Apple appears to be readying its latest iteration of the iPhone SE, which has served as the least expensive entry into the iPhone ecosystem for a few generations. The company has long been able to keep the price of iPhone SE down by reusing the design of the iPhone 8, while only meaningfully upgrading the internal components. However, this latest version looks to be getting a revamp, albeit a familiar one.
In images of a 3D mockup posted by Mac Otakara, the iPhone SE 4 looks to be sporting the same design Apple used with the iPhone 14, which was confirmed by easily fitting on an existing iPhone 14 case. Other similarities include the use of the same TrueDepth camera, positioning of the microphones and speakers, and where the volume buttons are located on the left side of the device.
However, Apple has made some slight tweaks. For example, the iPhone SE 4 looks to have only one rear camera compared to the two that are standard on the iPhone 14. This singular camera also appears be smaller compared to those found on the iPhone 14. Thankfully, one of the changes seems to be the inclusion of a USB-C port instead of reusing the lightning port that was used on the iPhone 14.
With this revamp, it means the end of sub 5” displays in the iPhone lineup. It’s unfortunate that there will be less choice for those who prefer smaller devices, but it was only a matter of time before pricing on larger displays came down enough to make them suitable for mainstream, low-cost devices. It makes sense that Apple would do this now, as the company wants to provide a less expensive option for customers to jump into Apple Intelligence, which it views as an important way of increasing revenue.