Reports say Apple’s next iPhone will be one of the cheapest and it could be less than a year away

The iPhone 16 may have been released mere days ago, but there have already been whispers about the next lineup of products.

Last Friday (September 20), the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, alongside new versions of the Apple Watch and AirPods and new colors of Airpods Max, made their debut at Apple Store locations worldwide.

Apple's latest smartphones come with a whole host of new features for users to enjoy, including iOS 18, a physical camera control button, a revamp to Siri and an A18 chip with a 3nm process, making it 30 percent faster that previous models.

iPhone 16 and 16 Pro will also be Apple's first mainstream phones to have Apple Intelligence, an AI feature which promises to change the way we use our phones, following an update coming in October.

Despite the new models being just days old, there have already been reports about what we can expect next. And no, it's not the iPhone 17.

Apple's next iPhone release is set to be one of the cheapest models of recent years (SOPA Images/Contributor/Getty)

The next iPhone to arrive in stores should be the iPhone SE 4. Barring any delays, it should come out next spring and is expected to be the biggest revamp to the SE series since its inception.

The phone's design is expected to be similar to the iPhone 14, with a 6.1" OLED display, flat edged design and Face ID.

However, it will will likely have a single camera, rather than the duel camera of the 14.

On top of this, the SE 4 is rumored to come with the Action Button, which was first introduced on the iPhone 15 Pro and later featured on the entire iPhone 16 lineup.

The iPhone SE 4 is expected to be released in spring 2025 (SOPA Images/Contributor/Getty)

And, due to EU regulations requiring all devices with a charging port to use a USB-C connecter, Apple is expected to transition away from the Lightening connector feature on previous SE models.

But perhaps most exciting, according to reports from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the new phone should support Apple Intelligence.

With the SE being Apple's budget-friendly 'basic' option, this has come as a bit of a surprise. But it seems the tech giant wants as many people to experience AI as possible.

As for what you can expect to pay for the new phone when it's released, according to rumors, the next generation iPhone SE will be more expensive than previous models, potentially $499.

However, with the latest releases costing upwards of $799, a modern iPhone for less than $500 is still an excellent deal.