Apple users fond of smaller screens might feel a bit disappointed after seeing the recent leaked renders purportedly depicting the iPhone SE4. The cherished small-screen SE series, now devoid of a Home button, seems to have transitioned to a 6.1-inch OLED display. With just a single rear camera, how does it differ from the mini version?
Specifically, the iPhone SE4 will adopt a notch design akin to the iPhone 13/14 series, incorporating Face ID facial recognition technology. In terms of rear camera setup, it continues the single-camera approach of its predecessor.
Dimensions are 147.7mm x 71.5mm x 7.7mm, similar to the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14. The bottom features a USB-C port, and there are rumors suggesting the iPhone SE4 might come with physical buttons, although this cannot be confirmed from the renders at present.
The model is expected to be released in 2025. There were initial reports suggesting that the iPhone SE4 would be launched earlier this year, but due to some setbacks in Apple's in-house 5G baseband chip development, it got delayed. However, there's a possibility it might debut alongside the iPhone 16 series at this year's fall Apple event.
In terms of pricing, the iPhone SE4 is likely to be around 3000 CNY. For reference, the iPhone SE3, which was released in 2022, features a 4.7-inch LCD display, Touch ID, 5G, a 12-megapixel rear camera, and an A15 Bionic chip. The starting price for the Chinese version was 3499 CNY.
If the iPhone SE4 were to be released alongside the iPhone 16 series, introducing an affordable model might indeed help stimulate sales, which would undoubtedly be beneficial for Apple. However, it's hard to say whether this extensively redesigned iPhone SE4 would still attract as many enthusiasts of smaller screens.
The iPhone SE4 release date is still uncertain, but according to the latest reports, Apple is expected to announce new products this week through a press release. However, the specific details of the new products are yet to be revealed, but it's likely to be related to "new iPad/Mac or accessory products."
Among the speculated products expected to be announced are two new iPad Pro models equipped with the M3 chip and OLED display, a new Magic Keyboard designed for the iPad Pro, two new iPad Air models (including the first-ever 12.9-inch model), at least one new Apple Pencil, and new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models powered by the M3 chip.
Since Apple is expected to release iOS 17.4 "special version" by the end of March to support the new hardware, it's speculated that these devices will be available for purchase by the end of March or in April. While it's uncertain which products will be released exactly, there's anticipation for new products before the launch of the iPhone 16 series.
Since you mentioned that Apple will release a special version of iOS 17.4, let me briefly explain it to everyone. iOS 17.4 "special version" will introduce a series of significant adjustments aimed at complying with the EU's Digital Markets Act, ensuring that its core services such as the App Store meet the requirements of the legislation.
As early as January, the developer preview Beta of iOS 17.4 pushed by Apple included some content related to large language model technology, which may become an important tool for Apple to enter the AI era.
