The iPhone SE is great, but it just makes me want an iPhone SE Plus that bit more

I’ve spent a lot of the last few weeks reporting on the iPhone SE from Apple, and while it’s a comfort to see the company embrace its cheapest iPhone ever, there’s one thing I'm desperate for; a bigger screen.

The new iPhone SE sports the same 4.7-inch screen size that we saw the company use from the iPhone 6 through to the iPhone 8. There's certainly a market for that screen size - Apple wouldn't be making this device if there wasn't - but I want a mixture of affordability and a bigger display.

That may eventually happen, with leaks suggesting an iPhone SE Plus is in the works. Jon Prosser - a tech analyst who has been consistently right with Apple leaks for the past few months - has hinted that it’s likely there’s iPhone SE Plus news coming soon.

That said, another trusted analyst has suggested we may not see the iPhone SE Plus for a long time. Ming-Chi Kuo's latest report suggests it may even be pushed back into the second half of 2021. That's a long time to wait, especially for those looking to upgrade their phones from devices that are two to four years old.

If the 2021 release date is true, it's a pity for anyone who wants an affordable iPhone. That's especially the case if you're someone who wants a larger phone that sports all the benefits of iOS.

There are still options if you’re after an affordable iPhone with a larger display, but the iPhone SE Plus is almost certain to beat them in specs, and perhaps even value. 

First up, you have the choice of the 5.5-inch iPhone 8 Plus. This is a difficult phone to recommend anyone purchases in 2020, as the specs are starting to look a bit dated - it was unveiled in 2017 - and the price is still relatively high considering that.

The iPhone XR is another option. This was Apple’s slightly more affordable model from 2018. It features a 6.1-inch display, but again offers a slightly lower spec than what we’d expect from a potential iPhone SE Plus.

The iPhone SE sports a top-end A13 Bionic chipset, which essentially allows it to have similar power to an iPhone 11. If an iPhone SE Plus was real, it would likely feature the same chipset and therefore be more powerful than both the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone XR.

The iPhone XR

You may think having a larger screen will drive up the price of the device, but Apple may be able to keep the cost of the device under $500 even with a larger display.

The iPhone 11 Pro (the company's most recent 5.8-inch phone) launched at $999 / £1,049 / AU$1,749, while the iPhone 11 Pro Max (its 6.5-inch sibling) cost $1,099 / £1,149 / AU$1,899. That's a $100 / £100 / AU$150 price difference.

Those two phones don't differ much, apart from their size and the battery used to power them. I'd expect it to be a similar price difference (or perhaps even less) for an iPhone SE Plus, and if that's the case we'd still see it start at just under $500.

Will it happen?

So will there be an iPhone SE Plus? The rumors suggest it's a device that the company has in development, but it would be a little out of character for Apple to later unveil an iPhone SE Plus having already launched a new iPhone SE.

It may be that the original plan was to have two devices, but production was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. If that's the case, Apple may have shelved the idea of the larger phone.

My dream of a larger affordable iPhone may be all but dead; only time will tell. 

All in all, it’s great to see Apple is back to embracing the affordable end of the market again. I just want to have more affordable options than just the one small device, and an iPhone SE Plus would be the perfect way to achieve that.

• Read our full iPhone SE review