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iPhone SE 4 could launch next week. Photo: Macrumors

Design

The iPhone SE 4 will have a design similar to the iPhone 14, with a 6.1-inch OLED display. The launch of this device will also mark the end of small iPhones, as Apple will no longer sell any iPhone models under 6.1 inches. The current iPhone SE is 4.7 inches, so the change will be noticeable, but thanks to the removal of the bezels, the overall size of the device is not that different, despite the much larger screen.

Apple used to sell a 5.4-inch ‌iPhone‌ “mini,” but discontinued it after the ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini due to poor sales. In the future, Apple could satisfy those who prefer smaller phones with a clamshell-style folding iPhone, but rumors suggest that device is at least a year away.

In terms of appearance, the iPhone SE 4 will resemble the iPhone 14 with a full-screen design, aluminum frame, glass back, mute button, volume button, "rabbit ears" (notch), power button, and SIM slot/5G antenna. However, the back will have one change: the iPhone SE 4 will only have a single rear camera instead of a dual camera system like the iPhone 14.

There have been some rumors about the iPhone SE 4 having an Action button or a Camera Control button, but these features don't seem to be coming to the budget iPhone. iPhone SE 4 dummy models and cases designed based on supply chain leaks don't have these buttons.

Screen

The iPhone SE 3 is the last iPhone model to use an LCD display. With the iPhone SE 4 switching to an OLED display, LCD technology will officially be eliminated from the iPhone line.

The iPhone 14 will come with Ceramic Shield glass, which is tougher than regular smartphone glass and more resistant to impacts and scratches. The iPhone SE 4 will also be more durable than the current model.

No more Touch ID

With an all-screen design like the iPhone 14, the iPhone SE 4 will eliminate Touch ID. If Apple does not keep the iPhone SE 3 as a cheaper option, after the iPhone SE 4 is released, there will be no iPhone models using Touch ID.

Touch ID is still available on Macs and some iPads, but Apple is moving entirely to Face ID on the iPhone. While some people still prefer Touch ID, Face ID is more secure, with a 1 in 1,000,000 chance of being wrong compared to Touch ID’s 1 in 50,000.

Removing the ‌Touch ID‌ home button allows for more screen space, although there will still be a notch.

Some previous rumors suggested that the iPhone SE 4 could feature Dynamic Island, but the feature seems to remain limited to high-end iPhone models.

No more Lightning port

The iPhone SE 4 will use a USB-C port, which means the Lightning port will all but disappear from Apple devices. Older iPhone generations like the iPhone 14‌ and iPhone 14‌ Plus still have the Lightning port, but Apple has been phasing it out.

The iPhone SE is one of the last Apple devices to use Lightning, and if Apple stops selling the iPhone 14 alongside the launch of the SE 4, Lightning will officially be removed from the iPhone lineup.

MagSafe

The ‌iPhone 14‌ added MagSafe support, and so the ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 will most likely support MagSafe‌ wireless charging, a feature not available on the current ‌iPhone SE‌.

A18 chip and 8GB RAM

Apple will equip the iPhone SE 4 with the same A18 chip as the iPhone 16, providing powerful performance at a more affordable price. This helps the iPhone SE 4 run smoothly for years to come.

The A18 chip will also support Apple Intelligence features, which will be a big upgrade over the A15 chip on the iPhone SE 3. Apple Intelligence requires 8GB of RAM, so the iPhone SE 4 will also have double the RAM of its predecessor.

Storage capacity

While there's no leaked information about storage capacity, other current iPhone models start at 128GB, so it's possible that Apple will remove the 64GB option on the iPhone SE 4.

64GB of storage is simply not enough, even for a budget ‌iPhone‌.

Camera

The iPhone SE 4 will have a single camera with a wide-angle lens. Leaks say it could use the same 48MP sensor as the iPhone 16, which should offer a significant improvement in photo quality over the 12MP camera on the iPhone SE 3.

There won't be a Telephoto or Ultra Wide lens, but if the same 48MP wide-angle sensor is used, the iPhone SE 4 could support next-generation portrait photography with focus and depth control, along with 2x optical zoom.

Connect

Apple will use its own 5G modem for the first time on the iPhone SE 4, helping to control quality and reduce dependence on Qualcomm.

The modem won't support the fastest mmWave 5G speeds, but it will be able to connect to more common sub-6GHz networks. It's Apple's first step in developing its own modem technology.

Battery and special features

Rumors suggest that the iPhone SE 4 will use the same battery as the iPhone 14, providing: 20 hours of video playback; 16 hours of online video viewing; 80 hours of music playback.

At 6.1 inches, the iPhone SE 4 has more room to accommodate a larger battery than the iPhone SE 3 (which only gets 15 hours of video playback and 10 hours of streaming video).

While there's no official confirmation yet, it's likely that the iPhone SE 4 will support Collision Detection, just like the iPhone 14, to automatically call for help if the user gets into a car accident.

In addition, iPhone 14 and later also support Emergency SOS via satellite, and it is likely that iPhone SE 4 will be equipped with this feature.

Selling price

With so many hardware upgrades, the iPhone SE 4 will likely be more expensive than the current model, but Apple is still aiming for a price below $500. Currently, the iPhone SE 3 starts at $429.

Release date

The iPhone SE 4 is an important product but uses many components from the iPhone 14 and iPhone 16, so Apple will not hold a separate event. Instead, the device will be announced via press release and on Apple's website.

The iPhone SE 4 is expected to launch on Tuesday, February 11, alongside new Powerbeats headphones. Apple could start taking orders for the new ‌iPhone SE‌ before it officially goes on sale in late February.

Watch the iPhone SE 4 concept video (Source: Technizo Concept):

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