New year, new smartphone rumors. This rumor isn’t so new after all. It’s been in the zeitgeist since 2024 when folks were betting that Apple would launch the fourth-generation iPhone SE alongside the iPhone 16. Apple will likely launch the iPhone SE this year, but it will carry a different moniker than you’re used to hearing.

The third-generation iPhone SE is the only one still using Apple's old design aesthetic, which had a home button and substantial bezels. It is the smallest iPhone that Apple formally offers and was modeled after the casing of the iPhone 8.

The iPhone SE 4 is set to launch in early 2025 with a price tag under $500. This is a slight increase from the $429 starting price of the current SE model, but the upgrades are expected to justify the cost. One of the most significant changes will be the inclusion of Apple’s first in-house modem.

Tipsters Majin Bu and FIxed Focus Digital both say that the phone will be called the iPhone 16E, which of course ties in with the naming of the four iPhone 16 handsets already available, having been launched by Apple in September.

The newest phone is expected to release in spring.