The iPhone SE 4 isn’t even out, yet I can’t stop recommending this unreleased Apple product. That’s because all rumors paint the same picture of this mid-range iPhone that’s supposed to hit stores next year. If you’re not buying the iPhone 16 but want a new iPhone, the iPhone SE 4 is probably for you.
The iPhone SE 4 will deliver flagship performance comparable to the iPhone 16 since Apple wants it to run Apple Intelligence. The only real compromises concern the design and camera. Apple will recycle the iPhone 14 design for this model, and you’ll get only one camera on the back instead of two or three.
But if you consider the likely price of the iPhone SE 4 — $499 — it should be an instant hit.
The good news is that the iPhone SE 4 should launch soon. All reports say the phone is coming in early 2025. But it won’t be as early as you might have hoped, with a more recent report indicating the handset won’t hit stores until March 2025.
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Korean website AjuNews says that LG Innotek will provide the 48-megapixel camera module for the iPhone SE 4. It’s currently testing the component, and LG will reportedly start mass-producing the camera module next month.
The report notes that LG Innotek usually supplies camera modules three months before the launch of a new product. With manufacturing expected to start in December, the iPhone SE 4 should get a March 2025 release date.
While some iPhone fans might have hoped for an earlier launch, the March window makes sense for Apple. Previous iPhone SE variants were launched around that time each year.
I’ll add that an iPhone SE 4 specs and price leak also recently offered a March 2025 release window. But that might have been an educated guess based on Apple’s iPhone SE release history. The report from Korea says that LG is a confirmed camera supplier for the upcoming iPhone model. The iPhone SE 4 camera will be produced at a factory in Vietnam.
The report notes that the LG camera will feature a 48-megapixel sensor, which should be a big upgrade over the iPhone SE 3’s camera. It’s probably the same sensor Apple uses in the iPhone 16 series.
AjuNews provides the same story about the iPhone SE 4 that other leaks have offered. The iPhone SE 4 should support Apple Intelligence, which implies the handset should feature the same hardware as the iPhone 15 Pros or iPhone 16 phones. These are the only handsets that can run Apple Intelligence right now.
The A18 is the chip that makes the most sense for the iPhone SE 4. It’s the processor that powers the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, and it’s more energy efficient and cheaper than the A17 Pro that powers the iPhone 15 Pros. Whatever silicon Apple goes for, the company will pair it with 8GB of RAM, the minimum amount of memory Apple Intelligence needs.
The report doesn’t mention a precise release date for the iPhone SE 4, nor should we expect one yet. But other rumors say that Apple will launch several new products next quarter. The list includes the M4 MacBook Air, a new iPad Air, and new accessories. Seeing all these products come out around the same time would make sense.
