Rumors around the iPhone SE 4 are starting to heat up, so it’s no surprise that analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has new details about the phone’s production schedule. According to Kuo, Apple suppliers are expected to begin mass production in December, and it’s projected that 8.6 million of the phones will be ready at some point in Q1 of 2025.
If Kuo is correct, and production goes as scheduled, it means we could see the iPhone SE 4 arrive in the first three months of next year. When exactly isn’t clear, but it’s safe to say that a spring launch could be on the cards.
Both the iPhone SE 2016 and iPhone SE 2022 were released in mid-March, while the iPhone SE 2020 landed in late April. So it’s certainly on brand for Apple to release its low-cost iPhone around that time. My guess is that beginning mass production in December means a March launch is more likely, but that all depends on when it actually starts and whether any issues come up during the process.
Rumors claim that the iPhone SE 4 will adopt an iPhone 14-inspired design, finally ditching its iPhone 8 cosplay after two generations. That established design shouldn’t cause too many problems, especially since we’re not likely to see any new (and potentially problematic) components that might cause delays.
The rumors claim that we could see two iPhone SE 4 models, a regular model with a 6.1-inch display and a 6.7-inch iPhone SE Plus. This new full screen design is also rumored to come with Face ID, alongside other upgrades like a USB-C port, 48MP rear camera, and 8GB of RAM that will help power Apple Intelligence.
The rumors claim that we could see two iPhone SE 4 models, a regular model with a 6.1-inch display and a 6.7-inch iPhone SE Plus .
Rumors also suggest there will be an A18 chipset inside, though this seems like far too recent a chip to go in a low-cost iPhone — so we’ll have to see how that plays out. The phone will certainly need some solid performance power if it’s going to run AI features smoothly.
The most interesting thing is that we might also see the debut of Apple’s long-gestating 5G modem. Reports suggest this component has had a turbulent development cycle, but it might finally be ready for primetime on the iPhone SE 4. Rumor has it that the new 5G modem will slowly roll out across Apple’s cheaper products at first, with flagships like the iPhone 17 sticking with Qualcomm’s 5G modems for the time being.
With all those upgrades the iPhone SE 4 has the potential to give the other best cheap phones a run for their money. Although we won’t know for sure until the phone actually arrives next year. Thankfully it sounds like we’re inching closer to launch, even if it is potentially another five months away.
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