When will Apple release the new iPhone SE?

The device I’m looking forward to from Apple this year isn’t the iPhone 17 Pro or the iPhone 17 Air. It’s the fourth-generation iPhone SE, commonly referred to as the iPhone SE 4. Apple’s mid-range iPhone is in dire need of a refresh, and 2025 is poised to be the year it finally receives it. There have been rumors and speculation about the phone for months, but the timing of the phone’s launch is becoming more apparent.

Last week, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman shot down a rumor on X that the phone was launching in January alongside iOS 18.3. Gurman said Apple aims to release the fourth generation iPhone SE “by April.” In a recent blog post, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Cho Kuo shared a similar date range, saying he expects the phone to arrive in the middle of the first half of 2025.

The last iPhone SE came out in March 2022, so a release date of March or April for the new iPhone SE makes sense, especially given that Apple usually reserves September releases for its flagship smartphones.

The iPhone SE could get a name change

The device is poised for significant upgrades

There’s another rumor floating around that the new iPhone SE could be in for a name change and instead be called the “iPhone 16E.” This leak comes from Fixed Focus Digital, a known leaker on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. Another known leaker, Majin Bu, further corroborated the rumor on X. Apple could be considering changing the name of the iPhone SE to the iPhone 16E to align it more with its main family of iPhones.

The current third generation iPhone SE was released in March 2022 and looks increasingly ancient . The device still has a home button and resembles the design of the iPhone 8, which was released in 2017. With that in mind, the new iPhone SE is in for a significant upgrade and design overhaul. The phone is rumored to feature a 6.1-inch OLED display, an A18 processor, a 48-megapixel rear camera, Face ID, USB-C, and Apple Intelligence. The phone is expected to reassemble the look of an iPhone 14.

For users on a budget, the fourth-generation iPhone SE (or possibly iPhone 16E) is shaping up to be a compelling new mid-range offering from Apple, especially if it supports Apple Intelligence. It’s unclear what the price of the latest iPhone SE could be, but it’s expected that Apple will try to keep the device under $500. The iPhone SE from 2022 is priced at $429.

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