iPhone SE Inventory 'Quickly' Dwindling at Apple Stores Ahead of New Model With These Upgrades

Apple is widely rumored to be planning a new iPhone SE, and there is now a fresh hint that the device's launch is approaching.

iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said iPhone SE inventory is "quickly" dwindling at a "large number" of Apple Store locations in the U.S., and he believes this is a "reliable sign" that a new model is on the horizon.

The current iPhone SE is still available to order on Apple's online store.

According to Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone SE 4 will be released around the quarter mark of 2025. That means the device will likely be released this March or April, just like all previous iPhone SE models were.

The new iPhone SE is said to have a similar design as the base iPhone 14. Rumored features for the device include a 6.1-inch OLED display, Face ID, a USB-C port, a single 48-megapixel rear camera, a newer A-series chip and an increased 8GB of RAM for Apple Intelligence support, and the first Apple-designed 5G modem.

The current iPhone SE looks similar to the iPhone 8, with outdated features such as a Touch ID button, Lightning port, and thick bezels around the display. Pricing starts at $429, but at least a slight price increase seems probable for the next model.

Related Roundup: iPhone SE
Buyer's Guide: iPhone SE (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

'New' iPhone SE Product Listing Appears on French Website

Wednesday February 12, 2025 6:49 am PST by
As the wait continues for Apple's long-rumored, fourth-generation iPhone SE, French electronics retailer Boulanger has prematurely published a product listing for a "new" model of the iPhone SE. The placeholder page says the device is "coming soon," but it offers no further information, and the price shown is obviously not real. The listing was spotted by a reader of the French technology...
2007 iPhone

Apple Discontinuing This 18-Year-Old iPhone Feature

Saturday February 8, 2025 3:51 pm PST by
The end of an 18-year era is on the horizon for the iPhone. Apple reportedly plans to announce a new iPhone SE as soon as next week, and the device is expected to feature a full-screen design with Face ID, instead of a Touch ID home button. That means Apple will no longer sell any new iPhone models with a home button, for the first time since the original iPhone launched. The home button...
oppo find n5 fingers

World's Thinnest Foldable Phone Launches Next Week

Monday February 10, 2025 3:05 am PST by
Oppo has confirmed a February 20 global launch for its Find N5, which the company claims is the world's thinnest device in the foldable phone category. The phone is expected to be re-branded as the OnePlus Open 2 in the US. The Chinese vendor has been teasing the device in the last few weeks, touting its waterproofing and nearly invisible display crease, and highlighting its thinness by compa...
m2 macbook air blue

M4 MacBook Air Release Continues to Appear Imminent

Monday February 10, 2025 10:56 am PST by
There continue to be signs of a new MacBook Air with an M4 chip, indicating that we could see the machine launch in the not too distant future. A private account on X today shared the identifiers that the MacBook Air will use, and those identifiers correspond to the M4 chip. According to the source, both the 13-inch MacBook Air and the 15-inch MacBook Air will be equipped with Apple's...
watchOS 11 Thumb 2 1

Apple Releases watchOS 11.3.1

Monday February 10, 2025 10:04 am PST by
Apple today released watchOS 11.3.1, a minor update to the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 11.3.1 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, all Apple Watch Ultra models, and the Apple Watch SE 2. watchOS 11.3.1 can be downloaded by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to...
sequoia

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.3.1

Monday February 10, 2025 10:11 am PST by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.3.1, a minor update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that came out last September. macOS 15.3.1 comes a few weeks after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.3. Mac users can download the ‌‌‌macOS Sequoia‌‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. Apple has also released macOS 13.7.4 and macOS 14.7.4 for those who are...
apple launch feb 2025

Tim Cook Teases an 'Apple Launch' Next Wednesday

Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag. The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle. Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.3.1 With Bug Fixes

Monday February 10, 2025 10:09 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1, minor updates for the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.3.1 comes two weeks after Apple released iOS 18.3. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iPadOS 17.7.5 for those still running...
Powerbeats Pro 2 Orange

Powerbeats Pro 2 Given to Customer Early, Expected to Debut Tomorrow

Monday February 10, 2025 7:42 am PST by
Apple's long-awaited Powerbeats Pro 2 are finally expected to be announced this Tuesday. Ahead of time, one lucky Walmart customer was able to get their hands on the earbuds early, according to a since-deleted Reddit post over the weekend. A leaked image of the Powerbeats Pro 2 in Electric Orange "My local Walmart had them in the cage," the Reddit user explained. "I asked if I can buy them...

Top Rated Comments

Populus Avatar
4 weeks ago

I was planning on waiting for just before the SE 4 is released but it looks like I need to order an SE 3 now if I want one.
Yeah, if you want an SE 3, order it now. The last iPhone with Touch ID, a great device for those that still love LCD displays in a compact form factor. Even today, its A15 chip with 4GB of RAM is very capable of almost anything.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jouster Avatar
4 weeks ago
The main camera on my 12 has failed, so I will be in the market for the SE or a 16. Curious to see how the two are differentiated.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ThatsMeRight Avatar
4 weeks ago

If it has a 6.1 inch screen, won’t it be too similar to the iPhone 16 models? The SE is cheap and small and all these changes will do the opposite.
Don't forget the new SE is not only positioned against the 16, but rather also against the upcoming iPhone 17. They're setting up their new holiday line-up, starting with the SE 4 (or whatever they'll call it). The SE 4 won't be updated for years, so at some point it will also be up against the 18 and likely the 19.

It's going to be the iPhone for those that want things to just work, but don't need fancy features:

- No action button
- Just a single good camera, not 2 or 3 cameras
- No camera control
- No ProMotion (which the 17 will likely get)
- Lower screen brightness
- Maybe no camera features like Audio Mix, Wind Noise Reduction, etc.
- Maybe no new UW chip, no thread, etc.
- 'Old' notch design

In other words: it's an iPhone and you'll get the iPhone experience as it will have a very good camera, very nice display, very good chip, etc... but you're still going to miss out on features. For many people, the notch will feel dated already and they'll automatically rule out an SE 4. Apple has a very good upselling strategy. Just look at their iPads: for 90% of the people, the base iPad is actually all they need... but for just a little bit more, you get the Air with some nicer features... and then, when you're mentally in that territory, the Pro isn't farstretched either.

Apple will do the same here: you'll get a very decent SE... but just for a few hundred more, you get the iPhone 17 with modern notch design, ProMotion, extra cameras, action button, camera control, etc. + whatever new the add to the 17 this fall. (I bet something like ProMotion 90 or even 120).

And then for another $100 or $200, you can actually get the 'very cool looking and ultra slim iPhone 17 Air'.

Oh, and now you're only $100 away from a 17 Pro model.

Also, I'm calling it now: the price will be $499.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Saturn007 Avatar
4 weeks ago
Still looks like far too big a phone for many of us!

How will its actual physical dimensions compare to those of the iPhone SE 2022 — or, of more importance, at least to many of us, to those of the iPhone SE 2016?

I have big hands, but the modern slab iPhones are simply too big and uncomfortable to hold. The iPhone SE 2016 remains the perfect size. Give me a physical home button every day of the week!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacBH928 Avatar
4 weeks ago
high demand for touchID ,home button, and phone size that can be operated by one hand. They shouldn't take this model away.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Expos of 1969 Avatar
4 weeks ago

...and almost no one will pay that. It'll be free with a phone contract, or deeply discounted with pre-paid plans...so the listed price is nearly irrelevant.

The only ones paying almost full price will be corporate customers. The only phone my company offers is the SE.
Not true at all for Europe and possibly other areas outside the US.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)