The iPhone SE 4 might not be so special after all

If you’ve been keeping up with the rumors, it won’t be much of a surprise when Apple releases the new iPhone SE sometime in the spring. However, a new report claims Apple still has a surprise in store for the anticipated budget phone.

According to Majin Bu on X, Apple will drop the SE name for the 4th-gen model and instead name it the iPhone 16E. That would be the first name change since Apple launched the low-end iPhone as a special edition back in 2016 and the first newly named iPhone model since the iPhone 5c in 2013.

Apple sold an eMac in 2002 as a low-end version of the iMac G4 with a CRT display instead of an LCD. The “e” in that model stood for education as it was originally only available for students and teachers.

The iPhone 16E would obviously align the iPhone formerly known as the SE with the rest of the current crop. It also could signal that Apple will stop selling the iPhone 14/14 Plus (which is no longer available for sale in the EU due to its Lightning port) and the iPhone 15/15 Plus, since neither generation supports Apple Intelligence.

The iPhone SE4 is expected to have a new design based on the iPhone 14 and bring numerous upgrades, including a 48MP rear camera, Face ID, a larger OLED display, and an A18 chip. It will reportedly cost more than the current $429 model but likely still stay under $500.

It’s unclear from the report whether the name change will put the phone on an annual cadence schedule like the other iPhones. The iPhone SE has had a very sporadic release schedule, with the current model arriving in 2022.

Apple is also rumored to release a new iPhone 17 Air or Slim in September. For the latest news, stay up to date with our iPhone SE 4 and iPhone 17 guides.