iPhone SE 4 could make iPhone 16 irrelevant – will reportedly include Dynamic Island

(Image credit: Apple)

published 21 January 2025

Quick Summary

Apple is expected to announce a flurry of new products in the first half of this year, with rumours suggesting the iPhone SE 4th generation and new iPads are on the cards.

But it's the iPhone SE 4 that's perhaps most exciting, as it's seemingly coming with Apple's Dynamic Island.

Apple is rumoured to be announcing some new products within the next couple of months. It's claimed we'll see a successor to the entry-level iPad with a powerful enough chip for it to support Apple Intelligence, and it's also said we will see a new iPad Air (M3) too.

Alongside those bigger screen devices however, is the speculation that a new iPhone will also grace us with its presence in the form of the iPhone SE 4. Reports have previously claimed the device would run on the A18 processor, like the current iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, and it is also said to be coming with 8GB of RAM, USB-C for charging and Apple Intelligence.

What else is expected for the iPhone SE 4th generation?

Now a new report suggests there could be even less to differentiate it from the iPhone 16, with an often reliable source claiming the fourth-gen iPhone SE will also adopt Apple's Dynamic Island.

Spotted by 9to5Mac, Evan Blass (@evleaks) posted some code references on X that are said to refer to the iPad Air 11-inch (M3), iPad Air 13-inch (M3), iPad 11th generation and iPhone SE 4th generation.

Blass also posted an image claiming to present the four devices, with each appearing to show a FaceTime call. The image is dark, which makes it hard to pull out specific design elements, though Blass did highlight that he had “colour corrected the phone to highlight the Dynamic Island”, leaving less room for interpretation.

If the iPhone SE 4th generation does offer Dynamic Island, it would be a significant upgrade to the current SE model that still has a Home button at the bottom of the screen and very thick bezels.

We suspect it is unlikely the new iPhone SE will have the Action Button or Camera Control button that you'll find on the iPhone 16 line up, and is it is also said to have a single rear camera rather than dual like the iPhone 16 or triple like the iPhone 16 Pro. But, considering it will surely be more affordable than the standard 16, customers could have an interesting dilemma on which to choose.

This is all speculation for now, of course, but hopefully we won't have to wait to long to find out what the entry-level iPhone will bring to the table.

Britta is a freelance technology journalist who has been writing about tech for over a decade. She's covered all consumer tech from phones, tablets and wearables to smart home and beauty tech, with everything in between. She has a fashion journalism degree from London College of Fashion and previously did a long stint as deputy editor of Pocket-lint, but you’ll now find her byline on several titles including GQ, the Express, the Mirror, TechRadar, Stuff and iMore. You'll never find her without her Apple Watch on, aiming to complete her rings so she can justify the extra bar of chocolate and she loves a good iPhone trick.