Have you noticed a trend where executives from domestic phone manufacturers often personally preheat their upcoming devices a few days in advance by sharing details about their features and specifications? This tactic used to be a distinctive marketing approach for domestic brands, with varying degrees of success. However, some companies, like Apple, rarely indulged in such practices. For instance, we seldom saw Apple CEO Tim Cook promoting a new iPhone ahead of time. But now, Apple has adopted a promotional strategy akin to that of domestic phone makers.

Today, Cook officially announced on social media that everyone should gear up to welcome a new member to the family on February 19th. Although he didn't specify the product, the fact that the company's top executive is personally hyping it up suggests significant importance. Given Apple's current lineup, and considering the recent buzz around the new iPhone SE series, it's hard to imagine any other major product launch at this time. Hence, with Cook's hint, we can deduce what this "new member" might be.

While there's no doubt that a new iPhone is imminent, there's still debate online about its name. Some predict it will be called iPhone SE4, while others suggest iPhone 16E. Personally, I lean towards the latter as this new phone embodies substantial changes from the inside out compared to the existing SE series. Naming it with SE might not adequately reflect its new identity. So, how extensive are these changes? Let's delve into them.

First, the chip's capabilities have undergone a significant boost. The current iPhone SE3 uses the A15 chip, but the upcoming model is likely to feature the A18 chip, marking a substantial difference in performance. The front design will also evolve, transitioning from physical fingerprint recognition to a notched screen supporting Face ID, offering a vastly different unlocking experience. The screen material will shift from LCD to OLED, enhancing the display quality, although the possibility of supporting an always-on display is slim.

To support Apple's AI capabilities, the new iPhone will require at least 8GB of RAM, a substantial upgrade from the 4GB in the current SE3. Furthermore, according to online rumors, this upcoming iPhone will feature Apple's self-developed 5G baseband for the first time, signifying a crucial step towards breaking free from Qualcomm's influence. However, given Apple's past struggles with baseband development, some doubt the performance of their in-house solution. Personally, given Apple's meticulous approach, if they've decided to integrate self-developed components, there's little reason for concern.

While it retains a rear single camera, the lens's pixel count will jump from 12 million to 48 million, significantly enhancing its photography capabilities. The bottom interface will also switch to a Type-C port. However, I don't anticipate a significant difference in data transfer rates or charging speeds compared to the Lightning port version. In essence, this new phone bears little resemblance to its SE predecessors.

Regarding the price, I stand by my earlier prediction that it will start at 3999 yuan (for the 128GB variant). With an additional 500 yuan subsidy from the government, it can be purchased for 3499 yuan. What do you think?