The first iPhone SE was introduced in 2016 as a more affordable iPhone option, but it also became the favorite choice of customers who weren’t fans of large-screen smartphones. A few years later, the SE got a slightly larger 4.7-inch screen, but it looks super outdated with its iPhone 8-based design.
With rumors about Apple working on a new iPhone SE, we’d like to know: What would make this device ideal for you?
The current iPhone SE
The current-generation iPhone SE was launched in 2022 and has the same design as the second-generation iPhone SE, which has roughly the same design as the iPhone 8 and looks a lot like the iPhone 7 and 6.
For some people, this is not a problem. There are some users who still prefer to have Touch ID and a Home button. At the same time, some users still like to have super-compact smartphones, and the iPhone SE offers this with very capable hardware. But despite having the same chip as an iPhone 13, it still looks like an iPhone from 2014 and relies on an old LCD display.
No matter how much you argue in favor of the iPhone SE, it desperately needs an upgrade – and a big one. At $429, it offers much less than the iPhone 13, which remains in the lineup for $599 (but you can find it for much less in other stores).
Conflicting rumors
Ever since Apple introduced the third-generation iPhone SE, we’ve been hearing rumors about the next generation of Apple’s entry-level smartphone. And these rumors have been quite controversial.
Many sources, including YouTuber Jon Prosser, suggested that the next iPhone SE would look like the iPhone XR with a 6.1-inch LCD display. Analyst Ross Young later said that Apple had not yet decided on the design and display for its new entry-level phone, while Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple had delayed development of the iPhone SE 4.
More recently, a report from MacRumors revealed that Apple has been experimenting with a new iPhone SE that looks very similar to the 6.1-inch iPhone 14. This iPhone would have Face ID and a single rear camera, this time with a 48-megapixel lens.
The same report suggests that Apple will bring the Action Button from the iPhone 15 Pro to the next iPhone SE (and also to the entire iPhone 16 lineup).
The ideal iPhone SE 4
The display technology and chip for the iPhone SE 4 are still unclear, but the new design with Face ID and better cameras would certainly make a lot of users happy. At the same time, rumors about the iPhone SE getting a 6.1-inch display have worried those who like to have a compact smartphone.
Apple itself pointed out in 2016 that the iPhone SE was ideal for people who love smaller phones. While having a larger display would certainly make the SE more appealing to a lot of people, it would disappoint another group of customers. For some people, Apple should turn the now-discontinued iPhone mini into the iPhone SE 4.
Given all the recent rumors, what would make the iPhone SE ideal for you? Let us know in the poll below and also in the comments section.
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