AppleInsider Staff
A questionable "leak" on Thursday claims to show a screen protector designed to fit an as-yet-unannounced next-generation iPhone SE model that, like past "leaks," includes a notch cutout some believe will accommodate Apple's TrueDepth camera array.
Shared on Twitter by parts leaker Sonny Dickson, the screen protector is displayed side-by-side with a corresponding part made for iPhone X. At first glance, the pair appear to be nearly identical in shape, complete with TrueDepth cutout and rounded corners, though there are subtle differences worth noting.
Most apparent is the size of the supposed "iPhone SE 2" notch, which compared to the iPhone X version is substantially shallow. If the part is based on authentic schematics, it suggests Apple's small form factor handset will incorporate a slightly tweaked design that either greatly reduces TrueDepth's footprint or, more likely, shifts the loudspeaker, front-facing camera and ambient light sensor toward the top of the device.
In such a scenario, "iPhone SE 2" would indeed receive a much rumored design overhaul, but might do without Apple's cutting-edge Face ID biometric authentication technology. That is unless Apple intends to incorporate a second-generation TrueDepth sensor that is roughly half the size of the array in iPhone X.
Case maker Olixar hinted at a similar design in renders released this month, noting the notch on iPhone SE will come in at about half the height of that found on Apple's flagship smartphone.
Curiously, the screen protector shown off today lacks a cutout for Touch ID, suggesting the notch is indeed meant to accommodate TrueDepth's sensor stack. That Apple would do away with all biometric hardware simply to enlarge the SE's screen is highly unlikely. Equally unlikely, however, is the incorporation of expensive, top-tier Face ID technology in what is marketed as Apple's budget iPhone.
The initial model debuted in 2016 as an amalgamation of Apple's iPhone products. Borrowing a chassis design from the iPhone 5s, iPhone SE includes an A9 processor and camera equipment taken from the iPhone 6s series, but lacks certain key features like 3D Touch to keep costs down.
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Charles Martin
Malcolm Owen
William Gallagher
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Wesley Hilliard
12 Comments
Sheesh. Not gonna happen. BUT for that iPhone X look, screen protector manufacturers could make one with a blacked-out area shaped like a notch. Let SE owners parade that around a start a stir.
How expensive is the Face ID hardware part, really?
If too expensive, couldn’t Apple update the typical SE internals a bit and keep it around as the budget model, and have SE 2 available at a $100 premium. Keep dreaming, it’d be a $200+ premium or smtn crazy, as usual. Got to keep those share holders happy. Surely as a species we can do better than this crappy shareholder model.
Everybody loves the notch.
Read about 100 stories on this but would still be amazed if it happen, maybe the SE3 but can’t see it happening on this years ones.