A leaker with a mixed history has asserted that this year’s iPhone SE will receive a new name to match its updated design: the iPhone 16E.
This budget variant is anticipated to undergo its most significant enhancement to date, finally eliminating the prominent chin and Home button in favor of a contemporary design inspired by the iPhone 14 …
Introducing the iPhone SE
Apple launched the iPhone SE as a more budget-friendly entry point into its ecosystem. The inaugural model launched in 2016 was based on the iPhone 5s, a design that has proven to be quite durable.
While affordability was a core focus, many users downgraded from flagship models to enjoy the compact size, the boxy design (during a time when Apple favored rounded edges), or both.
In 2020, the model was based on the iPhone 8, the last flagship to feature a Home button. The 2022 iteration was merely a slight update, and it remains on the market today. Yet, over seven years since Apple revamped its design language with the iPhone X, the iPhone SE 3 appears increasingly outdated.
The iPhone SE 4, or iPhone 16E
This year’s variant is expected to remedy that situation. Built on the design of the iPhone 14, it will finally present a look that aligns more closely with current flagship models. Although it will feature a notch instead of a Dynamic Island, the difference from its predecessor will be significant.
According to leaker Majin Bu, this fresh design could come with a new name: the iPhone 16E, perhaps styled as the iPhone 16🄴.
Based on information from my source, the upcoming iPhone that Apple plans to unveil in 2025 won’t be called iPhone SE4, but iPhone 16E. It should boast a design akin to the iPhone 14, featuring an OLED display and an action button. The color options will include white and black.
DMN’s Perspective
Majin Bu correctly predicted the Desert Titanium color for the iPhone 16 Pro and the vertical camera layout for the base model iPhone 16 – although the latter had already been reported by other sources by then.
However, there have been inaccuracies regarding other iPhone colors and magnetic interchangeable tips for the Apple Pencil.
The anticipated new design has been widely reported, making it seem almost certain at this point, and the cited colors generally mirror the existing model (which also offers a PRODUCT(RED) variant).
One might argue that such a significant update should indeed warrant a new name, but branding it as the iPhone 16 could lead to confusion, especially when it’s introduced after the rest of the lineup. Therefore, we’re currently approaching this news with a fair bit of skepticism.
Image: DMN collage of images from Apple and Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash
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