Apple is gearing up to launch the iPhone SE 4 in 2025, and rumors suggest the budget phone will be equipped with an OLED display. This marks a monumental shift for the entire iPhone lineup, as it will finally transition away from LCD screens for the first time. According to Nikkei Asia, this change will see Apple move away from its long-standing partnerships with Japan Display (JDI) and Sharp for iPhone displays. These companies held a dominant 70% share of iPhone display production a decade ago.
Instead, the 2025 iPhone SE is expected to utilize OLED displays sourced from BOE Technology Group in China and LG Display in South Korea. OLED displays offer a distinct advantage over LCDs, as they don’t require a backlight to emit light. This enables them to produce vibrant colors and sharper contrast, enhancing the visual experience.
OLED displays were first introduced on the iPhone X in 2017, initially being exclusive to iPhone Pro models. However, this changed with the iPhone 12 series in 2020, where every iPhone model, except the iPhone SE series, transitioned to OLED.
The third-generation iPhone SE was launched in 2022, and since then, numerous rumors have circulated about its successor, which is expected to arrive in the first half of 2024. These rumors anticipate a significant display size upgrade for the next iPhone SE, with a 6.1-inch screen compared to the current model’s 4.7-inch display. This larger display, likely to be OLED, could incorporate Face ID for authentication, replacing the Touch ID used on the current model.
Furthermore, the iPhone SE 4 might feature an Action button, similar to the iPhone 15 Pro series and upcoming iPhone 16 models, as well as a USB-C connector replacing the Lightning port. The new iPhone SE 4 could also pack an A17 chip and offer at least 128GB of storage, a significant improvement over the existing model’s A15 Bionic chip and 64GB storage minimum.
The inclusion of Apple’s Dynamic Island feature on the iPhone SE 4 remains unclear. This pill-shaped feature, introduced on the iPhone 14 Pro series in 2022 and later extended to the entire iPhone 15 series, replaces the traditional notch. It is designed to seamlessly display system alerts, notifications, and ongoing activities, enhancing the user experience.
Apple has traditionally released previous iPhone SE models in the spring, and we can expect a similar timeline for the upcoming model in 2025. Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 16 series during an event on September 9th. This event will also likely feature the introduction of the Apple Watch Series 10 and new AirPod models.
