iPhone SE 4 – 5 upgrades to expect, from a bigger screen to Apple Intelligence

The iPhone SE 4 looks set to launch sometime next year, with analysts and tipsters alike predicting a March release date for Apple’s next budget-friendly model.

The most recent iPhone SE – the iPhone SE (2022), otherwise known as the iPhone SE 3 – hit shelves almost three years ago (it launched just six months after the iPhone 13 series), and much has changed in the smartphone industry since then. Phones are bigger, faster, and more intelligent than ever, with consumers demanding more from even the best cheap phones.

The good news is that the iPhone SE 4 is rumored to boast several key upgrades over the iPhone SE (2022), which should help Apple’s much-rumored next iPhone compete with comparable midrange models from the likes of Samsung and Google. In this guide, then, we round up five of the biggest key upgrades to expect from the iPhone SE 4.

A bigger, better display

Arguably the most significant upgrade rumored for the iPhone SE 4 concerns its display. Where the iPhone SE (2022) uses a 4.7-inch LCD panel, its successor is tipped to use a 6.1-inch OLED display running at a resolution of 2532 x 1170 pixels. That’s essentially the same screen used by the iPhone 14, and since the iPhone SE 4 looks set to (finally) ditch the physical Home button, it will likely look a whole lot like the iPhone 14, too.

Naturally, being a bigger phone, the iPhone SE 4 will reportedly weigh a little more than the iPhone SE (2022) – specifically 165g to the latter’s 144g – but it will, at least, look significantly more modern than its predecessor.

Alas, like the iPhone 14 (and indeed the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16), the iPhone SE 4 will almost certainly be saddled with a 60Hz refresh rate, but it’s worth remembering that this is intended to be a lower-spec iPhone, after all. There is, however, some disagreement over whether the iPhone SE 4 will have a notch or a Dynamic Island – we’d wager the former.

Apple Intelligence compatibility

Another big rumor here: the iPhone SE 4 could support Apple Intelligence, which would make it only the seventh iPhone (after the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max) to do so.

This is significant, because even the iPhone 15 – which launched just over a year ago – isn’t compatible with Apple’s AI feature set. The iPhone SE 4 could therefore be the cheapest entry point into Apple Intelligence, and one of the best AI phones at its price point.

Compatibility with Apple intelligence would also mean that the iPhone SE 4 comes packing an Apple A17 Pro chipset and 8GB of RAM at the very least, since those are the minimum hardware requirements needed to run the software. The phone might even use the A18 chipset found inside the standard iPhone 16, or perhaps an entirely new Apple chipset.

A more powerful camera

The iPhone SE 4 will very likely get a better camera than the almost three-year-old iPhone SE (2022), and the latest rumors point towards a single 48MP rear snapper and a 12MP selfie camera. That might sound disappointing – “Just one camera? In 2024?!” – but the new iPhone SE needs to make compromises somewhere, and a single-lens rear camera is a nice way of differentiating the SE from the rest of the pack.

What’s more, a 48MP main lens is no slouch – in fact, it’s in line with the main camera on the iPhone 14 Pro models and the entire iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 line.

There’s been no mention of a Camera Control button in rumors so far, which makes sense given that Apple is currently pitching it as a premium iPhone feature.

A longer-lasting battery

A fairly run-of-the-mill rumor here, but the iPhone SE 4 will almost certainly get a larger, longer-lasting battery than that of its predecessor. The latest leaks suggest it’ll be an iPhone 14-style 3,279mAh cell, which will surely bring tangible improvements over the “12 hours of battery life” we achieved when testing the previous SE for our iPhone SE (2022) review.

A brand new Apple 5G and Wi-Fi modem

Last but not least, the iPhone SE 4 is tipped to be the first iPhone to use Apple’s brand new 5G and Wi-Fi modem. Admittedly, that’s not a particularly exciting upgrade – it essentially means Apple can build a more tightly integrated and efficient device, which should mean less of a draw on battery life – but it is significant in terms of Apple’s overall product strategy.

As we reported last year, 5G modems are the critical components that allow devices to make calls and connect to the internet. Apple has been racing to develop its own 5G modems in a bid to reduce reliance on expensive third-party manufacturers like Qualcomm and to optimize future iPhone connectivity, and the iPhone SE 4 looks set to be the first beneficiary of this years-in-the-making project.

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Axel is TechRadar’s UK-based Phones Editor, reporting on everything from the latest Apple developments to newest AI breakthroughs as part of the site’s Mobile Computing vertical. Having previously written for publications including Esquire and FourFourTwo, Axel is well-versed in the applications of technology beyond the desktop, and his coverage extends from general reporting and analysis to in-depth interviews and opinion.  Axel studied for a degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick before joining TechRadar in 2020, where he then earned an NCTJ qualification as part of the company’s inaugural digital training scheme.