It’s been a while since we heard anything about the iPhone SE 4, the successor to the iPhone SE 3 from 2022. However, new rumors are circulating that the device will show similarities in design to the upcoming iPhone 16.
According to tipster Fixed focus digital on the Chinese social media site Weibo (via MacRumors), the cheaper Apple phone will use the same rear casing manufacturing process as Apple’s 2024 flagship phone.
That doesn’t mean the two phones will be identical, but there could be some similarities in terms of size and styling. It also means the iPhone SE 4 could adopt the vertical dual-lens camera configuration on the rear that is rumored for the iPhone 16.
Previous leaks suggested the iPhone SE 4 could be based on 2022’s iPhone 14 , but now it appears Apple is going for a more modern look. And of course, it’ll save Apple some money if parts of the manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 and iPhone 16 are shared as production scales up.
What we expect
We’ll likely see the iPhone 16 first. That’s expected in September, along with the iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. We expect to see a few design changes.
Dummy units of all four phones have surfaced, showing off a new camera bump surrounding the rear camera lenses on the standard and Plus models, and a slight increase in height for the Pro and Pro Max devices. We might also get some new colors this year.
As for the iPhone SE 4, it might be early next year before this smartphone is released. This should be the model where the iPhone SE finally ditches the old iPhone design, with the Touch ID home button, and adopts a more modern look.
In addition to an OLED display, the iPhone SE 4 could get the Dynamic Island, like the high-end iPhones. It will be interesting to see if the changes affect the price of the cheapest iPhone – remember, the iPhone SE 3 started at $429 / £419 / AU$719 when it launched.