A tremendous amount of hype has been generated around the iPhone SE 4. From a massive camera, latest chip, to Apple Intelligence, all are widely expected to be on this smartphone. In fact this will likely be such a big upgrade for the Apple budget SE series that it may not even be able to hold on to its name. The smartphone may well be named iPhone 16e. Yes, it will become a part of the flagship series and no longer stand apart.
With even CEO Tim Cook rolling out a post on X around a mysterious launch event on Feb. 19, and the analysts predicting its success, how many iPhone SE 4 will the company actually be able to sell, is one of the biggest questions roiling the industry.
Well, for starters, iPhone SE 4 sales will beat those of the iPhone SE 3, which was launched in 2022. That smartphone managed to sell over 20 million units.
However, that phone did not have the benefit of the tremendous amount of hype, or the specs, that the upcoming SE 4 is expected to benefit from.
The expected numbers have been revealed, but do remember that there is nothing official about it. According to Ming-Chi Kuo, TF International Securities analyst, who shares observations and predictions of tech industry trends, said, "iPhone SE4 is expected to ship around 12M/10M units in 1H25/2H25, performing slightly better than previous SE models (typically shipped near 20M units annually after launch)."
That indicates that during the first half of 2025, iPhone SE 4 sales will log 12 mn units and in second half it will be around 10 mn.
Kuo added, "Not only does this help smooth out the usual seasonal dip in shipments, but it also boosts the adoption of Apple Intelligence devices."
Kuo also highlighted one crucial change in the iPhone SE 4, its modem, which is likely to be made by Apple itself, rather than Qualcomm. He said, "One key feature worth noting is Apple's in-house modem. Once the model launches, Qualcomm will look into its modem patents, as they believe they might be able to collect some licensing fees to make up for lost orders."
Considering that the iPhone SE 4 is a huge leap forward from the iPhone SE 3, perhaps much more was expected. However, the actual figures will be available once the smartphone actually gets launched and hits the markets. So, stay tuned!
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