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The iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max are here, but one member of Apple’s smartphone lineup is still waiting for an upgrade.
The iPhone SE is by many estimations overdue for an upgrade, but new leaks suggest that a refresh could bring a substantial price hike with it. PhoneArena reports that “renowned leaker” Revegnus1 has suggested that the rumored fourth-generation iPhone SE could cost $499 in the US, a $70 increase from the current price of $429 (£429 / AU$719).
However, when you look at the list of possible upgrades coming with the rumored refresh, this price hike starts to make a little more sense.
Chief amongst these upgrades is support for Apple Intelligence, as posited by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in August. Even with the price hike suggested by Revegnus1, the iPhone SE 4 would be the cheapest entry point for Apple Intelligence in Apple’s entire product lineup.
The next-cheapest Apple Intelligence-enabled device would then be the 11-inch iPad Air at $599 / £599 / AU$999, and the next cheapest iPhone with Apple Intelligence would be this year’s iPhone 16 at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399.
A modernized iPhone SE priced at $499 would match Google’s Pixel 8a, also listed at $499 (£499 / AU$849), and would present a serious challenge to Samsung’s budget-ized flagship, the Galaxy S23 FE, listed at $599 (£599 / AU$899).
If Apple Intelligence is coming to the iPhone SE 4, we’d expect to see it ship with either the A17 Pro or A18 chipset and 8GB of RAM, closing the specs gap between the SE and base-model iPhone 16.
The current third-generation iPhone SE was released in 2022, with 4GB of RAM and the iPhone 13’s A15 Bionic chipset inside the design of the iPhone 8 – Touch ID-enabled home button included.
We expect the fourth-generation iPhone SE to use the design of the iPhone 14, with a full-length notched OLED display, Face ID, and USB-C connectivity, though opinions are split on whether it’ll get one or two cameras.
Closing the distance
Releasing an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone SE would track with Apple’s recent efforts to close the distance between its regular iPhone and iPhone Plus and the ultra-premium iPhone Pro and Pro Max.
Apple equipped the base-model iPhone 15 with the Dynamic Island and a 48MP main camera, and with the standard iPhone 16 shipping with the Action Button, Camera Control, and all the specs needed to run Apple Intelligence when it launches in October, the gap is even narrower this year.
An iPhone SE featuring this year’s A18 chipset, 8GB of RAM, and Apple Intelligence would, in theory, offer a very similar software experience to the iPhone 16.
In this case, it’s probable that Apple would differentiate the two models with design and hardware features – we wouldn’t expect to see the more recent Action Button and Camera Control make it to the iPhone SE, though we've previously heard that the Dynamic Island could be present.
Of course, all of the above is based on rumors and leaks for the time being – it’ll be up to Apple to confirm any refreshes, price rises, or spec bumps for the iPhone SE in due time.
Until then, the current iPhone SE is still the best budget iPhone. For more on the latest iPhones, check out our iPhone 16 review, iPhone 16 Plus review, iPhone 16 Pro review, and iPhone 16 Pro Max review.