Three big questions about the iPhone SE 4

While we already have some clear indications of what to expect from the fourth-generation iPhone SE, three major questions loom over the device right now.

chinese website My Drivers and backer Jon Prosser thinks the ‌iPhone SE‌ is set to transition to an iPhone XR-like design in its next incarnation, which would mean eliminating the Home button and adding a “notch” cutout at the top of the screen. The change seems likely since Apple’s “SE” products have always used the designs of older devices.

The ‌iPhone SE‌ is expected to launch after the release of 2023’s iPhone 15 lineup. Both standard ‌iPhone 15‌ models are expected to feature the A16 Bionic chip from the iPhone 14 Pro and this year’s ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ Max, so it seems plausible that the ‌iPhone SE‌ could also get this chip – especially since the current ‌iPhone SE‌ already contains the A15 Bionic chip.

The device isn’t expected to launch until 2024, and insightful display analyst Ross Young recently said that Apple is considering several decisions related to the next-generation ‌iPhone SE‌.

Display size

According to Young, Apple is considering screens between 5.7-inch and 6.1-inch from two different vendors for the fourth-generation ‌iPhone SE‌. It should be noted that the ‌iPhone‌ XR, the device the next-generation ‌iPhone‌ is allegedly based on, featured a 6.1-inch display. Additionally, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously said that Apple is working on an ‌iPhone SE‌ with this exact display size.

The 5.7-inch and 6.1-inch screen sizes have been rumored in the past, and Apple has yet to make a final decision, which is why we keep hearing about two screen sizes. different panel.

Display technology: LCD or OLED?

In his latest report on the subject, Young said that the 5.7-inch to 6.1-inch displays Apple is considering feature LCD technology, just like the current ‌iPhone SE‌, but the company is also considering simply opting for a 6.1-inch OLED. screen, the likes of which have been offered on the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13.

The ‌iPhone‌ X was launched in 2017 as the first OLED ‌iPhone‌, and since the launch of the ‌iPhone 12‌ in 2020, all of Apple’s major ‌iPhone‌ models feature OLED displays. OLED display technology is more expensive than LCD, but it offers better efficiency, “true” blacks, high contrast and high dynamic range. It’s possible that OLED panels have come down in price enough for Apple to use them for the ‌iPhone SE‌, which is positioned as an entry-level device, especially since it’s not expected to launch for more than a month. ‘a year.

Touch ID or Face ID?

By switching to an all-screen design like the ‌iPhone‌ XR, there would likely be no more space for a capacitive Touch ID Home button in the bottom bezel of the ‌iPhone SE‌, so Apple apparently has no choice but to offer a ‌Touch ID‌ side button, under-display of ‌Touch ID‌ or Face ID technology.

The ‌Touch ID‌ button on the iPad Air

Several reports, including information from My Drivers and Ming-Chi Kuo, suggest that Apple is considering adding a ‌Touch ID‌ side button to the ‌iPhone SE‌. The latest iPad, ‌iPad Air‌, and iPad mini models incorporate ‌Touch ID‌ into their top buttons, but no iPhone offers this feature yet. As Apple’s cheapest ‌iPhone‌ offering and to keep costs down, the ‌iPhone SE‌ never had ‌Face ID‌ technology, sticking with a capacitive ‌Touch ID‌ home button like older ‌iPhone‌ models. As such, it would make sense for the ‌iPhone SE‌ to be the first ‌iPhone‌ model to get the new side button-style ‌Touch ID‌ implementation.

Since, according to Young, the ‌iPhone SE‌ should feature a notch at the top of the screen, it’s also possible that it could bypass ‌Touch ID‌ and adopt ‌Face ID‌ instead. In 2024, ‌Face ID‌ will be seven years old, which means enough time may have passed to justify turning the technology into an entry-level device. Given that even flagship ‌iPhone‌ models don’t yet offer under-display ‌Touch ID‌ technology, this seems like the most unlikely option for Apple to introduce its cheapest ‌iPhone‌ model. Which authentication technology Apple will choose for the fourth-generation ‌iPhone SE‌ may become clearer if more information about the device emerges in the coming months.