Apple is set to shake up its affordable iPhone lineup with a brand-new iPhone SE, expected to be announced as early as next week. If the rumors are true, this will be the most significant update the SE series has ever seen—bringing Face ID, a larger display, and a sleek, modern design while finally saying goodbye to the iconic home button. Here’s everything we know so far.
A Radical Redesign: No More Home Button
Since its debut in 2016, the iPhone SE has held onto a familiar design, retaining the classic home button and thick bezels. However, that’s about to change. Apple is reportedly ditching the home button for good, replacing it with Face ID and a notched display similar to the iPhone 14. While some hoped for the newer Dynamic Island design, Apple appears to be keeping the SE slightly behind the curve, as it has in previous generations.
A leaked video from Majin Bu shows what appears to be a non-functional dummy unit of the upcoming SE, likely used by case manufacturers. The footage confirms the notched display and a slimmed-down bezel, making this SE look more like a modern iPhone than ever before.
The Action Button Joins the Party
Another exciting addition is the Action Button, a feature previously reserved for Apple’s high-end iPhones. However, this SE model reportedly won’t get the new Camera Control feature introduced with the iPhone 16. The SE will also maintain a single rear camera setup, but leaks suggest Apple might equip it with a 48MP main sensor, a significant jump from the previous model, alongside a 12MP selfie camera.
A Bigger and Better Display
The new iPhone SE is expected to sport a 6.1-inch OLED display, replacing the small 4.7-inch LCD panel found in the 2022 model. This means the SE will no longer be the compact iPhone choice—it’s going full-sized, aligning with the dimensions of the standard iPhone 16. With this change, Apple is effectively eliminating small-screen iPhones, leaving fans of compact devices with no new alternatives. Reports estimate the new SE will be about 9mm taller and 25g heavier than its predecessor.
Flagship-Level Power
Apple isn’t holding back when it comes to performance. The SE 2025 is rumored to be powered by the A18 chip, the same processor found in the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro. This move follows Apple’s tradition of pairing cutting-edge chips with more budget-friendly hardware. The phone is also expected to come with 8GB of RAM, a necessity for running Apple Intelligence, the company’s new AI-powered features.
Perhaps the most intriguing change is that this SE will debut Apple’s first in-house 5G modem, replacing Qualcomm’s components. However, early reports suggest that Apple’s modem might be a downgrade compared to current flagship iPhones, lacking support for mmWave 5G and sticking to sub-6GHz connectivity—similar to the previous SE.
Launch Date and Pricing
While previous leaks pointed to a March or April release, Bloomberg now reports that Apple will announce the new SE next week, with a retail launch later in the month. Pricing is expected to start at around $500, a slight increase from the 2022 model’s $429 base price. To compensate, Apple is rumored to be making 128GB the default storage, effectively eliminating 64GB iPhones from its lineup.
Interestingly, some leaks suggest that Apple might rename the SE series altogether. A few sources claim it could be called the iPhone 16E, but given the popularity of the SE branding, it’s more likely that Apple will stick with the familiar name.
If Bloomberg’s timeline is correct, we won’t have to wait long to find out. This SE launch will be just the beginning of a big year for Apple, with the company reportedly planning to unveil a thinner iPhone 17 Air and major updates to the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro later in 2025. One thing is clear—Apple’s budget phone is stepping into a whole new era.
Source: theverge.com
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