Next year's iPhone SE rumored to be based on the iPhone XR
Last October, we passed along a rumor out of China suggesting that the third-generation "more affordable" iPhone SE would be based on the design of the iPhone XR and its 6.1-inch LCD display instead of the iPhone 8 and its 4.7-inch LCD screen. The second-generation iPhone SE was also based on the iPhone 8 while the first iPhone SE carried the 4-inch LCD display found on the iPhone 5s.
The current version of the iPhone SE, the third-gen model, is based on the 4.7-inch iPhone 8
As it turned out, Apple went back to the iPhone 8 for the latest iPhone SE model which was released this past March. But that hasn't stopped the rumor mill from getting back to work for the fourth-gen iPhone SE. First, let's start with reliable TF International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who said last December that "We expect Apple to release a new iPhone SE in 2023 with a larger display than the 1H22 SE's 4.7-inch and 4GB of memory support (vs. 3GB in the 1H22 SE)."
The latest iPhone SE model, based on the iPhone 8, was released this past March
According to a tweet from AppleTrack (@appltrack), the next iPhone SE will be based on the iPhone XR and feature a 6.1-inch LCD display. Since the form factor will be based on the iPhone XR, you can expect it to be equipped with the notch, the True Depth Camera, and of course, Face ID. There will be a 12MP rear camera and IP67 dust and water resistance. We could also see a huge increase in the battery from the 2018mAh battery used on the latest iPhone SE to the 2942mAh battery that was used to power the iPhone XR.
It will be interesting to see which chipset Apple puts under the hood because the 5nm A15 Bionic was used with the last iPhone SE model. Typically, Apple does put a new SoC inside the latest SE model which would call for the 4nm A16 Bionic to be used on the next one. But since the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max will both be equipped with the A15 Bionic, Apple could find itself in a strange scenario where the silicon used on its budget model could be more advanced than the chips used on the non-Pro iPhone 14 handsets.
RUMOR: The iPhone SE 4, likely coming next year, will essentially be a rebranded iPhone XR
— AppleTrack (@appltrack) August 30, 2022
Expect a 6.1-inch display with Face ID, 12MP rear camera and IP67 water and dust resistance. pic.twitter.com/eC7Di0WD3B
Will Apple's next "budget" phone sport a more power chipset than the iPhone 14?
A chip made using the 4nm process node like the A16 Bionic will sport more transistors than a chip made using the 5nm node like the A15 Bionic. The higher the transistor count, the more powerful and energy-efficient a chip is. So unless Apple decides that the fourth-generation iPhone SE, due out next year, will have the same chip as the third-generation model, there will be a good chance that the more affordable iPhone SE (2023) will have a better chip that the one in the non-Pro 2022 iPhone 14 models.
We should also point out that the third-generation iPhone SE supports sub-6GHz 5G, but not mmWave. We should expect the same for next year's model. Thanks to mid-band and C-band spectrum, sub-6GHz will deliver download speeds as fast as 400Mbps in some areas. Besides, finding mmWave 5G is still like looking for a needle in a haystack while it is getting easier and easier to find fast mid-band 5G signals.
The iPhone SE (2023) could start with 128GB of storage for the basic model, which would be a hike from the 64GB storage on last year's basic model. It also will be interesting to see if Apple feels compelled to raise the starting price of the iPhone SE from the $429 it priced the third-generation model at.
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