The Apple rumor mill is just like the theatre of the absurd in the meanwhile. We’ve been ready for the iPhone SE 4 for 3 lengthy years, and Bloomberg leaker Mark Gurman retains popping as much as announce that it’s launching inside days… however it by no means arrives. It’s all relatively paying homage to Samuel Beckett, or of the bar close to our workplace the place there’s at all times free beer. Tomorrow.
Undaunted, Gurman promptly repeated his prediction: this week, the brand new iPhone will undoubtedly arrive. And we’re fairly certain he’s proper; in spite of everything, the opposite a part of his prediction has already come true. Final Wednesday there was certainly a “smaller” announcement from Apple. In truth we bought two: a new well being research within the Analysis app, and the Apple TV app coming to Android and increasing the streaming service’s potential buyer base. Neither of those is precisely a giant deal, however we had been warned.
What Gurman in all probability didn’t have on his radar was that essentially the most profitable Apple leaker would prove to CEO Tim Prepare dinner himself. On X/Twitter/Xitter he revealed {that a} “new member of the household” would arrive on Wednesday, February 19. That sounds so much like the brand new iPhone SE, though there are different methods of deciphering the Cupertino oracle.
No matter the brand new member of the family seems to be, we’re eagerly awaiting Wednesday and its bulletins. The iPhone SE 4 really is a giant deal, deserving of a celebration, not only a press launch. And never a bunch of undignified hypothesis about bulletins this week, or subsequent week, or a random Tuesday subsequent 12 months. However what are you able to do? The market at all times craves the brand new, and the media (together with Macworld!) can not resist puffing up what might be a wise however on no account revolutionary new smartphone into the eighth surprise of the world.
Nonetheless, there are quite a few the explanation why the iPhone SE 4 shall be a extremely attention-grabbing gadget for purchasers and reporters alike. For one factor, for the reason that begin of 2025, Apple hasn’t had a finances iPhone on sale within the EU, after up to date charging requirements compelled it to retire the Lightning-based iPhone SE 3 and iPhone 14. An growth of Apple’s lower-end vary is required as rapidly as doable.
What’s additionally attention-grabbing is that the iPhone SE 3 would be the final Apple gadget with a Residence button, greater than seven years after the iPhone X heralded the period of virtually bezel-less iPhones with Face ID. However will prospects accustomed to utilizing the Residence button lastly change over, or will many not have the ability to deal with Face ID and the brand new gestures? We will see.
And final however not least, we’re within the wi-fi expertise within the iPhone SE 4 (assuming that every one the rumors we’ve heard are true). Nearly ten years after Apple began a dispute with chip producer Qualcomm over its licensing charges, the brand new gadget is predicted to get a proprietary wi-fi chip. As with different elements it’s realized to construct for itself, Apple first needed to carry the experience in-house, on this case within the type of Intel’s modem division. However the advantages ought to be value it.
So we have now each purpose to look ahead to the iPhone SE 4. However why does Apple at all times need to hold us in suspense?
This text initially appeared on our sister publication Macwelt and was translated and localized from German.