iPhone SE 4 could launch sooner than you think – here’s everything we know so far
Rumours suggest that Apple's iPhone SE 4 might arrive sooner than the expected March/April launch, bringing with it a fresh look and new name.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has announced on X to "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family".
He said the announcement is happening on 19 February 2025, which should be the early hours of 20 February for us Aussies.
Those are all the 'official' details we know so far though we do have a fair bit to speculate on.
The rumour mill began buzzing when Bloomberg's Mark Gurman wrote in his Power On newsletter, "Apple's new iPhone SE coming this week will kick off one of the most pivotal periods in the iPhone's nearly two-decade history".
However, his predicted timeline seems to be a few days off given Cook's latest post.
Since we're not expecting an Apple event, we can loosely guess that the iPhone SE 4th generation will be announced via a press release.
How much will the iPhone SE 4 cost in Australia?
The iPhone SE 3rd generation model last came out in 2022 as a budget-friendly alternative to Apple's premium flagships.
Prices began at $719 for 64GB, $799 for 128GB and $969 for 256GB.
Gurman predicts a price hike to match an upgraded handset - expect improved performance, a better camera, and a new design (more on that shortly).
Based on a report from Phone Arena, prices could start at USD$499, which is roughly $790 in Australia. But if the starting model has just 64GB of storage for that price… well, that'll be a letdown.
Either way, it's hard to imagine prices starting above the $800 mark. You'd also want to keep a decent gap between the iPhone 16 128GB model, which starts at $1,399, and the new iPhone SE 256GB.
Will the iPhone SE get a new name and a brand-new look?
Based on the rumour mill, that's a yes and a yes.
Apple will likely launch it as iPhone 16 FE, similar to Samsung's own naming convention for FE models.
Tipster @ZONEofTECH has listed all the leaked specs we know of so far and I've added a bit more flair based on other tidbits going around:
- 6.1-inch OLED display screen with a 60Hz refresh rate. This means the screen refreshes 60 times per second, which is what you get on the base model of the iPhone 16
- It'll be the first all-screen front for an SE model might look a little bit like the iPhone 14 and have thinner bezels.
- Apple A16 Bionic chipset which first appeared in the iPhone 14 Pro.
- A single 48MP camera more powerful than the iPhone 14, plus a 12MP selfie camera
- 3,279 mAh battery
- Aluminium frame, glass back
- 1P68 rating
- Face ID unlock
Since 19 February isn't too far away, the next time you hear from me will likely be when the iPhone SE 4 (or iPhone 16 FE) is officially announced!
UPDATED 14 February 2025: We updated our story with an announcement from Tim Cook that the newest member of the Apple family is coming soon.
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