The iPhone SE 4 could look very similar to the iPhone 16

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Body double.

iPhone 15 Pro with a titanium finish running iOS 17
(Image credit: Gerald Lynch / Future / Apple)

We're all excited about the iPhone 16 lineup's arrival around September, but it appears it'll be sharing some DNA with the new iPhone SE 4.

That comes via a report from the Weibo-based account Fixed Focus Digital, which suggests the rear chassis of Apple's new cheaper phone and its mainline sibling will go through an identical manufacturing process.

We'd previously heard that the device would reuse a lot of what was offered by the iPhone 14, and would retail for $400, but this new report could pour cold water on one or both of those rumors.

iPhone SE 4 could look fresher than expected

This could mean Apple doesn't want to reuse the iPhone 14's back panel, and would potentially mean producing fewer iPhone body variations in future, but could also point to a camera change for the SE 4.

The iPhone 14 (and iPhone 15) have diagonally placed camera modules, whereas the iPhone 16 is expected to stack its sensors vertically. This could mean this shift could mean adjustments to the optics in the iPhone SE 4 - or they could just be moved to fit with the new layout. Maybe it'll allow the $400 SE 4 to capture Spatial Video for the Apple Vision Pro?

It's hard to say, but it's interesting to see how things may have changed for the SE 4 - it's expected to launch in 2025.

Would you buy an iPhone SE 4? And what would you want to realistically see in Apple's cheaper handset?

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Lloyd Coombes
Lloyd Coombes
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Lloyd Coombes is a freelance writer with a specialism in Apple tech. From his first, hand-me-down iMac, he’s been working with Apple products for over a decade, and while he loves his iPhone and Mac, the iPad will always have his heart for reasons he still can’t quite fathom. Since moving from blogging to writing professionally, Lloyd’s work can be found at TechRadar, Macworld, TechAdvisor and plenty more. He’s also the Editor in Chief at GGRecon.com, and on the rare occasion he’s not writing you’ll find him spending time with his son, or working hard at the gym (while wearing an Apple Watch, naturally). You can find him on Twitter @lloydcoombes.