple might be considering a name change for the next iPhone SE (see the next section).

Besides AI, the SE 4 is said to have a much bigger battery than the SE 3 (3279mAh up from 2018mAh), alongside a single 48-megapixel rear camera and 12-megapixel front-facer. You can also bet it will have a USB-C port, following an EU law change that mandated the format for compatibility reasons.

iPhone SE 4: name change?

One quite credible rumour is that Apple could change the name of the next iPhone SE. If it does offer artificial intelligence, calling it the iPhone SE 4 wouldn't do it justice. Hence Apple could rebrand it as the iPhone 16E.

It would make sense. Google and Samsung do the same with their budget phones (Pixel 8a and Galaxy S24 FE, respectively), positioning them as members of the same family as their premium lineups. Low-cost members, admittedly, but members all the same.

This would be all the more logical if the the SE 4 does turn out to share the same processor, screen and AI skills as the iPhone 16.

iPhone SE 4: early verdict

A new iPhone is always big news, so we await next week's event with bated breath. The SE models have reviewed well in the past, and with the rumours pointing to a significant upgrade in terms of screen, processor and AI abilities, the SE 4 looks like it could be a great pocket media machine for not much cash.

We'll be watching come Wednesday and will update this article with all the details as soon as they're official.

MORE:

The new iPhone SE 4 could be cool – but I want a proper OLED Apple TV

These are the best iPhones around

And the best iPhone headphones to use