iPhone SE 4 vs iPhone 16: Should you wait for Apple’s powerful mid-ranger?

iPhone SE 4 vs iPhone 16: Apple in September announced the flagship iPhone 16 series which has been gaining much popularity in the global market. Now, in 2025, the company may launch an affordable iPhone which is reported to offer flagship features at a reasonable price. Therefore, if you are planning to buy the iPhone 16, then you may want to wait for the upcoming iPhone SE 4.

Over the past few months, several leaks surrounding the iPhone SE 4 have been spreading all over the internet, giving us insights into what Apple may announce. Based on leaks, the iPhone SE 4 is slated for massive upgrades and new features that may compete with several smartphones in the high-end market including the iPhone 16. Therefore, check out the specs comparison between the iPhone SE 4 and iPhone 16 to know which one of them could be a worthy upgrade.

iPhone SE 4 vs iPhone 16

Design and display: The iPhone SE 4 is expected to get some major design upgrades that may look similar to iPhone 14. Firstly, it may discard the home button and bring the Face ID feature with a smaller notch. However, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 14 do not look very different, however, the rear panel design is different and it features a Dynamic Island on the front. Additionally, the iPhone 16 has a dual camera setup, whereas, the iPhone SE 4 may come with a single rear camera.

For display, the iPhone 16 features a 6.1-inch OLED display with a 60Hz refresh rate. For the iPhone SE 4, rumours suggest that it may also come with a 6.1-inch OLED display that may offer a 60Hz refresh rate with improved brightness.

Also read: iPhone SE 4 launch in March 2025: 5 key upgrades that you can expect

Camera: The iPhone 16 features a dual-camera setup that consists of a 48MP main camera and a 12MP ultrawide camera. The smartphone also offers 2x telephoto zoom, 4K60 Dolby Vision, and a camera control button to manage functionalities. However, the iPhone SE 4 will likely stick to a single rear camera, but with an upgraded 48MP sensor. Therefore, the main camera performance may not be very different from iPhone 15 or iPhone 16.

Performance and battery: In terms of performance, the iPhone 16 is powered by the new A18 chip that offers faster performance and AI capabilities. Now, rumours suggest the upcoming iPhone SE 4 may come with a similar chipset as iPhone 16 with upgraded 8GB RAM. Therefore, the affordable iPhone may offer Apple Intelligence features. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also suggests that the iPhone SE 4 may support some form of AI features.

Also read: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Galaxy S24 Ultra

Therefore, the iPhone SE 4 looks quite promising based on the leaks and rumours. Therefore, you may want to consider buying an affordable iPhone than buying the flagship iPhone 16 model at a hefty price.