The iPhone SE could have a new name when it launches this year

New year, new smartphone rumors. After all, this rumor is not so new. It’s been in the zeitgeist since 2024, when people are betting that Apple will launch the fourth-generation iPhone SE alongside the iPhone 16. Apple will probably launch the iPhone SE this year, but it will carry a different moniker than you are used to hearing. .

The next iPhone SE will be called iPhone 16E. The leaker who posted the news posted renders Twitter / X / whatever of a case that supposedly fits the phone. The iPhone 16E has a design similar to the iPhone 14. Rather than the rounded edges and less than 5-inch display, the iPhone 16E could have square edges with the standard volume buttons, the mute switch on the left side, and the power button on the right. Apple also plans to ditch the Home button. The last iPhone to offer the touch home button is The iPhone SE of 2022. Perhaps Apple has another iconic “vintage” feature that will be preserved in the iPhone 16E.

We’re not sure about the source of the new iPhone SE name, as this leak has a mixed history among Apple blogs. However, the expected name change aligns with the rumors we’ve read about over the past year. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who has a stellar track record of reporting on Apple’s next big thing, mentioned a big “shake-up to the iPhone line” and that Apple would have launched the iPhone SE as part of the maelstrom. Gurman also said that the model will look like the iPhone 14 and have a higher definition OLED display, so we are probably looking at a large-screen device compared to the third-generation iPhone SE.

What do you think the “E” stands for in the iPhone 16E? My bet is on the word “economical” since this version of the iPhone typically offers the basics of life in the walled garden without all the complicated marketing jargon. Or maybe it means iPhone “express”. He will have some Apple Intelligence infusion, although probably not as intense as what the iPhone 16/16 Pros can do, which is why I think something silly like “express” might work in this situation (you can tell I’ve never been on a product design team). I can see features like the curated inbox in Mail and better Siri performance being prioritized over apps like Image Playground on a budget iPhone.

So far, the iPhone SE is expected to launch in 2025. The third generation launched in 2022, around the end of winter/early spring. If the analysts’ forecasts about the production starting from December 2024 are correct, we can be headed for the same time.