A new rumor from China says Apple will use the same rear chassis manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 as it will for the upcoming iPhone 16.
According to the Weibo leaker “Fixed Focus Digital,” the backplate for the iPhone SE 4 will be made the same way as the backplate for the iPhone 16, which is expected to come out in September. The iPhone SE 4 is expected to come out in the spring.
This new rumor makes us question an earlier rumor that said Apple would use a modified iPhone 14 chassis for the iPhone SE 4.
It’s still unclear why Apple changed its plans, but they might be using the new rear chassis process for the iPhone SE 4 to save costs as they stop making iPhone 14 models.
This could also mean the camera system on the iPhone SE 4 is changing. Earlier, it was said the iPhone SE 4 would have a single 48-megapixel rear camera with a custom backplate. In contrast, the iPhone 16 models will have a new vertical camera arrangement, different from the diagonal setup on the iPhone 15, to support Spatial Video for the Vision Pro headset. If the iPhone SE 4 uses the same backplate as the iPhone 16, it might also have a dual camera setup, though this hasn’t been confirmed.
Apple aims to keep the iPhone SE 4 priced under $500, despite many upgrades. Touch ID and the Home button will be replaced by Face ID and a display notch, and the screen will grow from 4.7 inches to 6.1 inches. Other expected features include a USB-C port and an Action button.
The third-generation iPhone SE came out in March 2022, so there’s likely a high demand for a new model with the latest features. For more details on the iPhone SE 4, check our dedicated roundup.