The iPhone SE will cease to exist. All hail the iPhone 16E
The iPhone SE has been the subject of a ton of speculation over the last couple of years. It's a special type of device — for the time being, the SE is the only iPhone out there retaining the old Apple DNA — a thin, tiny body, a home button, and a Lightning charger.
Over the years, we've heard a lot about the next version of the iPhone SE. I myself went on a tirade about how the next SE will simply be an iPhone 13 mini re-launched. More recently, many believed that the next iPhone SE will be an iPhone Plus in size, with older hardware inside. Now, we have a new set of information from a relatively reliable leakster.
Based on what my source has reported, it seems that the new iPhone that Apple will unveil in 2025 will not be called iPhone SE4, but iPhone 16E. It should feature a design similar to the iPhone 14, with an OLED display and an action button. The available colors will be white and… pic.twitter.com/Vm8DCh1Xo0
— Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) December 31, 2024
Posted on X by Majin Bu, who is often either correct or in the ballpark of what's going to happen in smartphone tech in the near future, we have some new info about the iPhone SE 4. Well... starting with the name there...
The iPhone SE is no more
According to the post, the iPhone SE brand will now cease to exist — the model we have been talking about will now be called iPhone 16E. Why? What does E mean? Well, how Apple makes decisions behind closed doors is always a mystery. Most of the time, they are confusing, like the time Cupertino launched a VR headset for $3,500.
While we can't know what exactly the E would stand for, I think I have a good idea why Apple might actually choose to go with the iPhone 16E naming scheme.
See, the rumored iPhone SE 4 was said to come with the same design as contemporary iPhones, the same Action Button as on the entire range of iPhone 16 series, Face ID, and a 48 MP main camera sensor, much like the latest iPhones again.
Thus far, the iPhone SE brand has always meant that you are buying a phone with the old design and old-ish features. If the new model is truly that modern, it makes sense to brand it in a way to signify that. Therefore, we have the rumored iPhone 16E moniker.
What will the iPhone 16E be comparable to?
We've been hearing rumors that the iPhone 16E will support Apple Intelligence, with an A18 chip and 8 GB or RAM inside. It'd also have an OLED display (60 Hz), MagSafe, and USB Type-C. Yet, it should be between $500 and $550 in price, making it a full $150 cheaper than the actual iPhone 16. So, what gives?
Well, the iPhone 16E will probably have the old notch, instead of a Dynamic Island, and a single camera on the back instead of a duo of cameras. This sounds like the iPhone 16E would use the old casings from iPhone XR, yet Majin Bu's tweet here says it will look more like an iPhone 14.
So yes, something still doesn't add up. Either the price point, the display tech, or build materials. Otherwise, the iPhone 16E sounds like an iPhone 16 killer through and through.
I do think that it's very possible for the iPhone 16E to support Apple Intelligence simply because it's rumored that it will launch in March. You know what else is launching in March? iOS 18.3 — the final Apple Intelligence update, which will bring the last 3rd of Apple AI features we were promised. It'd make for a very well-tied together event, if Apple announces them together with a new "cheap" iPhone that supports all of that AI.
Assuming all the rumors are true, an iPhone 16E with a single 48 MP camera and all the power of the iPhone 16 inside it for $500-ish sounds like a very good deal. We'll see if it pans out!
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