iPhone SE 4 could win over iPhone Mini fans – but there's a catch

It's only a few months since the iPhone SE 2022 was unveiled, but already rumours are flying about the fourth generation update. Recently, one such rumour suggested that the iPhone SE could get an exciting upgrade in the form of a 6.1" display.

The suggested design would take cues from the iPhone XR, while finally ditching the home button. The idea was generally well received, though fans of Apple's now defunct iPhone Mini had one complaint – screen size.

Critics called for the fourth generation of the SE to maintain a smaller screen size, to appease those who prefer it. In the current iPhone 14 generation, the vanilla model and the iPhone 14 Pro sport 6.1" displays, while the iPhone 14 Plus and the iPhone 14 Pro Max feature a gargantuan 6.7" display.

There's good news for small screen fans, though. As reported by MacRumours, renowned display supply chain consultant, Ross Young, has Tweeted that Apple are still deciding on both screen size and screen material for the new SE. 

The good news is that there's a 5.7" display in the mix. Okay, it's not the svelte 5.4" model that died with the iPhone Mini, but it would still represent the smallest iPhone in the line-up. According to Young, decisions are being made between 5.7" and 6.1" variants in both LCD and OLED.

The latter would represent a significant departure for Apple's best cheap phone. Until now, OLED panels have been reserved for only the best iPhones, with the SE sporting an LCD panel to help keep costs down. There are concerns that an OLED panel, coupled with rampant global inflation, could cause an unwelcome price hike for the iPhone SE.

I hope Apple do opt for a 5.7" panel on the iPhone SE 4. While I personally don't mind a larger display, there are swathes of people that do. Cutting them off unnecessarily seems like a bad business choice, even if the bitter taste of the iPhone Mini lingers.

More than that, though, I think a 6.1" iPhone SE would muddy the waters for the iPhone. One of the best selling points for the SE is having a premium processor without the premium price tag. The current SE features the same A15 Bionic chip found in the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 – albeit with one less GPU core than the version in the 14.

But if the SE had a 6.1" OLED panel, plus an up-to-date processor, it would encroach heavily on Apple's standard iPhone. And if there's one thing the iPhone line-up doesn't need, it's another complication.