Tim Cook teased the “newest member of the family” last week on X, seemingly confirming what the leaks have been saying. The iPhone SE 4, Apple’s cheapest new iPhone, will be unveiled on February 14th. It should generate plenty of interest in the coming months.
Cook might not have named the product launching this week, but the iPhone SE 4 is the only Apple product that makes sense to get a mid-February launch. iPhone sales were down in the December quarter, and while Apple reported record revenue for the period, it couldn’t have liked the drop in iPhone sales.
The iPhone did the worst in China, one of Apple’s most important markets. A $500 iPhone SE 4 that looks like an iPhone 14 and behaves like the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus is a device many buyers should consider. Launching the handset as soon as possible makes the most sense.
Speaking of names, there might not be an iPhone SE 4 in Apple’s lineup come Wednesday. Technically, Apple would call it the iPhone SE (4th generation) if it were to use that name. But Apple is expected to coin a new marketing term for this special breed of iPhone rather than rely on a product name that might hurt the phone.
A few weeks ago, rumors said the iPhone SE 4 would be known as the iPhone 16E. At the time, I said the name fits much better for a phone that will essentially be one of the best iPhones you can buy right now.
The iPhone SE 4 will offer better performance than the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15, devices Apple still stells. The handset will rock iPhone 16-grade hardware so it can run Apple Intelligence features. That means an A18 chip paired with 8GB of RAM.
Apple has made obvious compromises to keep the price at around $500. The display has a notch instead of a Dynamic Island at the top, and the rear camera has a single lens. Also, Apple will introduce its own 5G modem with the iPhone SE 4, which should help it save money.
All that makes the iPhone SE 4 a more interesting handset than the previous-gen iPhone SE models. Those devices always featured high-end hardware on par with the same-year flagships. For example, the iPhone SE 3 matches the power of the iPhone 13 and 13 mini. Some of the previous iPhone SE models sold very well, too. But the iPhone SE name is synonymous with a phone with huge bezels and a Touch ID button. That name could hurt the iPhone SE 4 sales.
Mark Gurman, who said in previous weeks that the iPhone SE 4 was imminent, mentioned the name change in his latest Power On newsletter. However, he didn’t confirm the previously leaked iPhone 16E moniker.
The Bloomberg reporter said that Cook’s teaser, the “newest member of the family,” may indicate that the iPhone SE 4 will get a new name. In turn, Apple will market it as a new addition to its lineups. “Given how drastic the overhaul is to the iPhone SE, a new name makes complete sense,” Gurman concluded.
I’ve been thinking that way ever since the iPhone 16E rumor. The phone deserves a new name to set it apart from the iPhone SE of the past.
I can also see a scenario where Apple discontinues the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus come Wednesday. Once the $500 iPhone SE 4 launches, there’s no reason to buy the $599 iPhone 14, which can’t support Apple Intelligence. Not to mention that the iPhone 14 models aren’t available in Europe anymore, as they come with Lightning ports instead of USB-C.
There’s no point in manufacturing the iPhone 14 now that the iPhone SE 4 is coming out, no matter what name the latter gets. It’s all speculation for now, but we’ll cross that bridge come Wednesday, when Apple will refresh its iPhone lineup.
