Apple's Next iPhone Will Be the Best Option for Most Buyers

Next year is set to be an exciting one for the iPhone. The iPhone 17 lineup is set to introduce a completely new form factor in one key model. The ultra-thin, redesigned iPhone 17 Air is expected to get a lot of attention, rightfully so. But it's a very different iPhone that should be the best option for most buyers. Here's why.

The iPhone SE 4 Will Pack Modern Power Into a Budget Model

Apple's next iPhone won't be the iPhone 17 Air or any of the 17 other upcoming models. Those won't arrive until next fall.

The new iPhone SE is coming first, and it should offer the best value for money among the SE models.

The iPhone SE 4 is expected this spring. Here's a quick rundown of the highlights:

iPhone 14-style design with an OLED display and no Home button
Face ID and a notch
the A18 chip, just added to the iPhone 16
Support for Apple Intelligence, which is otherwise exclusive to the 16 and 15 Pro models
8GB of RAM
a 48-megapixel rear camera, likely the same as the iPhone 16
a USB-C port
and the first-ever Apple-designed 5G modem
We don’t know the details about battery life, but it’s also likely to be pretty durable — the body will be similar to the iPhone 16, which offers excellent battery life.

All of this will come with a budget price tag. The current SE model starts at $429, and the new one will likely stick with that price — possibly going up to $499.

If you’re a frequent reader of this site, the SE might not be all that tempting to you. 9to5Mac’s audience leans toward buyers who want the latest and greatest.

But for most people, it’s hard to deny that the iPhone SE 4 will be the better option.

The iPhone Era of Nice to Haves

One of the main reasons I plan to recommend the SE 4 to most iPhone buyers is that it doesn’t sacrifice any essential features.

iPhones have gotten really great over the past few years. So great that it’s hard to improve them year after year. I’m amazed that Apple manages to improve so much with each new iPhone.

Let’s call modern history the era of the “nice to have” iPhone.

Here are some of the essential features that SE 4 buyers will miss out on if they give up the iPhone 16 for the budget model:

Action button
Camera controls
Ultra wide and telephoto cameras
Always-on display and ProMotion
Dynamic Island

These are great features. But I would say that each of them is more of a “nice to have” than a necessity.

The action button and camera controls? Those are “secondary” buttons that serve as slightly faster ways to accomplish tasks.
The ultra-wide and telephoto cameras? Those are “secondary” cameras, since the main camera is the most important.
The display upgrade is nice to have, but you won't miss it if you never had one.
And the Dynamic Island is fun, but completely unnecessary for the essentials.

iPhone SE 4 review: all the essentials

The things people do most with their iPhones will be great with the iPhone SE 4.

The main camera will be a fantastic 48MP, allowing you to take amazing photos.

The A18 and 8GB of RAM will make modern apps run incredibly fast and smoothly.

Apple Intelligence features will likely work just as well on the SE as they do on the pricier model.

Best comment from BCGeiger

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I'm very interested in the SE4. It would be a nice step up from the 11. I was thinking about the 16 but decided against it. Yes, the SE doesn't have the 5x zoom of the 16Pro, but with a 48MP camera I can get 2x zoom with better resolution than my 11MP. I'll have to see how it actually looks when it comes out, but the SE4 in the spring or waiting 6 months for the 17″ is something to consider over the winter.

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The iPhone SE 4 is supposed to be so good that Apple had to make the iPhone 16 better than it normally would.

If you're like me and always want the latest and greatest, the SE isn't for you.

But for the vast majority of buyers, it's hard to recommend a better buy than the iPhone SE 4.

What do you think? Will the SE 4 be the best phone for most buyers? Let us know in the comments.