Apple will adopt the same rear chassis manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 that it is using for the upcoming standard iPhone 16, according to a new rumor emerging from China.
According to the Weibo-based leaker “Fixed Focus Digital,” the backplate manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 will be “exactly the same” as that of the standard model in Apple’s upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which is expected to be released in September. Meanwhile, the iPhone SE 4 is anticipated to arrive in the spring.
This latest claim, reported initially by MacRumors, raises doubts about a previous rumor suggesting Apple would use a modified iPhone 14 chassis for the fourth-generation iPhone SE.
While it’s unclear what led to this change, it’s possible that Apple opted for its newer rear chassis process for the more affordable SE model to achieve economies of scale at the production point, as the manufacture of iPhone 14 models winds down. However, this 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 to account for the design change.
For the iPhone 16 models, Apple plans a new vertical camera lens arrangement, a departure from the diagonal lens setup found on iPhone 15 models. This 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 suggests it could feature the same dual camera setup, although specific rumors about this have not yet emerged.
Apple is targeting a sub-$500 starting price for its fourth-generation iPhone SE model, despite numerous rumored upgrades. Touch ID and the Home button will be replaced by Face ID and a display notch, with the display size increasing from 4.7 inches to 6.1 inches. Other expected features for the next iPhone SE include a USB-C port and an Action button.
