The iPhone SE 4 leaks are ramping up ahead of the new cell phone’s anticipated spring 2025 launch date. The latest information suggests that the fourth-generation mid-ranger boasts an A18 chipset, the same one Apple told us was “30% faster” than its previous processors at the iPhone 16 launch. This is pretty exciting news, especially for any mobile gaming enthusiasts.
The new leaks, courtesy of 9to5Mac, suggest the iPhone SE 4 could be an affordable competitor to some of the already stellar options in our guide to the best gaming phones, including the RedMagic 9S Pro and OnePlus 12R. The A18 chip is a pretty powerful piece of tech, capable of running almost anything from our list of the best Apple Arcade games – which is full of great picks, by the way – or even some of the App Store’s AAA games, such as Death Stranding or Assassin’s Creed Mirage.
The A18 isn’t just a better chipset in terms of gaming performance. It’s incredibly efficient, giving you more battery life and time to play before charging your phone. The new processor also makes the iPhone SE 4 Apple Intelligence compatible, enabling access to upcoming features like ChatGPT-enhanced Siri, Image Playground, and Genmoji.

Outside of the A18’s chip, the new leak tells us to expect the iPhone SE 4 to utilize Apple’s new 5G modem and the iPhone 15’s 48MP wide camera and 12MP selfie camera. There are also the changes we’ve already reported on surrounding the iPhone SE 4’s design, with all signs pointing to the demise of the home button and bezels around the larger 6.1-inch display. That change is also ideal for mobile gamers, giving you more display retail estate to play with.
With all of these new details in mind, it might be worth holding off picking up an iPhone 16 and waiting for the more affordable mid-range. Previous rumors have suggested that Apple doesn’t want to increase the cost of its mid-ranger above $500, making it substantially more reasonably priced than even the cheapest iPhone 16. However, if you can’t wait until spring for a new phone, you can check out our guide to the best gaming iPhone to see what’s available now across a range of budgets.