Unreliable leakers agree on unlikely 'iPhone 16E' name for iPhone SE 4
Apple's iPhone SE line has existed since 2016 as an entry-level option, but a couple of leakers with poor accuracy suggest a new name is coming for Apple's 2025 budget model.
iPhone SE 4 is rumored to resemble iPhone 14
There is no doubt that an iPhone SE 4 is due in early 2025. It is rumored to have the iPhone 14 design, but with a single rear camera.
Apple's naming scheme for the iPhone SE hasn't changed in its eight years and likely won't because of simple brand power. Yet two leakers think Apple might try to utilize a stronger brand to promote the budget model.
According to posts first discovered by MacRumors from Fixed Focus Digital and Majin Bu, Apple could use the name "iPhone 16E" for the new product.
We've detailed much of what makes Majin Bu unreliable before, like a miss on an iMessage redesign, macOS for iPad, AirPort routers returning in 2022, and more. The leaker has said in previous posts not to take them too seriously, and as we've noted before, many of his posts are sourced from Weibo leakers and others without crediting the source.
The seeming original leaker of the "iPhone 16E" name is from Weibo called Fixed Focus Digital. They shared this name on December 13 with little other information.
Fixed Focus Digital seemingly appeared in early 2024, though there may be some reference to the leaker prior to that. They have repeatedly shared outlandish-seeming leaks that contradict reports from more seasoned leakers, but have gotten a couple right.
Apple did include a kind of bronze-like desert color for iPhone 16 Pro, even if it wasn't quite the shade leakers expected. Their other color-focused leaks didn't quite hit the mark as there isn't green, purple, yellow, or blue but teal and ultramarine.
Fixed Focus Digital says Apple has given up on a foldable iPhone despite recent reports from reliable sources suggesting otherwise. Apple could eventually give up and never release a foldable, but patents and leakers continue to suggest development continues.
These leakers' histories and tendency to piggyback on other sources make us question the legitimacy of the name claim. Apple could announce iPhone SE 4 anytime before June 2025, and only then will we know if it is called "iPhone 16E" or have an unlikely iPhone 16 chassis.
Rumor Score: B#$&(*it
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Comments
(Well… other than advise the reader that the news is… almost fake?)
You hit the nail on the head. Usually we do this when we see the things like this start to creep up on social media a little too frequently... because truth and common sense just go to die out there. Obviously we can't cover every dumb thing that comes up, but the endeavor feels exceptionally worthwhile in the age of platforms whose algorithms exist to encourage attention and interaction over truth or quality... to make no to mention of how AI will continue to pour gasoline on that particular fire.
We give something people can link directly to and go "Experts say it's trash." Been doing it solidly for a year or so. Consider it our small way of combatting misinformation.
I used it until they released the 12 mini. Again, because it was the only small phone they made.
I'm still using the 12 mini and I wish they would put out something new that fits in my pocket.
Until then, you can reach me on my mini...
I'm not buying a phone that doesn't fit in my pocket!
The iPhone 16e wasn't the next iPhone SE. It's a whole new product and the iPhone SE has been retired. It's an important distinction. And yes, that means that these leakers got something correct out. It means we'll reevaluate them and treat them more seriously in the future. However, given Bu's history, he's likely still just repeating things he's found on social media and got lucky here.
Would you prefer we report every leak as if it were gospel? Recall when the flat sided Apple Watch and iPhone 4 designed iPhone 14 were going around and everyone thought that was coming until launch day because of relying on unreliable leakers? We're trying to avoid that. It's not a perfect system, but it also isn't an opinion. The scores are based on history and our own data and expertise in tracking Apple's movements.