I think the iPhone SE4 could break new ground for Apple here's how

Date:
Sat, 28 Dec 2024 15:00:00 +0000

Description:
With the new iPhone SE heavily tipped to use Apple Intelligence, could this
be the start of a new chapter for the iPhone?

FULL STORY ======================================================================

As we approach the end of the year, its almost impossible not to wonder what new changes will be coming to the tech world over the next 12 months - and it looks likely to be an intriguing year for the iPhone.

For once, its not about speculation surrounding the next flagship phone - the iPhone 17 range thats likely to hit in the latter part of the year - but to
do with the heavily-rumored iPhone SE 4 .

Were starting to get used to expecting a new lower-end iPhone model from
Apple every couple of years. But theres something a bit different in these rumors thats caught my attention - and its nothing to do with the rumored hardware (such as a larger screen, Face ID or others, which you can read all about in our iPhone SE 4 leaked feature roundup ).

No, the thing thats got me is the strong possibility that the new iPhone SE could be coming with Apple Intelligence baked in, which would be huge for a phone tipped to be sold for under $500. Smarter than your average budget
phone (Image credit: Apple)

Up until now, Apple Intelligence has been firmly marketed as available on the most expensive iPhones: the iPhone 15 Pro range and the latest iPhone 16 models.

While this is still all firmly speculation, to bring the AI capabilities to a lower-end model could be a huge selling point for Apple.

If it can build momentum for the features, it could help attract (and keep hold of) people who want to upgrade their smartphone but dont care to spend huge amounts on a new phone just to get a bit of a spec bump.

While some buyers want multiple cameras and have strong opinions about the notch at the top of the screen, many others just want an iPhone - its what theyve used happily for years and have an ecosystem of gadgets that it slots into.

These folks could well be enticed by an iPhone that can rewrite their emails in different styles, or enjoy sharing custom emoji with family group chats. But only if its at the right price. A new potential poster child (Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)

This idea of the iPhone SE range being the cheap way to get some of the
latest phone functionality isnt new - after all, the iPhone SE 3 was Apples way of offering 5G connectivity without needing to spend close to $1,000.

However, while the iPhone SE 4 would need a more powerful chipset to handle any Apple Intelligence features, that AI heart could bring improvements throughout the phone without the need for loads of other new hardware.

Apples promised updates to its suite of AI-powered tools will be available
in the months to come , and that could tie in nicely with the expected spring launch for the latest iPhone SE. These additions will be important, as while the changes that came in iOS 18.1 and 18.2 (such as Image Playground and ChatGPT support) are OK, theyre not earth shattering.

If the intended new features are as useful as theyre rumored to be , such as on-screen awareness allowing users to simply ask the phone to interact with things that appear on the screen (such as editing a photo or saving a phone number sent), then they could entice users of older iPhones to upgrade.

So if the iPhone SE 4 does come with Apple Intelligence, I can easily imagine most of the launch being about bringing Intelligence to an even lower price point as the brand looks to enhance the functionality of its phones in new areas. Taking cues from Google? (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

All this reminds me heavily of 2019s Google Pixel 3a - the a range being the budget version of the flagship Pixel phones from the search giant, the
closest equivalent to Apple iPhone SE models.

What was interesting there was that Google had brought many of the high-end photography features from the more expensive Pixel phone to the budget model. Using the on-phone AI smarts, owners of the sub-$400 phone were able to get access to advanced photography features like Night Sight (one of the earliest examples of computational photography being used to enhance night scenes).

AI was being used to add new powers without the need for expensive extra hardware, and thats what could be on offer with Apples iPhone SE4 if the rumors turn out to be true.

If thats the case, then well likely see an acceleration in the race to use on-device intelligence to enhance whats already there. Were seeing that already - every brand is using algorithms to improve photographs, battery
life and performance - but finding new ways to help users day to day using machine learning will be especially powerful at a lower price point.

If Apple does decide to make Intelligence the headline feature of the new iPhone SE 4, the success could depend on whether the new capabilities are alluring enough.

Users could be loath to ditch their fingerprint sensor, or be worried about going up to a big phone (although 6.1 inches is still below the worldwide average smartphone display size ). This is where the word of mouth or demonstrations from friends will be invaluable to Apple, with people keen to show off their AI artwork or being able to quickly do tasks that used to require more effort.

Of course, its unlikely the iPhone SE 4 will get all the Apple Intelligence features; things such as Visual Intelligence need the Camera Control
hardware, and by locking certain capabilities to the higher-end models it
will still give a reason for others to buy the more expensive models. Should
I wait? (Image credit: Jon Prosser / Ian Zelbo)

So what does that mean for you, especially if youre considering buying a new phone in the near future? Id be sorely tempted to at least wait and see if Apple does, indeed, launch a new iPhone SE in the early part of 2025.

Thats because I want to know how the rollout of Apple Intelligence will continue, how long the full suite of promised features takes to arrive, and whether the rumored release date for those line up with the predicted launch of the new SE.

The key thing will depend on momentum. If Apples marketing campaigns for Intelligence continue apace, and showcase the new capabilities in onscreen awareness combined with enhanced photo editing or the like, then it could be
a compelling reason for some to upgrade to a new iPhone for less than they might have expected. You might also like After 3 years I still havent ditched my iPhone and gone back to Android, and I cant believe it Im a die-hard Apple fan, but even Ill admit that the Google Pixel 9 Pro is the best-looking phone of the year 5 things we want from the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/phones/iphone/i-think-the-iphone-se4-could-break-new -ground-for-apple-heres-how


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)