2 days ago
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New year, new smartphone rumors. This rumor isn’t so new after all. It’s been in the zeitgeist since 2024 when folks were betting that Apple would launch the fourth-generation iPhone SE alongside the iPhone 16. Apple will likely launch the iPhone SE this year, but it will carry a different moniker than you’re used to hearing.
The next iPhone SE will be called the iPhone 16E. The leaker who published the news has posted renders to Twitter/X/whatever of a case that supposedly fits the phone. The iPhone 16E will feature a similar design to the iPhone 14. Rather than rounded edges and less than 5-inch display, the iPhone 16E could have square edges with standard volume buttons, the mute switch off to the left side, and the power button to the right. Apple also plans to drop the Home button. The last iPhone to offer the tactile home button is 2022’s iPhone SE. Perhaps Apple has another iconic “vintage” feature that will be preserved in the iPhone 16E.
We’re still unsure of the source of the iPhone SE’s new name, as this leaker has a mixed track record among Apple blogs. However, the expected name change does align with rumors we’ve been reading about over the past year. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who has a stellar track record of reporting on Apple’s next big thing, mentioned a big “shake-up to the iPhone line” and that Apple would launch the iPhone SE as part of the maelstrom. Gurman also reported that the model would look like the iPhone 14 and have a higher-definition OLED display, so we’re likely looking at a large-screen device compared to the third-gen iPhone SE.
What do you think the “E” stands for in iPhone 16E? My bet is on the word “economical” since this version of the iPhone typically offers the basics of life in the walled garden without all the complicated marketing jargon. Or perhaps it means iPhone “express.” It will have some Apple Intelligence infusion, though likely not as intense as what the iPhone 16/16 Pro can do, which is why I think something silly like “express” could work in this situation (you can tell I’ve never been on a product design team). I could see features like the curated inbox in Mail and better Siri performance being prioritized over apps like Image Playground on a budget iPhone.
So far, the iPhone SE is expected to launch in 2025. The third generation launched in 2022, around late winter/early spring. If analysts’ predictions about production starting in December 2024 are correct, we might be headed for the same timeframe.
