I’ve been eagerly anticipating the iPhone SE 4 since realizing how amazing this device is shaping up to be — especially compared with its predecessor. Apple is ditching the home button for good, giving its cheapest iPhone the all-screen design it deserves. Face ID is also coming to the new iPhone SE for the first time.
The specs are even more important. The iPhone SE 4 is expected to get the A18 chip that powers Apple’s entry-level iPhone 16 models. The chip comes with 8GB of RAM, and the phone will be ready to run Apple Intelligence features at launch.
The iPhone SE 4’s price will make it extra exciting. Priced between $499 and $599, it could be a huge hit. And if Ming-Chi Kuo’s latest report is accurate, we won’t have to wait too long for it to be released.
Known for his contacts within Apple’s massive supply chain, Kuo routinely reveals details about unreleased Apple products. His latest report on Medium focuses on Apple’s order cuts for the iPhone 16.
Apple reportedly slashed iPhone 16 orders by around 10 million units over the next three quarters. That’s the current three-month period ending in December and the first two quarters of 2025. Apple will supposedly produce 84 million iPhone 16 units in the second half of 2024, 4 million fewer than initial estimates:
Following these cuts, total iPhone production for 4Q24, 1Q25, and 2Q25 is now forecast at around 80 million, 45 million, and 39 million units, respectively, all down YoY (vs. around 84 million, 48 million, and 41 million in 4Q23, 1Q24 and 2Q24, respectively).
In this context, Kuo said Apple will start iPhone SE 4 mass-production in December 2024. Apple supposedly wants to make around 8.6 million units from December 2025 through next March.
This schedule indicates Apple will launch the iPhone SE 4 sometime in early 2025. Previous reports have also said that Apple might launch the iPhone SE 4 early next year, suggesting it could happen towards the start of 2025 rather than early spring.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said earlier this week that Apple will start M4 MacBook Air production in December. He also noted that Apple plans to launch the new Air model alongside the iPhone SE 4, updated iPad Air, and iPad 11 in the first quarter of 2025.
Back to Kuo’s report, there’s also the following quote to consider:
Apple’s iPhone revenue in 4Q24 may not fully reflect the impact of production cuts, as the gap between production and sell-through in 4Q23 was larger than in 4Q24, and the product mix in 4Q24 is more favorable (with increased production of the Pro Max model for Sep-Oct). However, iPhone revenues are expected to come under pressure in 1H25 due to a YoY shipment decline and a less favorable product mix due to the launch of SE4.
The “less favorable product mix” impacting revenue following the iPhone SE 4 launch is good news for buyers. It will only happen if the iPhone SE 4 gets a great price. That price will impact the iPhone’s average selling price, as it’ll convince some consumers to pick the iPhone SE 4 over the pricier iPhones that Apple still sells.
That said, Kuo did not offer specifics about the iPhone SE 4 release date or price. We’re back to waiting for other more leaks to drop.
