iPhone SE 4: Apple Confirms New Product Launch Date Is Almost Here – Forbes
Updated Feb.15 with more details of what’s coming, how it will affect sales and industry commentary.It looks like Apple will unveil the first update to the iPhone SE since 2022 in less than a week, which means we can now be much surer than before of exactly when it will go on sale. And the source of the information we have is impeccable: it comes from a post on X from Apple’s CEO Tim Cook. A full schedule of what’s coming when is at the end of this post. And a reliable commentator has also weighed in to explain what the new iPhone will mean.Is this the tease for the iPhone SE 4?Apple just posted on X in a cryptic comment from Cook. “Get ready to meet the newest member of the family. Wednesday, February 19,” the post read.Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said the announcement will be part of a flurry of product news this week. “On Wednesday, it rolled out its Apple TV+ service to Android phones for the first time. Earlier this week, Apple’s Beats unit launched the Powerbeats Pro 2 with heart-rate monitoring. The company also has invited media to be briefed on news related to its Vision Pro headset on Friday,” he said.Meanwhile, in a post on X, well-regarded commentator Ming-Chi Kuo from TFI Securities comments that the new phone will have a big impact on iPhone sales.“iPhone SE4 shipments in 1H25/2H25 are planned to be approximately 12M/10M, performing slightly better than previous SE models (with annual shipments approaching 20M after launch). This new model will not only reduce the impact of the off-season on shipments, but will also help accelerate the penetration of models that support Apple Intelligence,” Kuo said, highlighting the importance of Apple Intelligence on a more affordable device.But they had more to say. “Using Apple’s self-made modem is also a key point. Qualcomm will review its modem patents after the release of this model and believes that there is a chance that it may be able to obtain part of the patent licensing fees to reduce losses from cancelled orders.”While the existence of an in-house modem has been long rumored, Kuo’s analysis is sharp and interesting.Gurman also mentioned the importance of Apple Intelligence when he reiterated that the new phone may look like the iPhone 14, making it the first iPhone SE with a larger screen and Face ID. It will also “include Apple Intelligence and the A18 chip, which is currently featured in the iPhone 16,” he claimed.Previously, Gurman had claimed that the iPhone SE 4th generation would be announced in the week beginning Monday, Feb. 10, though he later changed his mind and said the unveiling would be week commencing Monday, Feb. 17, which has turned out to be the case.By the way, I suspect this was always Apple’s plan: I don’t think this indicates a delay or change of heart on Apple’s part.You’ll notice there’s no confirmation by name that this is the iPhone SE 4th generation—perhaps because it may have an entirely different name. Mark Gurman also commented on this, saying, “The ‘newest member of the family’ comment from Cook suggests that Apple might be planning to rebrand the iPhone SE, a model that first appeared in 2016.”Rumored replacement names include iPhone 16E, which would be a definite break with the past. Still, seeing as this looks like being the first affordable iPhone with an original rather than an inherited design, it seems a possibility to me.Almost certainly, the next iPhone will see the retirement of the current iPhone SE which means Touch ID will be gone for good. It also means that for the first time since 2007 when the first iPhone was launched, there will be no iPhone with a Home button on the front. The iPhone stalwart feature of almost 18 years will be gone forever in the next few days.All we see is an Apple logo with a liquid metal look to it. It’s true that it could be an iPad or a MacBook that’s being teased, but I’m 100% confident that it’s the new iPhone.Which means the schedule that leads up to the release of the iPhone now, I believe, looks like this.There’s no event, as far as we know and for sure if there were, invites would have gone out by the time Tim Cook posted. So, there’s no certain time as to when the phone will be unveiled, though 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern, 6 p.m. U.K. is always most likely.We’ll see what the iPhone looks like, what it’s called and how much it will cost.It’ll happen through a post on Apple’s Newsroom site, almost certainly.I predict pre-sales will open for the iPhone SE early on the Friday.Reviews of the iPhone SE will begin to appear, whenever the embargo lifts.This will be the big day, I predict.If anything changes, I’ll be updating this post.One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site’s Terms of Service. We’ve summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:So, how can you be a power user?Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site’s Terms of Service.
