Yesterday, Apple unveiled its latest and greatest smartphones to date, with a four-phone spread of impressive handset hardware in the new iPhone 16 lineup.
Far from hyperbole, Apple's new iPhones are more powerful, feature-rich, and, as an Android user for many years now, more attractive as an alternative to my regularly targeted handsets than ever.
However, despite the excellent tech on show, Apple's "It's Glowtime" event failed to completely lure me over to the dark side on this occasion, but that's not to say I won't be tempted further in the very near future — especially when the company gets around to releasing the one new iPhone that didn't feature in yesterday's presentation, the iPhone SE 4.
Apple iPhone 16: Too much of a good thing (for me)
When it comes to smartphones, I'm somewhat of a utilitarian. Regardless of how flashy or cool your handset's features are, if it's not something I typically make use of, it's not going to wow me — even if I can openly admit that the iPhone 16's reveal event highlighted plenty of impressive upgrades to Apple's latest smartphone lineup.
For example, the iPhone 16's new Camera Control button: a capacitive switch that gives users an all-in-one input to access the Camera app, activate the shutter, and even zoom or adjust depth of field and exposure via a simple swipe.
If you're a smartphone shutterbug, this addition is an undeniable boon. However, if you're anything like me and feel incredibly awkward about taking photos in public, then it's a whole lot of hoopla over a feature I'm unlikely to harness.
The same could be said about the iPhone 16's new camera layout which enables users to capture stereoscopic 3D 'spatial' photos and videos. It's also designed for playback on Apple's $3,500 Vision Pro mixed-reality headset, which I do not own.
Not to mention the impressive power of the Apple A18 Pro chipset with its hardware-accelerated ray tracing. A feature I can't see myself making a great deal of use of as I infrequently hop into The Elder Scrolls: Castles to ensure the lives of my serfdom are authentically miserable.
Ironically, when it comes to my own preferences, there's nothing wrong with the iPhone 16. If anything, there's just too much right with it. There's truth in the idea that there can be too much of a good thing, especially if you're expected to pay extra for all of those bells and whistles that you just don't need.
Apple iPhone SE 4: The missing puzzle piece
Absent from yesterday's iPhone reveals was the long-rumored and hotly-anticipated fourth-generation iPhone SE — a scaled-back, price-friendly handset that last saw a release in March 2022 and is still one of the best budget phones you can buy.
It was a long shot to expect the iPhone SE to feature during yesterday's showcase, but its appearance would've been more than welcome, especially given everything we've heard about the device over the last few months.
The iPhone SE 4 is set to ditch the iPhone 8-inspired appearance of the model that came before it. This time, adopting an iPhone 12-like design that brings it closer in line with Apple's modern offerings. It's even said to include the iPhone 15 Pro's customizable Action Button — which would cement this feature as a standard offering for all iPhone models across the board.
it's not only the Action Button that could make the leap to Apple's affordable iPhone, a recent rumor also suggests that the iPhone SE 4 will also be outfitted with a 6.1-inch OLED display. Not only that, but the SE appears set to be the first model of the iPhone to feature Apple's first in-house 5G Modem.
Add to this a 48-megapixel (MP) upgrade from the iPhone SE 3's 12MP rear camera, and the potential of this device housing not only 8GB of RAM but a (potentially scaled down) version of Apple's base A18 chipset for Apple Intelligence support, and you have all the makings of a fantastic all-around handset that delivers a solid core experience.
However, the icing on the cake isn't its likely support for all of the best upcoming features of iOS 18, access to the new Siri revamp, or even the potential for some striking colorways after Apple has returned to bold and vivid options for the iPhone 16, but its expected price.
While Apple's flagship iPhones soar with the best of them, the iPhone SE 4 could dominate the midrange if it can secure a price tag similar to the $429 asking price of the iPhone SE 3, or at the very least nestle itself nicely below a $500 ceiling.
Outlook
Regardless of what yesterday's iPhone event had to showcase, the iPhone SE 4 has caught my attention as one of the best smartphones to keep an eye out for in the near future. But just how near is that future, really?
With Apple leaving its upcoming budget-behemoth on the bench for this past presentation, it's highly likely that the handset will stick to its regular release window, meaning we can expect to see it in full in spring 2025 — likely in March or April when we could also see a new colorway for the iPhone 16, along with a potential iPad refresh.
Frustratingly, that's some ways away. This gives many Android phones releasing this year the opportunity to force me to change my mind about a potential switch to Apple's iPhone. However, if it secures a tempting mid-range price tag, I may not be the only one who jumps ship in early 2025.
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