Earlier this week, some sources begun to claim that the next generation iPhone SE, which is expected to debut this spring, wont actually be called iPhone SE at all. Were now starting to hear that itll be called iPhone 16E instead. This may be a weird rumor, but I think it actually makes a lot of sense, given what we know so far about the iPhone SE 4.iPhone SE 4 rumorsTo quickly recap, heres everything were expecting with iPhone SE 4:iPhone 14 design: featuring a notch with Face ID, and a 6.1-inch OLED displayA18 chip with support for Apple IntelligenceUSB-C portSingle rear camera: 48MP sensor from iPhone 15Apples in-house 5G modem, the first of its kindItd definitely be the biggest upgrade in the history of iPhone SE. Apple hasnt done a form factor upgrade with iPhone SE since the 2nd generation model in 2020. When the iPhone SE 3 was released in 2022, it retained the same form factor, just with an A15 Bionic chip and support for 5G. The iPhone SE 4 will be the first major iPhone SE refresh in 5 years.iPhone SE 4 CAD render / source: 91mobilesToo good to be true?While I have no skepticism over the actual rumors of iPhone SE 4, Ive always been skeptical about the price. A lot of people have thrown around $499 as a potential price tag for iPhone SE 4, but thats never made a ton of sense in my head. Apple currently sells the iPhone 14 for $599, and the iPhone 15 for $699.Yet somehow, a newer phone with components from both of these (plus an even newer chipset) is apparently supposed to cost substantially less?There are two things that could lower Apples costs for the iPhone SE 4:The new in-house modems, allowing them to ditch Qualcomms pricier modemsNot using Samsung OLEDs, and instead relying on BOE and LG display for more affordable panelsThese two components are some of the most expensive components in the iPhone. Its very possible that Apple could sell the iPhone SE 4 for $499 and still have decent margins. However, the bigger question is: would they?iPhone 16E in the iPhone lineupIf the iPhone SE 4 were $499, itd be $300 less than the iPhone 16 at $799. Between those two phones, youd be paying a $300 price premium for Dynamic Island, the Action Button, and an ultra wide camera. I dont know about you, but to me, it sounds like the iPhone SE 4 would be way too good of a deal compared to iPhone 16.Thats why the iPhone 16E naming makes sense to me. If they ditch the SE branding, they could sell the phone for $599 without a ton of backlash. On top of that, the iPhone 15 will likely still be sold after the iPhone SE 4/16E releases. With the upcoming SE being called 16E instead, itd be a great way to highlight that the iPhone 15 is an older phone without support for Apple Intelligence, despite carrying a higher price. iPhone SE has also historically been known as the smaller phone, and with a 6.1-inch display, its hard to call it small. iPhone 16E would also be a cleaner name for consumers, signifying that the phone is part of the current lineup. This would probably help sales to some degree. With the current SE branding, you cant really get a great sense of its age, unless you do your research. However, Apple could mitigate that by switching to years instead of generation numbers.Wrap upPersonally, I just like the iPhone 16E branding. iPhone SE always carried a bit of a cheaper stigma that I think turned some people away from it. With the first iPhone SE redesign in five years, it could be a great time to reshape how people view the product.What do you think about the iPhone 16E rumor? Let us know in the comments.My favorite iPhone accessories on Amazon:Follow Michael:X/Twitter,Bluesky,InstagramAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel