3 unanswered questions about the phone

iPhone had a very controversial timeline for the release of the iPhone SE series. The company launched it in 2016, and the second generation arrived in 2020. Of course, we shouldn’t think too much about this 4-year gap. After all, we don’t think that’s in the plans since 2016. Anyway, the company brought back the iPhone SE in 2020 and waited two years to release the iPhone SE 3. The phone launched this year and was basically a hardware upgrade . The design was largely based on the iPhone 8. Now, rumors suggest that the company will stick to that two-year schedule for the iPhone SE 4 release.

Some questions remain about the iPhone SE 4

Below, we’ll list some of the three biggest questions about the phone that still need answering. Obviously, we don’t expect Apple to answer these questions anytime soon. The rumor mill will. According to MyDrivers and renowned whistleblower John Prosser, the iPhone SE will bring the “iPhone XR” back to life. Once the SE 3 was a revamped iPhone 8, the iPhone SE 4 will switch to the iPhone XR design. This means the iPhone SE will finally ditch the home button and bezels and move to the notch and the technology behind it.

MacRumors believes that the iPhone SE 4 will be released after the launch of the iPhone 15 range in 2023. However, there is a good explanation for this. The iPhone SE 3 has the Apple A15 Bionic, just like the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. It wouldn’t make sense for Apple to release the SE 4 with the Apple A15 again. But at the same time, the company cannot make the phone better than the premium iPhones. So the company will have to wait until 2024 to introduce the Apple A16 on the iPhone SE 4. But at that time, the iPhone 15 series will have the same processor, but everyone will be waiting for the release of the iPhone 16 series with Apple A17 and Apple A18 processors .

Insider Ross Young says there’s still plenty of time until 2024. Therefore, the company will continue to evaluate some solutions before the launch. Anyway, for now there are a few things that Apple is still evaluating. Three things that still remain unanswered for most technical analysts and insiders.

iPhone SE 4 display size

According to Young, Apple is evaluating displays between 5.7 inches and 6.1 inches. The iPhone XR had a 6.1-inch panel, so anything below that would make the phone a bit different. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that Apple has been working on an iPhone SE model with such a display size. Anyway, Apple hasn’t made a final decision yet.

LCD or OLED

Another question that remains also involves the display. According to rumors, Apple has not yet decided between LCD or OLED technology for the iPhone SE 4. Until now, the iPhone SE series used LCD, but this was based on the old iPhone line. Apple made the full switch to OLED with the iPhone 12 series. It makes sense for the company to switch to OLED with the iPhone SE 4. But the price could also increase.

OLED has better colors and contrast, but again increases the price. The iPhone SE 4 is generally marketed as a “mid-range” iPhone. Therefore, Apple will have to decide whether to make it better with OLED or keep the price low with LCD. Still, it’s worth noting that OLED technology has become more affordable in recent years. Nowadays, we can easily find mid-range phones with OLED screens. The difference is always the technology. Flagships have better OLED, while mid-range phones are getting older or have cheaper OLED technology. Apple can still use OLED on the iPhone SE 4 if it uses an affordable panel.

Touch ID or Face ID

In recent years, the iPhone SE series was the only modern iPhone series to provide users with Touch ID. But that could change with the iPhone SE 4. As the company ditches the classic design to enter the age of notches, we’ll have to say goodbye to the home button.

We’ve also heard rumors of an under-screen Touch ID for years. That never materialized, but we’re hearing them again about the iPhone 15 series. Now analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests that Apple is considering Touch ID for the iPhone SE 4. But it will come as a side button. Just like most mid-range Android phones. If the company goes OLED, it will really need to put the scanner on the side or back.

Face ID with Dynamic Island?

Anyway, the chances of Face ID are not gone yet. iPhone SE 4 will have a notch and Apple can easily implement Face ID technology in the phone. This might be the most plausible choice for the phone. After all, if Touch ID returns in any form, it will return to the flagship iPhones first. The iPhone SE 4 may be a few steps behind the regular series. So it’s time to finally embrace Face ID technology. Some optimistic rumors even suggest the use of Dynamic Island. To be honest, this is completely doable as Dynamic Island is a software gimmick. However, it is exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro series due to the fact that the notch on these devices is “software generated”. With the release of the iPhone SE 4, Apple may “democratize” this feature by bringing it to the cheaper model.

There are still a few months to go before the eventual launch of the iPhone SE 4. More questions will pop up and we’ll have our answers in due time.