Amid new iPhone SE 4 rumors new research suggests it might be a terrible investment

Every so often we see a flurry of rumors that suggest Apple is getting ready to unveil a new iPhone SE model, with the current iPhone SE 3 starting to look a little too long in the tooth. It still has a Home button for example, and amid a lineup that is full of Face ID devices and edge-to-edge displays, the iPhone SE 3 is due to be replaced. The iPhone SE 4 is what's been heavily rumored, but you might not want to buy one.

The iPhone SE 4 is tipped to be based on the iPhone 14 design, which is no bad thing. That will mean the use of a notch, but it's thought that rather than have a Face ID system it will instead have a Touch ID sensor built into the power button just like some of Apple's iPads. But a new report looking into how quickly Apple's iPhone SE models lose their value has added new color to the buying decision - and you might be better just buying a cheaper iPhone 13 or iPhone 14 instead.

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That's because, as SellCell reports, the iPhone SE has historically lost its value much more quickly than any other model that Apple sells. As an example, the iPhone SE 3 went on sale in March 2022 but lost 42.6% of its value within the first month. After three months, it had lost 47.1%. After 18 months it was worth a fraction of its original $429-$579 asking price after losing a whopping 64.7%.

To put that into perspective, the iPhone 14 lost 33.7% of its value after a month. The iPhone 15 lost 25.9% and the iPhone 13 lost 17.4%.

With all of this in mind, SellCell thinks that it can now forecast the resale value of the iPhone SE 4 and track how much buyers are likely to lose if they buy on launch day, whenever that might be. If the trend continues it's a safe bet that the iPhone SE 4 is unlikely to hold its value anywhere near as well as the more flagship-oriented devices like the iPhone 15 and upcoming iPhone 16.

Ultimately, if people want their old iPhone to be worth more when it comes to selling or trading it in, they're going to have to pay more initially. Higher-end iPhones are always worth more than the cheaper models when it comes time to upgrade, suggesting even buying the mid-range models is a better option than an iPhone SE in terms of resale value.