I revisited the iPhone SE in 2025, and it got me excited for everything but itself

By the end of this week, Apple should have replaced the current iPhone SE, which launched almost three years ago, with a more vitalized, capable, and in-with-the-times successor. It’ll likely still be called “iPhone SE,” but not much else about the new phone will be the same. That’s a good thing.

Also: Apple may finally launch this new iPhone model this week – what to expect with SE 4

For the past two years, Apple has, in a way, gotten away with highway robbery. When the latest iPhone SE first launched in 2022, it was a plausible deal, with the same processing power as the iPhone 13 but in a $429 package. Years later, that same processor, while capable, is no longer as promising as what other competitors are offering at the price point.

At least, that’s what I discovered after rebooting the handset from my drawer of forgotten tech. I revisited the iPhone SE to prepare for Apple’s big product unveiling this week. But as quickly as notifications popped up after I connected to Wi-Fi, I was reminded of why the phone had been in my drawer in the first place.

Unless you’re a minimalist and/or prefer the old-school way of using smartphones (e.g., pressing physical home buttons and having a palm-sized form factor), the iPhone SE won’t cut it for most people in 2025. The 4.7-inch LCD display makes typing just as difficult as reading the captions of vertical videos, the mere 64GB of base storage is enough to store three apps, a video, and the latest software update, and the battery is perfect for folks who consider themselves the complete opposite of a power user.

Also: Can rebooting your iPhone really make it run faster? I tried it every day to find out

I managed to get through two days of re-using the iPhone SE, but that wasn’t without some hand fatigue, squinting, and the occasional visit to the nearest power bank. Even then, I had to dig out a Lightning cable to charge the phone, which made the experience more of a burden. In a way, it felt like the iPhone SE was telling me to move on, and so I did.

To be fair, it wasn’t all doom and gloom with the iPhone SE. For example, I didn’t miss having Apple Intelligence features to give me writing style suggestions or remove subjects from my photos. 

Also: Apple releases iOS 18.3 with AI-powered Apple Intelligence on by default

The A15 Bionic chip, with its 4GB of RAM, was enough to run multiple Safari tabs, popular social media apps, and most games. This reliability in a budget package is what made the SE such a great deal in the first place.

That’s why my anticipation for the next iPhone SE, which may come as soon as tomorrow, is at an all-time high. As I mentioned, many things about the new model will likely drastically differ from the current one. Based on the latest reports, here are the biggest changes:

If all of these changes hold true, and Apple prices the phone competitively, the iPhone SE may go from one of the worst phone deals in 2025 to the budget phone to beat this year.

ZDNET’s buying advice

If you’re shopping for an affordable iPhone this week, consider waiting a few more days. Even if Apple prices the new iPhone SE in the $500-$600 range, it’ll still be a significant upgrade from the previous model and easy to justify. 

Also: Best iPhones 2025: Which iPhone model should you buy?

There’s a good chance it won’t have a secondary camera like the iPhone 14, which Apple still sells, but the modernized features, such as the USB-C charging port, support for Apple Intelligence, and longer software update policy, should make the SE the more worthwhile investment.

Until then, I’ll pour one out for possibly Apple’s last “small” phone. The successor will be so much better in almost every way, but it won’t be the same.