The 2025 iPhone SE 4 will see Apple’s entry-level model get an upgrade to an OLED screen, over the LCD one used on all models to date, according to a new supply-chain report.

It says Apple is seeking to minimize the cost of the upgrade by re-using an existing display from an older model, and that it is likely to use the 6.1-inch screen from the iPhone 13 …

iPhone SE

Apple’s iPhone SE models have long been an important part of the company’s strategy to encourage price-sensitive Android users to switch to iPhone. Once they are in the Apple ecosystem, the idea is that they will later end up upgrading to more expensive models.

While the original model was also loved by some Apple fans who preferred the more compact size, and classic design, Apple always viewed it as a gateway drug to pricier phones.

The latest model is the iPhone SE 3, launched back in 2022. In our review, we said that it’s a decent phone for the money if you prefer a smaller size, but that the iPhone 11 was a better buy for most people, giving you a significantly superior device for just $70 more.

2025 iPhone SE 4

At one point, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that Apple had cancelled the iPhone SE 4 project, before he changed his mind and said that work on the model had been resumed.

At that point, the launch date was unknown, but he did say that an OLED screen was on the cards.

The Elec today corroborates that, and says that the phone will use the display from the iPhone 13, which is essentially the same as that used in the iPhone 14.

• Samsung Display, BOE, and Tianma have proposed their prices to Apple for OLED panels aimed at iPhone SE4 that will launch early in 2025, TheElec has learned.
• Cupertino has so far only used LCD panels for its budget iPhone line but it is planning to upgrade this to OLED next year […] The OLED panel prices are considerably lower than those of iPhone 15 as OLED panels for SE will use recycled parts and legacy techs.
• The OLED panel for iPhone SE4 will likely be the same one as those used in iPhone 14 back in 2022 as well as iPhone 13 a year earlier than that. The standard iPhone models sported 6.1-inch panels.

Re-using technology from older iPhones is a good way to minimize costs, as all of the R&D work has already been done and costed into the existing production runs, and suppliers will have ironed out all the manufacturing challenges. This enables them to achieve high yields from the start.

Unlike the iPhone 13 pictured above, however, the iPhone SE 4 is expected to have a single camera.

Source: 9to5mac