Apple’s fourth-generation iPhone SE will feature significant design and hardware changes, MacRumors has learned.
Design:
iPhone SE 4, internally known as Ghost, is expected to feature a design derived almost exclusively from the base model iPhone 14. In internal testing, the iPhone SE 4 will use a modified version of the iPhone 14 chassis.
There will be two major changes to the chassis – an Action button and a USB-C port. On newer iPhone models, the Action button replaces the mute switch with a multipurpose button. Depending on the user’s preferences, it can perform a variety of actions.
In order to comply with upcoming EU regulations, the iPhone SE 4 will also feature a USB-C port. It has been reported that Apple internally refers to USB-C as E85 connector. There are no significant changes planned for the chassis compared to the iPhone 14 aside from these two major differences, and it won’t likely have the curved edges of the iPhone 15.
Camera:
Like the third-generation iPhone SE, the next iPhone SE will have a single camera and a flash on the back. There is no clear indication of the exact design of the camera bump at present, but Apple appears to have developed at least five different versions of the camera bump, each with minor differences. Based on the report, these designs fall into two categories: Camera and Flash in a single, oblong-shaped camera bump, and only the camera raised from the main back panel.
The iPhone SE 4 may feature a 48-megapixel rear camera, a significant upgrade over the current model.
Security & Connectivity:
There is also a possibility that the iPhone SE 4 will receive a new OLED panel, derived from the iPhone 14. Instead of a Touch ID home button, the device will use Face ID for biometric identification. There have been multiple references to “Pearl,” Apple’s internal codename for Face ID and its associated hardware, in relation to the fourth-generation iPhone SE.
Apparently, Apple is using the iPhone SE 4 and a derivative of the iPhone 15 Pro Max known as D84S to test its in-house 5G modem, codenamed Sinope. The new 5G model was initially intended to be part of the iPhone 16 lineup, but this may not be the case.
It was rumored a short time ago that Apple was developing the iPhone SE 4 exclusively for modem testing and that the device was not intended for mass production or release to the general public. As a result of the new report, the earlier claim does not seem likely, given the amount of effort put into the overall design of the phone, including its camera bump iterations.
