iPhone SE 4 Case Corroborates iPhone 14-Like Design Rumors

[aknabi]

well bummer... was hoping (long shot) the mini 13 becomes the SE and they can ride that tooling and hardware curve to maintain margins... and cover those folks who are willing to sacrifice processor (say keeping it 2 gens behind) and camera for size. I'd be fine with iPhone 14 performance in a mini form factor when the 16 comes out.

 

[roger6106]

2025? Why the delay? This should be out now! Maybe Apple's products are good because of the maturation process but I think in some instances, like this, they're shooting themselves in the foot. The iPhone this will replace is OLD tech.

The iPhone SE market is not targeted toward people who want the latest and greatest phones. In my case, I want a budget-friendly phone that will be supported for a long time. The iPhone SE 3 has the same chip in it as the iPhone 14, so it will likely be supported for many years. My wife has the iPhone SE 2, and we will likely wait until 2025 to replace it.

There's a good chance that updating the SE more frequently would increase the cost, alienating the people who are interested in this phone.

 

[mkoesel]

There’s no way this should take another year to release unless Apple has a lot of current stock to sell first.

Just as the original SE replaced the similar 5S midway through its final year, and the SE 2020 replaced the similar 8 midway through its final year, this device appears to be intended to replace the similar 14 midway through its final year.

That said, it could instead replace the 13 instead if it were released now. However, it would leave a slightly strange situation where the middle of the range has Lightning and the top and bottom have USB-C. Not the end of the world, but a little confusing. By waiting until next year, they have a cleaner lineup up with all USB-C devices.

 

[du57in]

What's more likely with Apple's product strategies of late:

Launch SE4 in the coming weeks since it appears to be finalized, which would create an interesting lineup that would be confusing for a year.

Or...

Hold the SE4 until the lineup makes sense and let the tech continue to stagnate or make last minute changes.

Flip a coin.

 

[one more]

If this goes ahead, it will be the first SE model ever with remodelled chassis.

 

[Zaius the Doctor]

For some of us who are in our upgrade year (coming from an XR here), waiting for the SE4 to save money over the 16 Pro is interesting.

 

[HighDesert50]

I have tried using my wife's iphone 15, but find the size unwieldy and too large to suit my active life style. Hence, I am still using my iphone 8. I do not intend to upgrade to this larger size, so I am curious as to what other users might be considering as alternatives in smaller sized phones.

 

[seek3r]

I have tried using my wife's iphone 15, but find the size unwieldy and too large to suit my active life style. Hence, I am still using my iphone 8. I do not intend to upgrade to this larger size, so I am curious as to what other users might be considering as alternatives in smaller sized phones.

13 Mini is still going to be fully supported for 2-3 more years at least. I made the jump from my old 8 to my mini when it came out, the mini is slightly smaller physically but with a much bigger screen (no chin or forehead, much smaller bezels), so a win/win. That’d be my rec for now

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Isn't this quite early for a product that won't come out, supposedly, before 2025? Usually cases are coming out a month or two in advance of the actual phone I believe.

 

[sw1tcher]

Isn't this quite early for a product that won't come out, supposedly, before 2025? Usually cases are coming out a month or two in advance of the actual phone I believe.

I guess that means we're getting the iPhone 16 in May or June then seeing as the first iPhone 16 case was posted about 4 days ago (March 29, 2024)

First iPhone 16 Cases Outline New Rear Vertical Camera Bump

Photos of the first iPhone 16 cases have been shared online, offering another preview of the rumored new vertical rear camera arrangement on the...

www.macrumors.com

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

I guess that means we're getting the iPhone 16 in May or June then seeing as the first iPhone 16 case was posted about 4 days ago

First iPhone 16 Cases Outline New Rear Vertical Camera Bump

Photos of the first iPhone 16 cases have been shared online, offering another preview of the rumored new vertical rear camera arrangement on the...

www.macrumors.com

Interesting, then I am way off! But still, I assume we expect the SE4 in spring, and the iPhone 16 half a year before that?

 

[elfxmilhouse]

they need to make sure this is released with decent specs and storage. If I can get a small phone with latest SOC and 1TB I'd be all over it.

 

[sw1tcher]

Interesting, then I am way off! But still, I assume we expect the SE4 in spring, and the iPhone 16 half a year before that?

What I'm thinking will happen is fall iPhone 16 release with A17 Pro chip, unless there's going to be a regular A17 chip or Apple develops an A18 chip for non-Pro iPhones and an A18 Pro chip for Pro iPhones.

Then, iPhone SE 4 gets released in Spring (like with previous SE releases) 2025 with same A-series chip found on the non-Pro iPhone 16.

 

[sw1tcher]

they need to make sure this is released with decent specs and storage. If I can get a small phone with latest SOC and 1TB I'd be all over it.

If it's like with past SE releases, there won't be a 1TB option. There probably won't even be a 512GB option. The highest capacity SE is 256GB.

There isn't even a 1TB option for the iPhone 15 or 15 Plus. Highest capacity for both are 512GB.

Apple thinks only Pro users want/need 1TB of space.

 

[scorpio vega]

2025? Why the delay? This should be out now! Maybe Apple's products are good because of the maturation process but I think in some instances, like this, they're shooting themselves in the foot. The iPhone this will replace is OLD tech.

The phone it replaces is a budget iPhone. So it doesn’t need the same iPhone life cycle as the regular and pro

 

[scorpio vega]

If it's like with past SE releases, there won't be a 1TB option. There probably won't even be a 512GB option. The highest capacity SE is 256GB.

There isn't even a 1TB option for the iPhone 15 or 15 Plus. Highest capacity for both are 512GB.

Apple thinks only Pro users want/need 1TB of space.

Pro users usually the ones who do need 1 tb.

A base level model iPhone user is clearly not trying to pay pro prices so egg would they buy an iPhone with 1 tb.

A poll here on MR showed most ppl (everyday consumers) are barely using 1/5 of their storage.

 

[sw1tcher]

Pro users usually the ones who do need 1 tb.

A base level model iPhone user is clearly not trying to pay pro prices so egg would they buy an iPhone with 1 tb.

A poll here on MR showed most ppl (everyday consumers) are barely using 1/5 of their storage.

I agree with you that many people don't need 1TB of space, but I find it funny that Apple is currently running an iPhone 15 ad highlighting the huge 128GB of space 😂

128GB isn't much for people who take a lot of photos/videos

Humorous Apple Ad Highlights iPhone 15 Storage

Apple's latest ad for the iPhone 15 models focuses on the device's storage, highlighting the 128GB of available storage space for the...

www.macrumors.com

Apple's latest ad for the iPhone 15 models focuses on the device's storage, highlighting the 128GB of available storage space for the entry-level device.

 

[elfxmilhouse]

If it's like with past SE releases, there won't be a 1TB option. There probably won't even be a 512GB option. The highest capacity SE is 256GB.

There isn't even a 1TB option for the iPhone 15 or 15 Plus. Highest capacity for both are 512GB.

Apple thinks only Pro users want/need 1TB of space.

exactly. the media and apple keep saying the "people don't want a small phone".

People don't want a gimped small phone.

if the iPhone 12 mini and 13 mini came with high refresh display and 1TB I'd still be using them. I had to get the 15 pro to get the 1TB and nice screen. I don't want a larger phone but the pro is the smallest I can get with the specs I want.

 

[scorpio vega]

I agree with you that many people don't need 1TB of space, but I find it funny that Apple is currently running an iPhone 15 ad highlighting the huge 128GB of space 😂

128GB isn't much for people who take a lot of photos/videos

Humorous Apple Ad Highlights iPhone 15 Storage

Apple's latest ad for the iPhone 15 models focuses on the device's storage, highlighting the 128GB of available storage space for the...

www.macrumors.com

Apple's latest ad for the iPhone 15 models focuses on the device's storage, highlighting the 128GB of available storage space for the entry-level device.

View attachment 2364805

128 gb is plenty for base iPhone users.

 

[foobarbaz]

iPhone mini doesn't exist anymore. SE is what you buy if you want a small cheap device.

SE is what you buy if you want a cheap device.
Nothing is going to be small anymore.

 

[foobarbaz]

exactly. the media and apple keep saying the "people don't want a small phone".

People don't want a gimped small phone.

if the iPhone 12 mini and 13 mini came with high refresh display and 1TB I'd still be using them. I had to get the 15 pro to get the 1TB and nice screen. I don't want a larger phone but the pro is the smallest I can get with the specs I want.

To be fair, the mini was pretty much identical to the regular iPhone, but it still sold a lot, lot less than that one, unfortunately.

Certainly, there would be buyers of a Pro mini phone, including you and me, but what makes you think that it would have a higher share in the Pro segment than the regular mini had in the base segment? (And that's besides the fact that more features also take more space, shrinking the battery even further.)

It would also lose buyers who don't want to pay Pro prices, so my guess is that sales would be about the same.

I mourn the mini, but I don't doubt the market realities. People want stupid*-sized phones just like they want stupid-sized vehicles.

* No offense intended. People are allowed to like what they like. It's just frustrating to be an outlier.

 

[celo48]

Noooooo more Touch ID, nooooo

 

[eatrains]

iPhone mini doesn't exist anymore. SE is what you buy if you want a small cheap device.

An iPhone 14-sized device isn’t small.

 

[Aoligei]

exactly. the media and apple keep saying the "people don't want a small phone".

People don't want a gimped small phone.

if the iPhone 12 mini and 13 mini came with high refresh display and 1TB I'd still be using them. I had to get the 15 pro to get the 1TB and nice screen. I don't want a larger phone but the pro is the smallest I can get with the specs I want.

A miniature phone with high end spec selling $100 dollar less than Pro.

Current iPhone 15 Pro is $999USD. Let’s see, if there is iPhone 16 Pro mini, Apple would sell $899 or Apple would sell it for $999 and bump iPhone 16 Pro to $1099 and iPhone Pro Max to $1199.

Based on history, it will be latter. Now, for $100 dollar more, one gets better larger display, probably better camera, way better battery endurance. Why would anyone go for $999 iPhone 16 Mini? I guess you want it and some ppl in the forum maybe want it. But who does iPhone 16 mini targeting and how big the target audience is?

If mini iPhone failed with regular version why do you think mini Pro iPhone will be successful?

 

[Aoligei]

An iPhone 14-sized device isn’t small.

Current iPhone SE is small, but it is severely outdated and overpriced in my opinion. Lots of used iPhone SE 3 in used market for lot less.