Next year will be an exciting year for iPhone. The iPhone 17 series will introduce an entirely new form factor in one core model. The reportedly ultra-thin and redesigned iPhone 17 Air is understandably attracting a lot of attention. But this is very different from the iPhone, which is the best option for most buyers. Here’s why:
iPhone SE 4 packs the latest power into an affordable model
Apple’s next iPhone will not be the iPhone 17 Air or any of the other 17 models coming out. They won’t arrive until next fall.
First up is the new iPhone SE, which will offer the best value ever for an SE model.
iPhone SE 4 is scheduled to be released this spring. I will briefly summarize the main points.
- iPhone 14 style design with OLED and no home button
- Face ID and notch
- A18 chip added to iPhone 16
- Apple Intelligence support (otherwise 16 and 15 Pro models only)
- 8GB RAM
- 48MP main camera, probably the same as the iPhone 16
- USB-C port
- and the first-ever Apple-designed 5G modem.
- We don’t have any details about battery life, but it will probably be quite powerful. The body will be similar to the iPhone 16 with longer battery life.
All this at an affordable price. Current SE prices start at $429, and we expect the new SE to stay close to that, perhaps as high as $499.
If you read this site frequently, SE may not be all that appealing. 9to5Mac’s audience skews toward buyers looking for the latest and greatest.
But there’s no denying that for most people, the iPhone SE 4 is the best option.
The age of the convenient iPhone
One of the big reasons I recommend the SE 4 to most iPhone buyers is that it doesn’t sacrifice any essentials.
The iPhone has gotten really great over the last few years. Therefore, it is difficult to improve year by year. It’s amazing how much Apple can improve each new iPhone.
Let’s call modern history the era of the “nice to have” iPhone.
Here are some of the big features SE 4 buyers will miss out on if they skip the lower-priced iPhone 16 model.
- action button
- camera control
- Ultra wide-angle and telephoto cameras
- Always on display and ProMotion
- dynamic island
These are great features. However, I would argue that they are all “nice-to-haves” rather than essentials.
- Action buttons and camera controls? These are “extra” buttons that help you accomplish things a little faster.
- Ultra-wide and telephoto cameras? These are “additional” cameras because the main camera is the most important.
- In my opinion, display upgrades are: very I’d be happy to have it, but I don’t miss it even if I don’t have it yet.
- Also, while dynamic islands are fun, they are completely unnecessary for core functionality.
iPhone SE 4 summary: It’s all about the essentials
Everything you do most often on your iPhone works great on iPhone SE 4.
The main camera is an impressive 48MP that takes great photos.
The A18 and 8GB of RAM help you run the latest apps incredibly fast and smoothly.
The Apple Intelligence feature could work on the SE as well as on the more expensive models.
The iPhone SE 4 is so good that Apple had to make the iPhone 16 better than usual.
If you’re like me and always want the latest and greatest, SE isn’t for you.
But for the majority of shoppers, it would be hard to recommend a better purchase than the iPhone SE 4.
What do you think? Is the SE 4 the best one for most shoppers? Let us know in the comments.
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