The iPhone SE: A Nostalgic Outlier in Apple’s Lineup
The iPhone SE has always been something of an outlier in the Apple lineup. Sticking rigidly to an older design, the budget phone carries an air of nostalgia, particularly for a time when phones didn’t require at least three hands to hold.
Rumors of the SE 4
If all of the design rumors about the SE 4, reportedly due to be announced next week, are true, I’ll be bitterly disappointed. The days of the ‘small phone’ have been spluttering to an end for a while now. After reportedly low sales, Apple unceremoniously ditched the ‘iPhone mini’ lineup after just two years in 2022, replacing it with just the opposite – the enormous ‘iPhone Plus’. In that landscape, the only option for those who prefer something truly pocketable was the iPhone SE 3, with its iPhone 8-inspired design. But the reported adoption of an iPhone 14-inspired body for this month’s SE 4 suggests Apple will be slamming the door on several features; the Home Button, Lightning port and, most devastatingly for the short-fingered among us, a small size.
A Fan-Made Render of the iPhone SE 4
A fan-made render of the iPhone SE 4
(Image credit: AppleTrack )
The End of Small Phones?
If the iPhone SE does adopt a 6.1-inch display, and every rumor suggests it will, then the era of small phones will well and truly be over. The budget phone is rumored to feature a single camera lens, 60hz display and USB-C port, bringing several contemporary features to the SE model (although it reportedly won’t get a Dynamic Island, just a notch).
A Hand Holding an iPhone 13
I miss the iPhone 13 mini
(Image credit: Jeremy Bezanger via Unsplash)
A Perfect World
But while the need to refresh the internals of the SE make sense, particularly with the advent of Apple Intelligence, I still don’t want the SE 4 to happen. Or at least this version of it. In a perfect world (by which I mean my own very specific perfect world), Apple would use the body of the iPhone 13 mini for the SE 4. It’s no secret that phones have become increasingly addictive, and in my own deeply unscientific opinion, those immersive screens probably aren’t helping. The mini was perfect for those of us who see the phone as a tool rather than a portable IMAX display; something to be whipped out of a pocket when needed, then stowed away and forgotten about. Something that isn’t a bright, shiny brick.
The iPhone SE 4: A Rumored Design
The iPhone SE 4 is strongly rumoured to resemble the iPhone 14
(Image credit: Apple)
Conclusion
Alas, it seems I’m almost alone in my views. The sales figures for the iPhone 13 mini speak for themselves – that is, they were apparently dire. The people simply don’t want small phones. So before the era of small devices finally ends, you might want to snap up the iPhone SE 3 while stocks last. Because in the words of D:Ream, things can only get bigger.
FAQs
Q: What are the rumored features of the iPhone SE 4?
A: The iPhone SE 4 is rumored to feature a 6.1-inch display, single camera lens, 60hz display, and USB-C port.
Q: Will the iPhone SE 4 have a Dynamic Island?
A: No, the iPhone SE 4 is rumored to have a notch instead of a Dynamic Island.
Q: Will the iPhone SE 4 be available in a small size?
A: No, the iPhone SE 4 is rumored to have a larger display, similar to the iPhone 14.
Q: Why do you think the iPhone SE 4 should have a smaller size?
A: I believe that smaller phones are more practical and easier to use, and that the iPhone SE 4 should cater to those who prefer a more compact device.
