Everything you need to know

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Everything you need to know

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Credit: 4RMD / Tom’s Guide

It could be only a matter of days until the iPhone SE 4 arrives, and if it does it’s going to prompt a big question for iPhone buyers. Do you go for Apple’s new cheap iPhone, or the iPhone 16, the cheapest of its flagship line-up?

We’re already familiar with the iPhone 16. It launched back in September, adding a new design and colors, a much-improved A18 chip and boosts to its cameras. And with the Apple Intelligence features, it’s a strong pick for those looking for a flagship on a budget.

There have been plenty of iPhone SE 4 rumors (or it could be called the

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), and by the sound of it it’s going to be a tuned-up iPhone 14, using new internal hardware to give it the power it needs to keep up with more recent phones, and a more modern-looking exterior that finally ditches the aging

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-based body that the last

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used.

Ahead of Apple’s February 19 launch event, we’re comparing the iPhone SE 4 vs iPhone 16 to see which one will be the better phone for which kinds of users. We might see big changes come to our

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list, and perhaps our best cheap phones roundup if the price is right.

iPhone SE 4 vs iPhone 16: SpecsiPhone SE 4 vs iPhone 16: Rumored availability and price

If the iPhone SE 4 does launch at Apple’s next launch, slated for Wednesday February 19th, then we’d expect it to go up for pre-orders the following Friday (February 21st), and on ***** the Friday after that (Feb. 28th).

The fact that some retailers have already prepped (and accidentally published) store pages for the new iPhone suggests they think it will be up for purchase soon. The iPhone 16 went on ***** in September for $799 and the price remains the same, although there are plenty of

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available.

The current iPhone SE 2022 starts at $430, which is almost half of the price of the basic $800 iPhone 16. But we’re bracing for the iPhone SE 4 to cost a bit more, perhaps $500 to match its main rival, the

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Pixel 8a.

For comparison, the older iPhone 14 that’s still for ***** costs $599.

iPhone SE 4 vs iPhone 16: Design and display

Thanks to a

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and several rounds of leaked ****** models for the iPhone SE 4, we have a good idea of what it’s bringing to the table. Chief among those is a contemporary flat-sided, all-screen design, using the iPhone 14 as a template.

So prepare to

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, and hello to Face ID. We probably won’t see newer iPhone features like the Action Button or Camera Control though, two things the iPhone 16 has.

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Credit: @SonnyDickson on X

Both the iPhone SE 4 and iPhone 16 should share

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with a 60Hz refresh rate, since Apple still keeps 120Hz displays exclusive to its Pro iPhones. The display on the SE 4 should

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, rather than use a Dynamic Island like the iPhone 16.

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Credit: Tom’s Guide

Since the iPhone 14 also came with an iPhone 14 Plus model, one source thinks an iPhone SE 4 Plus could be offered this time around. This would be an interesting option that would help Apple compete with larger budget phones like the OnePlus 13R. But I’m not putting my money on this.

iPhone SE 4 vs iPhone 16: Cameras

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Credit: Future

The iPhone 16’s 48MP main and 12MP ultrawide cameras produce impressive photos, as does its 12MP front camera when it’s time for selfies. The iPhone SE 4 is tipped to get a

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, an improvement from the 12MP rear camera of the iPhone SE 2022 but a whole camera down from the iPhone 16.

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Credit: Majin Bu

We’re expecting the iPhone SE 4 to use the same 12MP front camera as other recent iPhones, a nice resolution boost from the 7MP of the iPhone SE 2022.

Our big hope is that Apple adds some of its software-based features from its premium iPhones to the iPhone SE 4, like night mode,

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video and

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.

iPhone SE 4 vs iPhone 16: Performance

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Credit: Majin Bu

The power of the iPhone SE 4 should be comparable to the iPhone 16 since it’s rumored to use the same chip and RAM: an A18 paired with 8GB RAM.

Compared to the A15 silicon and 4GB RAM in the iPhone SE 2022, that should be a big performance increase for the new SE model.

Storage options for the iPhone 16 vary from 128GB to 512GB. The SE could come with 64GB like the current model does, but it’s probably more likely that Apple will offer 128GB as default for this model. Perhaps Apple will offer a 256GB edition as an option for heavier users.

One subtle upgrade to the iPhone SE 4 that no other current iPhone would be able to boast is an

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, starting a three-year process of installing these modems into all of Apple’s cellular-enabled devices.

It’s a change that hopefully won’t be noticeable (or if it is, only in a positive way), but is significant for Apple’s ongoing phone development.

iPhone SE 4 vs iPhone 16: Battery and charging

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Credit: 4RMD /

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The iPhone SE 4 should be getting a much larger battery than before, going from 2,018 mAh to 3,279 mAh of capacity. The iPhone 16’s 3,561 mAh battery will still be larger though, so it will likely offer superior battery life overall.

We could see the iPhone SE 4

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like the iPhone 16. That would be a big switch from the original Lightning port-sporting iPhone 14, but one that fits in with recent

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.

We’d expect the iPhone SE 4 to support 20W wired charging and 15W MagSafe wireless charging like the iPhone 14, since it’s sharing so many other specs. Apple could offer it an extra upgrade by enabling 25W MagSafe 2 support, but perhaps it’ll keep that for the iPhone 16 series exclusively.

iPhone SE 4 vs iPhone 16: Software and Apple Intelligence

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Credit: Tom’s Guide

iOS 18 comes pre-installed on the iPhone 16, and we’d expect the iPhone SE 4 to be the same. Both phones should get the same software support window too, which for iPhones normally means five generations of full updates.

The iPhone SE 4 should support

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. These AI features have been a major selling point for the iPhone 16, but it sounds like the

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.

Having a much cheaper entry point for Apple’s latest AI tools — such as Writing Tools, Photo Cleanup and Genmoji — could make it a very compelling mid-range phone.

iPhone SE 4 vs iPhone 16:

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In fitting style with its lower price, iPhone SE 4 may not offer everything that the iPhone 16 does, like an ultrawide camera, Camera Control and larger storage options. But what is important is how much it looks set to share with its more expensive sibling.

The possibility of the iPhone SE 4 using the same display, chip, software and AI features and overall look as a phone almost twice as expensive could spell doom for the iPhone 16. A lot of users who like iPhones but couldn’t care less about having up-to-date features may find their next phone in the iPhone SE 4.

It could be an ideal phone for users who have held off of upgrading for a long time, even for those who currently use Androids for their better value.

We look forward to reviewing the iPhone SE 4 whenever it arrives. But perhaps the match-up to watch will be the SE 4 against the iPhone 16, to see which provides the best and most comprehensive entry into the Apple universe in 2025.

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