With the (rather disappointing) 3rd-gen iPhone SE celebrating its second birthday this month, we’re reportedly due to get the next model before it turns three–assuming that Apple intends to keep the series going after 2022’s critical pushback. However, opinions are still divided on what the fourth SE will look like.
One theory–which we covered back in August–is that the next SE will adopt the design of the iPhone 14. That means Face ID and an almost full-body screen (as opposed to the Home button and Touch ID of the 2022 SE) but a notch at the top of the display rather than the Dynamic Island that was introduced on the iPhone 14 Pro and spread to the non-Pro models in 2023.
Coming originally from a single source on social media, this rumor was at the time placed in the field marked “unproven.” (MacRumors did however offer corroboration three months later, based on “additional information.”) Now 91mobiles says it has “exclusively obtained” a CAD render of the upcoming 4th-gen iPhone SE which backs up the claim that it will follow the lead set by the iPhone 14.
“Based on the CAD renders obtained through industry sources,” the site says, “we can confirm that the iPhone SE 4 will have a 6.1-inch display size. The CAD renders also reveal that the iPhone SE 4 will feature a notch size similar to the iPhone 13/14 series and house the Face ID module.”
Less pleasingly, 91mobiles reveals that the renders show just one rear camera lens. That’s the same as on the 2022 iPhone SE, so perhaps shouldn’t come as a huge surprise, but the iPhone 14 had twin lenses on the rear. As for that matter did every non-SE iPhone going back to the iPhone X in 2017. Maybe, just maybe, it’s time for the iPhone SE to push the boat out and get a second camera lens.
Paradoxically, given the retro inclusion of just one rear-facing camera lens, 91mobiles still thinks we could be in for an Action Button on the next iPhone SE–a feature that appeared for the first time in the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. This shocking inclusion was one of the claims made in August’s leak (and supported by MacRumors’ November report), and 91mobiles says the renders neither prove nor disprove this. It seems wildly unlikely to us, but at this point who knows?
For all the latest news and rumors, check our regularly updated iPhone SE 4 superguide.
Author: David Price, Editor
David has loved the iPhone since covering the original 2007 launch; later his obsession expanded to include iPad and Apple Watch. He offers advice to owners (and prospective owners) of these devices.