An affordable iPhone or any Apple tech isn’t much of a reality. Still, recent iPhone SE design rumors may wash the sour taste from budget buyers’ mouths in 2024. From inheriting the iPhone 15’s Dynamic Island to other high-end features, is this finally the year we get a solid value proposition? The latest iPhone SE design rumors suggest just that.
The infamous Apple tech leaker, Majin Bu, has been making the rounds on X (Twitter) again to confirm some solid speculation about iPhone SE design rumors. The next iPhone SE may take inspiration from the yet unreleased iPhone 16, which carries features like a Dynamic Island from the iPhone 15.
Majin Bu confirms: “Based on what has been reported, the iPhone SE could have a design very similar to the current iPhone 16 still in development. The new iPhone SE will most likely have a single camera instead of the double one of the iPhone 16 models, otherwise, it seems that the dynamic island is confirmed, and the dimensions are similar to those of an iPhone XR. Take this news as a possible rumor since it is still early to talk and have certainties about it.”
Though any rumor should be taken with a massive grain of salt this early in the year, it’s no secret that Apple and other hardware manufacturers have unreleased handset models well in advance. While iPhone SE design rumors have focused on what new tech they will feature, they’re usually a throwback to older designs with “middle-of-the-road” tech compared to last and current-gen current-generation iPhones. From its first version, based on the iPhone 5s, to its current guise, which mirrors the iPhone 8, the SE has offered a familiar design with the promise of modern performance. This approach has allowed Apple to offer a lower-cost iPhone without compromising the core experience.
This is a dramatic shift in Apple’s iPhone strategy if the rumors are true. The bold move would essentially take the SE ethos and force it more towards a basic model of the latest Pro and XL models. The probability of iPhone 16 SE, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 XL is likelier. However, having four versions of the latest chipset is a bit much.
There are also rumors of the next SE looking more like the iPhone 14 with a single camera lens, which would match up with previous strategies from the big fruit. Using a single lens will dramatically lower the cost of the handset, allowing more wiggle room for better performance. With cherry-picked iPhone 15/16 tech sprinkled in, this could be the upgrade budget users stretch for. Other features, such as touch ID, will likely be absent on the next iPhone SE with Face ID in its place.
As we edge closer to any official announcement, the anticipation for the next iPhone SE continues to build. With Apple open to changing products in the 11th hour, anything could happen. But with reliable sources dropping fruit from the apple tree, it’s hard not to speculate. For more on the latest smartphones, see our Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review, or check out our picks for the best foldable phones and the best flip phones.