iPhone SE Remains Safe Buy as New Model No Longer Expected to Launch Next Year

After speaking with supply chain companies in Asia, Barclays analysts Blayne Curtis and Tom O'Malley believe that Apple is no longer planning to launch a fourth-generation iPhone SE in 2024. In a research note today, the analysts said the device was expected to feature an Apple-designed 5G modem, but the plans appear to be delayed.

iphone se 4 modified flag edges
Apple has reportedly been planning its own modem since at least 2018, and acquired the majority of Intel's smartphone modem business in 2019 to bolster these efforts. However, the analysts said Qualcomm could remain Apple's modem supplier for both the iPhone SE and the iPhone 16 lineup through next year, as it appears Apple's modem is not ready yet.

In February, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that the next iPhone SE would have a similar design as the standard iPhone 14, suggesting that the device would have a 6.1-inch OLED display, Face ID, and flat edges. However, since the new iPhone SE has reportedly been pushed back, Apple's plans for the device could change over time.

Kuo and multiple other sources do not expect the next iPhone SE to launch until 2025 at the earliest, so it would appear that the current model remains a safe buy for now. Released in March 2022, the third-generation iPhone SE features a 4.7-inch LCD display, Touch ID, 5G, a 12-megapixel rear camera, and the A15 Bionic chip. The device starts at $429 in the U.S., making it the most affordable iPhone model in Apple's lineup.

Related Roundup: iPhone SE
Buyer's Guide: iPhone SE (Caution)
Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

Lounge vibes 05 Avatar
10 weeks ago
I wouldn’t call it a safe buy, the 12 mini or 13 mini is going to be better than an SE for about the same price.
Unless you just absolutely need the home button, I don’t think the current SE is a good deal at all.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dantracht Avatar
10 weeks ago
Man have they gotten their money’s worth out of the iPhone 6 design. Going on 9 years!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ApplesAreSweet&Sour Avatar
10 weeks ago

I wouldn’t call it a safe buy, the 12 mini or 13 mini is going to be better than an SE for about the same price.
Unless you just absolutely need the home button, I don’t think the current SE is a good deal at all.
Agree.

Besides the obvious huge steps down like display, cameras and Face ID, if you really go deep and compare every spec and component on SE 3rd Gen., you’ll quickly realize that it’s much much lower value/$ than a 12/12 mini or 13/13 mini.

Even iPhone 11 and 11 Pro are much better spec’d overall if you don’t mind the 2019 SoC.

And it fails miserably in the most important spec, battery life.

-Any usage that requires lots of SOT will kill it in a few hours.

It’s also huge and very heavy for how few cameras and how tiny the battery is. And no Face ID

It should be at least as small as a 12 mini or 13 mini.

Only 1st Gen. SE was a great value/$
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ikramerica Avatar
10 weeks ago

I’m not sure what more they can add other than updating it to support AT&T’s 3.45 GHz 5G spectrum.
SE+?

Would buy one yesterday. My 8+ went swimming and I am trying out a 13 mini but despite having the same resolution plus more than the 8+, it squishes websites and handles many things awkward due to the stupid notch often cutting into content in landscape mode.

The SE is just so low res it’s not worth it but an SE+ would be a thing of beauty
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Havalo Avatar
10 weeks ago
That phone in the picture is extremely teasing and tormenting! Release the the perfect size phone already, Apple...
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
crsh1976 Avatar
10 weeks ago

I wouldn’t call it a safe buy, the 12 mini or 13 mini is going to be better than an SE for about the same price.
Unless you just absolutely need the home button, I don’t think the current SE is a good deal at all.
Agreed, it's weirdly phrased - it's a safe buy because it won't get updated soon, but overall it's still a less than ideal purchase (screen and battery wise at least).
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Details: Action Button, USB-C Port, Face ID, and More

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:34 pm PDT by
Significant changes are expected to arrive with Apple's fourth-generation iPhone SE, in terms of both design and hardware, MacRumors has learned. The iPhone SE 4, known internally under the codename Ghost, is expected to receive a new design derived almost entirely from the base model iPhone 14. According to our sources, the iPhone SE 4 will use a modified version of the iPhone 14 chassis...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 for All iPhones and iPads

Tuesday September 26, 2023 12:47 pm PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates, with the software coming five days after the releases of iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1. Today's iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates arrive as build 21A351 and can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Note that iOS 17.0.2 was previously made available for iPhone...
iPhone 15 Pro Lineup Feature

Kuo: iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Issues Likely Due to Thermal Compromises, Not 3nm Node

Tuesday September 26, 2023 9:12 am PDT by
Complaints about heat issues with the iPhone 15 Pro models are not related to TSMC's 3-nanometer node that was used for the A17 Pro chip, according to well-respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo says that overheating could be caused by "compromises made in the thermal system design" that allowed Apple to cut down on the weight of the iPhone 15 Pro models. Kuo says that the reduced heat...
iOS 17

Everything New in iOS 17.1 Beta 1

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:57 pm PDT by
Just a week after releasing iOS 17, Apple has seeded the first beta of iOS 17.1 to developers. iOS 17.1 adds some features that Apple promised were coming to iOS 17 in the future, plus it refines and improves some existing features. This guide covers everything new in the first iOS 17.1 beta. Apple Music Favorites You can favorite songs, albums, playlists, and artists in the iOS 17.1...
macos sonoma 4

Apple Releases macOS Sonoma With New Widget Features, Safari Updates, Screen Sharing Improvements and More

Tuesday September 26, 2023 10:01 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS 14 Sonoma, the newest version of the operating system that runs on the Mac. macOS Sonoma has been in beta testing for several months, and it is compatible with the 2019 and later iMac, the iMac Pro, the 2018 and later Mac mini, the 2018 and later MacBook Pro, the 2019 and later Mac Pro, and the Mac Studio. The ‌macOS Sonoma update can be downloaded for free on...