The new iPhone SE is shaping up to be a killer mid-ranger thanks to this display leak

(Image credit: Future)

published 2 August 2024

Quick Summary

Reports surrounding the next generation iPhone SE suggest it could be the biggest update yet to the budget iPhone.

The iPhone SE 4 will reportedly use the same OLED display panel as the iPhone 13, but it is also said to have a camera update and processor bump.

As we steam towards September, there are plenty of rumours surrounding what we can expect from the upcoming iPhone 16 models, but the latest report focuses on an iPhone we haven't seen for a while.

The iPhone SE first appeared in 2016, followed by a second-generation model in 2020 and a third-gen in 2022. The design across the three generations is the same, retaining the home button at the bottom of the screen, so the 2022 model now looks rather dated compared to the latest iPhone 15.

Based on the latest rumours, the next iPhone SE – which would be the iPhone SE 4 or iPhone SE (4th generation) as it is more likely to be marketed as – will arrive in 2025 and it will come with some big upgrades.

A report from 91Mobiles claims the iPhone SE (4th generation) will feature the same display panel as the iPhone 13. That might not sound like a big deal initially – the iPhone 13 is coming up to three years old after all – but if true, it means the iPhone SE will move from LCD to OLED display technology.

OLED offers punchier and more vibrant colours compared to LCD, deeper blacks and brighter whites. It would be a significant upgrade, therefore.

The iPhone SE (4th generation) is also expected to ditch the home button at the bottom of the screen and move to a notch at the top. The most recent iPhone 15 models have Dynamic Island over the notch – a feature that was introduced on the iPhone 14 Pro models – but a notch will still mean a significant display increase for the iPhone SE within a similar footprint, and crucially, a design update.

It's reported the display will be 6.06-inches compared to the 6.1-inch panel in the iPhone 13 so some adjustments may need to be made if Apple is going to use an identical panel. The iPhone SE (3rd generation) has a 4.7-inch screen though, so it's a big jump.

There is also said to be a 48-megapixel main camera sensor compared to 12-megapixels, and it could run on the A18 Bionic processor expected to be revealed in September.

All of this is of course not confirmed, but if these rumours ring true, the iPhone SE (4th generation) is shaping up to be quite an exciting little mid-range phone.

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.