A new Apple device is on the horizon. Apple CEO, Tim Cook, has just shared a cryptic social post about “the newest member of the family,” set for a reveal on February 19. As per Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the Apple chief is drumming up hype for the iPhone SE refresh.
The upcoming smartphone is touted to be the biggest overhaul for the “SE” line in years. As per Bloomberg, it will be the first iPhone to come equipped with an in-house modem, ditching long-time partner, Qualcomm. Down the road, such modems will appear in the mainline iPhones and iPads, as well.
Tim Cook teases the new iPhone SE. https://t.co/b14XZfylgL
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) February 13, 2025
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Another reason why the next-gen iPhone SE has stirred strong excitement is a long-overdue design change. It will likely embrace a modern aesthetic language, ditching the thick bezels and physical Touch ID in favor of Face ID authentication and slimmer bezels similar to the iPhone 14 series.
Thanks to the design makeover, the display as well as the battery are rumored to be getting a lift in size and capacity, respectively. Both of them are welcome upgrades. The Lightning port will also be gone, for good, to make way for USB-C port on the fourth-gen iPhone SE.
Over the past few weeks, some leak-based concepts and alleged case renders have given us a glimpse of a familiar design, with one crucial change. There’s just one camera at the back, without any unsightly hump around it.
Notably, it might hit the shelves as the most affordable Apple device to run Apple Intelligence. By that extension, we are expecting an A18 series processor and a minimum 8GB of RAM. Will Apple finally end its stingy streak with internal storage? Well, we’re neither too sure about that, nor too hopeful.
So far, all signs point towards an iPhone SE overhaul that is worth the wait. Fresh looks, blazing fast innards, and an AI-driven software to match. And that raises an all-too-important question: Are we in for another price hike?
Industry veterans are predicting a price tag worth around $500 to make up for all that extensive makeover. To recall, the current-gen iPhone SE landed in the market at $430, with many attributing its generation over generation price hike to the proverbial 5G tax.
With the next iPhone SE, Apple is seriously upping the ante for hardware upgrades, so brace for a financial impact.
