Apple is about to launch a new product, the company confirmed last week. It’s presumed to be the fourth-generation iPhone SE, Apple’s most affordable phone. But what, a series of reports have suggested, it’s not that at all, but an all-new iPhone model, perhaps called iPhone 16e?
In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggested as much, doubling down on comments made back in January from various sources.
What if, the theory goes, Apple is launching a phone that’s so different from previous SE models that it doesn’t need to be called SE and should be given a new name to indicate how distinct it is from the SE series?
“Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook announced the event on X last week, saying the company would announce its “newest member of the family.” That seems to imply that the iPhone SE will get a new name and be marketed as an fresh addition to the lineup. Given how drastic the overhaul is to the iPhone SE, a new name makes complete sense,” Gurman said.
I see the logic in this. Apple iPhone SE is identified with a low-cost smartphone which takes an existing design and slavishly copies it, only updating the insides of the phone with a new processor, 5G or other upgrades.
But every report about this week’s launch point to a phone with a completely original design. Sure, it looks like it’s based on the iPhone 14, but that has two cameras and it’s thought this will only have one, perhaps with 48-megapixel resolution.
It’s also not clear whether the new phone will have the Dynamic Island cut-out, or the new Camera Control or a customizable Action button, none of which were on the iPhone 14.
And the processor is likely to be the A18, found in the iPhone 16, as this offers compatibility with Apple Intelligence, surely a shoo-in for the new phone?
In which case, a name that evokes the latest iPhone series could be good, and that puts iPhone 16e in the frame.
Plus, if it doesn’t have SE in the name, the expectation that it will be as affordable as the current model, $429, is diminished. Given the upgrades over the current SE, which include an OLED screen and Face ID, a price increase seems wholly unsurprising.
On the other hand, the SE name has recognition and longevity: it can stay in the range for years, not least because there’s no number in its name.
All will be revealed in the coming hours.
