The next iPhone SE could have Apple Intelligence, which says a lot

So far, the only way to try out Apple Intelligence features on an iPhone is through the iPhone 15 Pro. The entire iPhone 16 line is expected to get the features this fall, but “you can also bet” the iPhone SE, coming “as early as the beginning of 2025,” will have it too, says Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in today’s Power On newsletter. If that’s true, it could be a lot harder to pass on Apple’s cheapest phone.

The iPhone SE deal has been that you get a cheap, reasonably powerful iPhone that recycles an outdated form factor (most recently, the iPhone 8). It’s always been super obvious that it’s Apple’s budget compromise!

But rumors have said for some time now that the next SE will live in an iPhone 14 chassis, finally doing away with the iPhone 8-style forehead, chin, and home button of the pre-iPhone X phones, and may even sport a 6.1-inch OLED screen. Toss in the fact that Apple’s on-device AI features can’t run on the iPhone 15 because it’s not powerful enough, and it sure sounds like the next iPhone SE is going to be powerful and pretty modern-feeling.

The iPhone 16, which should be announced soon, is still expected to have other advantages, such as dual cameras and the 15 Pro’s action button, which haven’t been rumored for the iPhone SE. But how much do those features matter to ordinary people? If the next SE looks like an iPhone 14, performs roughly as well as the iPhone 16 lineup, and is priced like, you know, an iPhone SE, will they still skip those savings for the niceties of pricier iPhones? I suppose we may find out soon enough.