Apple’s next iPhone will launch early in 2025, and the community is eagerly awaiting the iPhone SE, which promises to be one of the most disruptive iPhones in recent years. When will they be able to buy Tim Cook’s latest smartphone?
The iPhone SE will be the fourth generation of the SE. Unlike the regular numbered iPhone releases, the SE is not on an annual release cycle—the last SE was released in 2022. There is no solid rule of thumb on the release date in the same way you can say “the second Tuesday of September” for the cardinal iPhones. Nevertheless, the drumbeat is rising for a late Q1 release of the SE.
When Will The iPhone SE Hardware Launch?
While there is no fixed date for an iPhone SE release, several of Apple’s second-tier products have launched in the late March to early April window. This includes the first Apple Silicon iMacs, the M2 MacBook Pro laptops, the iPad Air 5, and more. In addition to the iPhone SE, Apple is expected to debut the iPad 11 and the iPad Air this spring.
When Will The iPhone SE AI Software Launch?
One of the most significant indicators of the iPhone SE release is Apple’s next update to its generative AI suite. The awkwardly backronymed Apple Intelligence launch has been staggered through the significant iOS releases. iOS 18.1, launched in Oct 2024, brought the first wave of tools, with iOS 18.2 adding additional features, including the toemic ChatGPT.
iOS 18.4 is expected to finish Apple’s first wave of AI tools (just in time for the second-generation roadmap to be presented at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference in June 2025). The code will go into public beta after the launch of iOS 18.3 in late January. You guessed it, The full release date looks like early to mid-March.
Tying together the next release of Apple Intelligence with the next release of an iPhone allows the two products to cross-promote each other. The iPhone SE will be Apple’s cheapest iPhone and support for Apple Intelligence will widen the user base of the AI software to the broadest audience possible.
How Will The iPhone SE Be Launched?
Apple Intelligence, iOS 18.3, the iPhone SE, the new iPads, a potential refresh of macOS on the desktop… It’s a packed portfolio, yet it’s unlikely that Apple will bundle all the hardware into a single showcase event in The Steve Jobs Theatre.
Since the coronavirus pandemic, Apple has launched more products “by press release” rather than an in-person event. It’s likely that the iPhone SE will go down this path; the public will get their first view of the device in a typically slick YouTube video alongside specs and highlights on Apple’s website. That will likely be augmented with online reviews of the new iPhone SE thanks to review units being seeded by Apple’s PR team to influencers and reviewers.
An online-only launch also offers Apple more flexibility. If it needs to be brought forward or pushed back, it’s a few digital edits rather than a jolly of journalists forced to change hotel bookings and flight reservations. Which also makes it harder to pinpoint an exact date.
Waiting For The iPhone SE
Apple’s iPhone SE will launch into a crowded market of high-specification mid-range smartphones. Yet the image of luxury that Apple’s name retains, along with the soft lock-in of iOS and the App Store, will ensure this fourth SE stands out to existing iPhone owners and those looking to upgrade and join the ecosystem.
They don’t have long to wait.
Now read the latest iPhone SE, iPad and AirPods Pro headlines in Forbes’ weekly Apple Loop news digest…
