Apple will adopt the same rear chassis manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 that it is using for the upcoming standard iPhone 16, claims a new rumor coming out of China.
According to the Weibo-based leaker "Fixed Focus Digital," the backplate manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 is "exactly the same" as the standard model in Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which is expected to be released in September. The iPhone SE 4, meanwhile, is expected to arrive in the spring.
The latest claim casts doubt on a previous rumor suggesting Apple would use a modified iPhone 14 chassis as the basis for a fourth-generation iPhone SE. In November 2023, MacRumors learned from a source close to Apple's manufacturing process that the dimensions of the iPhone SE 4 "perfectly matched" those of the base model iPhone 14 in its current stage.
While it's still unclear what may have led to the change, it's possible that Apple chose to adopt its newer rear chassis process for the more affordable SE model to achieve economy of scale at the point of production as the manufacture of iPhone 14 models winds down towards retirement.
However, it could also indicate a change to the camera system on the fourth-generation iPhone SE. Unlike the iPhone 14, the iPhone SE 4 was previously rumored to include a single 48-megapixel rear camera with a custom backplate for the device to account for the design change.
In contrast, for the iPhone 16 models, Apple is planning a new vertical camera lens arrangement that is a departure from the diagonal lens setup found on iPhone 15 models. The new orientation will presumably allow the standard iPhone 16 models to capture Spatial Video for the Vision Pro headset. Adopting the same backplate for the iPhone SE 4 would seem to suggest it will feature the same dual camera setup, although we haven't heard any rumors specifically claiming that this is in Apple's plans.
Apple is said to be targeting a sub-$500 starting price for its fourth-generation iPhone SE model, despite a raft of rumored upgrades coming to the more affordable device. Touch ID and the Home button will be replaced by Face ID and a display notch, while the display size will increase from 4.7 inches to 6.1 inches. Other features expected for the next iPhone SE include a USB-C port and an Action button.
The third-generation iPhone SE was released in March 2022, so there is likely pent-up demand for a new model that includes some of the latest features of Apple's flagship iPhone models. For everything else we know about the iPhone SE 4, be sure to check our dedicated roundup.
