Apple iPhone SE 4 rumored to boast iPhone 16's SoC, allowing for true flagship performance on a budget

The iPhone SE is long overdue for an update. According to the rumor mill, the much-needed design and specification overhaul for Apple's budget iPhone is now closer than ever, likely scheduled for sometime during the Spring, alongside a new iPad Air and a budget iPad.

Now, a fresh rumor accessed by MacRumors claims that the upcoming iPhone SE4, previously rumored to be the iPhone 16e, will feature an SoC with the T8410 identifier, indicating an A18 or A18 Pro SoC. Of course, considering the budget-oriented nature of the iPhone SE4, it would be safe to assume that the SoC powering the device will almost certainly be the A18, and not the A18 Pro. This falls in line with Apple's history of equipping the iPhone SE with same-generation flagship SoCs, allowing for flagship-level performance with last year's designs.

Based on the leaks that we have witnessed so far, it appears that the iPhone SE 4 will sport a 6.1-inch OLED display, a single 48 MP rear camera, USB-C, Apple Intelligence support, as well as FaceID. The current iPhone SE commands a $429 price tag (currently $358 on Amazon), but keeping the massive improvements in mind, a substantial price hike is not unfathomable. For those who prefer smaller screens, however, it does appear that the iPhone SE is going to be the last of its kind, for now.