Is the iPhone SE 4 worth the wait? A new report sheds light on this

We started getting proper reports about the iPhone SE 4 since February last year. Much of it comes from Ming Chi-Kuo, a well-known Apple analyst with a solid track record of offering concrete details. The phone is currently expected to debut in March 2025.

But there are a large number of affordable Android alternatives in the market right now. Of course, if you’re tied to the Apple ecosystem, you wouldn’t want to switch. In such cases, your current option is to get the iPhone 14 if you want to upgrade an old phone. Sure, you can get the standard iPhone 15, but the last-gen device would be a bit more affordable. But why not wait for the iPhone SE 4?

The thing about the iPhone SE series is that the devices lose resale value pretty quickly. In truth, the SE 3 lost 65% of its value in the first 18 months of its release. This data comes from SellCell. The outlet examined the historical value data of the SE 3, SE 2, iPhone 15, iPhone 14, and iPhone 13 devices. And from this analysis, we may have an answer as to whether the next available SE 4 is worth the wait.

Research methodology

As mentioned earlier, SellCell collected current and historical data on the value of several iPhone models. This includes the iPhone SE 3, SE2, 15, 14 and 13. They analyzed this data to identify trends related to the depreciation of these models. Understanding these depreciation trends can provide a solid proposition. This can make it easier to understand whether the iPhone SE 4 is likely to hold its value well or not.

iPhone SE vs regular iPhone – which phones are better value

Looking at historical data, iPhone SE models tend to depreciate faster than their standard iPhone counterparts. As the table below shows, the iPhone SE 3 lost a significant amount of its value even within the first month of its release.

For example, after just one month, the iPhone SE 3 depreciated by 42.6% compared to just 18.7% for the iPhone 13. This trend continued in the first year and a half, with the iPhone SE 3 losing significantly more value than the iPhone 13 or even the iPhone 14.

Will the iPhone SE 4 be worth the wait?

Looking strictly at resale value, the iPhone SE has historically depreciated faster than standard iPhones. This means you could lose more money if you plan to resell your iPhone SE 4 later. For example, the iPhone SE 3 lost 17.2% more value than the iPhone 14 after just 3 months.

However, there are reasons to believe that the iPhone SE 4 could be different. Previously, the iPhone 13 mini held its value well, depreciating more slowly than even some flagship iPhones. Since the mini has been discontinued and the SE 4 is potentially the only budget option, there could be more demand for the SE 4 specifically, leading to an increase in resale value.

Ultimately, the decision depends on your priorities. If resale value is critical, a standard iPhone may be a better option. But if you need a budget phone and are comfortable with the potential risk of faster depreciation, the iPhone SE 4 might be worth the wait, especially if it fills the void left by the discontinued mini.

However, if you want to know more about the research conducted by SellCell, you can head over to published report via this link.