iPhone SE 4 (2024) will come with A18 chipset and an OLED display

July 24, 2024

Despite initial reports, Apple has not canceled the idea of the fourth-gen iPhone SE altogether. The phone is delayed but will feature the biggest change in the lineup so far such as an OLED display. So, in this article, let’s discuss the latest development in the iPhone SE 4 saga.

iPhone SE 4 Rumors:

A big design shift

Apple is no stranger to reusing designs from its older phones on the SE lineup. B As per the previous rumors, the iPhone SE 4’s display could stretch 6.1 inches with no Touch ID on the bottom, for obvious reasons, as Apple moved to FaceID a long ago. And the classic bathtub notch on top. But now, the rumors are different. Apple will instead use a similar design as the upcoming iPhone 16, including the distinctive notch. This a big shift from the iPhone 8 chassis that Apple had been using for the last two generations. Consequently, the shift from Touch ID to Face ID is imminent.

So, it is also safe to say that this iPhone will also come with a USB Type-C port, although it’s expected to offer slower data transfer speed as compared to the upcoming iPhone 16 Pro series models.

An OLED panel

And finally, we’ll get to see an OLED panel for the first time on an iPhone SE phone. It will be a 6.1-inch panel as per the latest rumors. But Apple is Apple, so, the refresh rate will likely stay at 60Hz which will be too old-fashioned for a 2025 phone.

48MP camera

As always, the iPhone SE 4 will bear a single camera. But this time, it’s gonna be a 48MP shooter that should offer better outputs than the 12MP one on the last-gen SE.

Apple A18

The upcoming Apple iPhone SE 4 will pack an Apple A18 chipset and 6 or 8GB of RAM. Which will bring a major performance boost over the A15 Bionic on the iPhone SE 2022.

The rest of the features

The iPhone SE 4 is also rumored to bring an action button that might sit above the volume controls just like on the iPhone 15 Pro Series.

Also read:

iPhone SE 4 Delayed Launch

The iPhone SE lineup is home to Apple’s most affordable smartphone. And there have been two new iterations since the company dropped the first one in 2016. It was succeeded by iPhone SE (2nd Gen) in 2020, while the third iPhone SE arrived almost two years later in 2022.

Going by this recent timeline, Apple was expected the launch the 4th gen iPhone SE in 2024. However, the company seemed to have dropped the idea altogether. And the main reason for its cancelation was believed to be the lower-than-expected sales of affordable iPhones, including the iPhone SE 3, iPhone 13 mini, and iPhone 14 Plus.

In addition, the added cost of manufacturing the iPhone SE 4 was also said to have played an influential role in Apple’s decision. The reason all of the previous iPhone SEs were relatively affordable was that they all used the same old chassis. However, the company was planning to take a new route with an all-screen panel on the fourth iPhone SE.

Qualcomm could’ve been the biggest winner in this cancellation

Up until now, Apple has been using Qualcomm’s modem in all of its iPhones. However, the company is trying to change that by designing its own RF (Radio Frequency) modem. The initial plan was to test Apple’s first-gen in-house 5G modem in the cheaper iPhone SE before deciding whether the chip was good enough for the premium iPhones.

However, it was believed that with the supposed cancellation of the iPhone SE, Qualcomm will continue to supply RF modules for the iPhone well into 2024. With this, it was almost confirmed Qualcomm will secure its position as the market leader for high-end RF modems in 2023 as well as 2024.