The iPhone SE will finally get a new look, though it might still appear identical to a two-generation-old mainline model. This nugget of information comes from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who claims that the next “SE” trim could arrive early next year.
“The new model will resemble the iPhone 14, including the notch cutout at the top,” says the report. That means the upcoming iPhone could also be the last Apple smartphone with a physical home button with the integrated Touch ID sensor.
So far, the past two iPhone SE models have fundamentally carried the same design language that was first introduced with the iPhone 8. However, it’s not quite going to be a looker, as the boat-shaped notch was never really an eye candy, and the pill-shaped cutout introduced by the iPhone 14 series is the latest design avatar.
But yeah, with those thick top and bottom bezels gone, we are looking at a bigger screen, though it will most likely still be an LCD panel with a 60Hz refresh rate. The more exciting — and practical — upgrade could be a larger battery and MagSafe support.
AI for all
Yet, the most alluring aspect of the next iPhone SE could be support for Apple Intelligence — the bundle of generative AI features that includes an overhauled Siri, deeper app integration, and a little hand from ChatGPT.
That also means we are getting the latest silicon from Apple. So far, Apple Intelligence has been restricted to the A17 Pro (inside the iPhone 15 Pro pair) and the A18 series that powers the iPhone 16 lineup.
It is plausible that the 2025 iPhone SE could offer the A18, and it won’t be out of character either, given the predecessors’ history. But packing the latest-gen silicon and a more expensive design language is almost a sure sign that we are looking at a price hike.
Once again, that won’t be surprising. Apple charged a 5G tax with the current-gen iPhone SE that goes for $429, and given the added cost of serving generative AI on a phone in terms of pricier silicon and cloud server costs, we might as well brace for the “AI tax” next year.
So far, the next iPhone SE is shaping up to be an exciting upgrade, and especially for folks who only want a pocket-friendly sticker price slapped to a reliably-performing phone, one without all the snazz and jazz of multiple cameras and fancy capacitive buttons.
Bloomberg’s report also mentions the arrival of upgraded iPads next year, alongside a fresh version of the Magic Keyboard for the iPad Air across the 11-inch and 13-inch formats.