New, larger iPhone SE could arrive next year with a 5.7-inch screen

iPhone SE 2020 (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

Apple is rumored to have plans to launch a new, larger iPhone SE.
A 5.7-inch iPhone SE could launch as soon as next year.
This year's iPhone SE refresh will add 5G but retain the 4.7-inch screen.

Apple is roundly expected to announce a refreshed iPhone SE within the next few months that will add 5G connectivity for the first time. That device is set to use the same 4.7-inch display that we're familiar with but that is all set to change next year according to a new report.

While we've heard rumors of a larger iPhone SE for a while, display analyst Ross Young now says that it's possible a 5.7-inch device will launch as soon as next year. It was previously thought that 2024 would be the year that would see iPhone SE grow, but that might have been pessimistic.

Next SE model is rumored to be called SE+ 5G and will have a 4.7" LCD. Previously said the next SE model, SE3, would either have a 5.7" or a 6.1" display. It is now looking like it will be 5.7". May be launched in 2023 rather than 2024.Next SE model is rumored to be called SE+ 5G and will have a 4.7" LCD. Previously said the next SE model, SE3, would either have a 5.7" or a 6.1" display. It is now looking like it will be 5.7". May be launched in 2023 rather than 2024.— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) January 17, 2022 January 17, 2022

Already the best iPhone for people on a budget, the iPhone SE devices are popular especially among people who want to maintain a Home button rather than the Face ID-powered alternatives. The move to a larger display could see Apple move to an iPhone XR-like design however, ditching the Home button once again.

What's interesting here is the timeline, however. Apple doesn't normally refresh its iPhone SE model annually, suggesting next year could come too soon. It's possible the 5.7-inch iPhone SE could live alongside the smaller version, however.

The same report also claims that the 2022 iPhone SE could be called 'iPhone SE+ 5G,' a name that sounds very much like something Samsung would go for. We'll have to wait and see just how accurate that turns out to be.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.