Apple iPhone SE 4 leaks: March 2025 release, iPhone 16 chip, larger screen, and higher price

Rumor mill: Apple's next iPhone, the iPhone SE 4, is set to launch in the first half of next year. We previously heard that the handset will receive a slew of features that have trickled down from Cupertino's newer phones, including Apple Intelligence support and Face ID. Now, new leaks have revealed more details about the fourth-generation iPhone SE.

The latest info on the iPhone SE 4 comes from renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. He writes in a Medium post that mass production of the company's cheapest handset will begin this December, with projected production numbers of around 8.6 million units from December 2024 to the first quarter of 2025. It's seems likey that the phone will launch in either March or April, which lines up with reports from last July.

Earlier this month, Bloomberg's Apple expert Mark Gurman wrote that the updated iPhone SE, codenamed V59, will be the company's new entry-level model, but it will feature a number of upgrades over the last update: the 2022 iPhone SE (third generation), which offered 5G connectivity as the most notable improvement over the 2nd-gen handset.

Probably the biggest upgrade in the iPhone SE 4 will be the removal of the home button, meaning the handset will join the other Apple devices that use Face ID. It's said to closely resemble the iPhone 14, including the notch cutout, and use an OLED instead of LCD display.

Gurman also said that the iPhone SE 4 will likely be powered by the same A18 chip found in the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, thereby enabling support for Apple Intelligence.

Now, tipster @Jukanlosreve has posted what's claimed to be the iPhone SE 4's spec sheet on X. The list backs up Gurman's claim that the handset will use the A18 SoC and Face ID, adding that the phone will feature 8GB of LPDDR5X memory, 128GB of storage, a 12MP selfie cam, and a single 48MP camera that uses a Sony IMX904 sensor.

According to the alleged specs, the iPhone SE 4 will also pack Wi-Fi 6, a USB-C port, Bluetooth 5.3, and have a 6.06-inch screen with a 2532 x 1170 resolution. That's a large increase in screen size over the 4.7-inch iPhone SE from 2022, though it does line up with the rumor that Apple is taking design cues from the iPhone 14 for the next SE model.

Other specs include IP68-rated water and dust protection and a 3,279mAh battery, a big jump over the 3rd-gen iPhone SE's 2,018mAh.

As for the price, Jukanlosreve's post has the iPhone SE 4 selling for $499 or $549 in March 2025. A hefty hike over its predecessor's $429 launch MSRP, but Apple will probably justify this by pointing at its advanced features.