'Glowtime' event won't feature an iPhone SE 4 surprise — but maybe it should
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When Apple shows off its latest iPhones on Monday at the September 9 "Glowtime" product launch event, we're expecting to see four models. Conventional wisdom holds that a standard iPhone 16 will appear alongside a Plus version and two iPhone 16 Pro models. And that's supposed to be it.
But there's been a lot of chatter in recent days about another iPhone crashing the party. Specifically, some people are speculating whether a new version of the iPhone SE might be a part of Apple's launch party plans. And that would certainly count as a surprising appearance since the most recent iPhone SE 4 rumors have that device shipping sometime next year.
I hate to throw water on everyone's good time, but I think there's absolutely no chance that Apple will show off the iPhone SE 4 this coming Monday. But at the same time, I also think that maybe it should.
Why there's iPhone SE 4 speculation
You would think Apple would have enough on its hands with four iPhones to introduce to the market, not to mention any Apple Watches, AirPods or software updates it plans to talk about as well. And yet, a Google search for "iPhone SE 4" turns up several instances of people trying to wish the upgraded model into existence ahead of its more likely ship date in 2025.
The impetus for all this SE speculation seems to be a report in Bloomberg that mentioned the iPhone SE (2022) is among the Apple products in short supply these days. Low inventory is usually a sign that a successor is on the way, and an upcoming iPhone launch event might be the perfect time to show off that new model.
There are just three problems with this kind of thinking. For one, if an iPhone SE 4 launch were happening just days from now, we'd have seen more leaks and renders about it. Consider the iPhone 16, which has been so thoroughly detailed by different leakers that one of us could probably stiff-arm our way past Tim Cook on to the Apple stage Monday and give a pretty thorough round-up of new features and enhancements on our own.
Second, I'm pretty sure Apple would like everyone to focus on its more expensive models rather than a new version of its least expensive iPhone. The push toward equipping the iPhone Pro models with more standout features — something likely to continue with the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max — suggests that Apple would rather rack up sales of devices with high average selling prices than run up the score on unit sales with a cheaper model. No iPhone SE until the spring leaves the iPhone 16 models to grab a larger chunk of the upgrade market.
Finally, I'm not sure that Apple is all that bothered by having a discount iPhone that's been available for more than 2 years or that supplies seem to be drying up. The company has always had an ambivalent attitude toward the midrange market — "We're not in the junk business," Cook famously said nearly a decade ago — and if you recall, Apple went four years between the release of the original iPhone SE and its 2020 follow-up.
Why we need an iPhone SE 4 sooner rather than later
Apple's competitors in the midrange phone market aren't in the junk business, either.
But maybe Apple should be a little bit more concerned about the midrange market than it's been letting on. That's because its competitors in that space aren't in the junk business, either — phones that cost around $400 to $500 are adding more sophisticated features and polished looks. Google's Pixel 8a and the OnePlus 12R are particular standouts for packing a lot of value into more affordable handsets, for starters, and don't overlook the steady improvements Samsung has been making to its Galaxy A series of midrange devices.
Meanwhile, the iPhone SE has stood in one spot while similarly priced phones charge past it. The SE's design is stuck in the last decade. It still uses an LCD panel, not an OLED one. And good luck trying to take a decent photo with the iPhone SE's single camera in low light, as there's no Night Mode on that phone.
You do get the sense that Apple recognizes something needs to be done based on rumors surrounding the iPhone SE 4. A rumor emerged this week that the next model will make the switch to an OLED screen. We've also heard that the iPhone SE will turn to the same A18 system-on-chip slated for the iPhone 16; increase the amount of RAM on the new SE, and it sounds like that phone will have the horsepower to run Apple Intelligence features.
So to put it another way, the iPhone SE 4 may not be showing up any time soon, but when it does, it's going to be a significantly more capable phone than it is now. If that means we have to wait until next March for a release date, then it's probably something budget-minded iPhone fans can live with.
Push back an iPhone SE update any longer, though, and the lack of a new model becomes even more glaring, especially with all those Android phone makers churning out increasingly better devices at reasonable prices.
The iPhone 16 models expected on Monday are going to introduce a lot of welcome new features and enhancements. But one thing you won't find in Apple's new product lineup is a more modern handset that costs less than $500. Apple's gambling that midrange phone buyers will be willing to wait a little while longer, but it's running the risk of testing their patience if the iPhone SE 4 doesn't appear soon.
