One of the big questions about the upcoming iPhone SE 4 is whether the display will have a notch or Dynamic Island. Two leakers have presented clashing views on this, with the latest dummy models appearing to support the notch.
The dummy models also give us our clearest view yet of what the new entry-level iPhone may look like, with high-quality photos, and a video …
The iPhone SE has always been visibly older
For years, the iPhone SE models have lagged significantly behind Apple’s design language for its primary models. When Apple had adopted the slimmer rounded-edge style of the iPhone 6, with its taller aspect ratio and thinner bezels, the first iPhone SE was based on the smaller-screened slab-sided iPhone 5S. (I mean, some of us considered that preferable, but it was still a step back in time.)
That continued through to the current iPhone SE, which is effectively an iPhone 11 chip in an iPhone 8 casing, complete with Home button.
This means that each model has been immediately identifiable as being from a prior generation in terms of its visual design.
That’s expected to be more subtle this year
With this year’s iPhone SE expected to be based on the iPhone 14 (shown above), that will give it a much more modern look, finally dropping the large chin and Home button of the 3rd-gen model.
We are, though, expecting a couple of visible differences. At the rear, the iPhone SE 4 is expected to have just a single camera, and at the front – if it is indeed essentially an iPhone 14 – it would have a notch rather than a Dynamic Island.
However, that latter element was recently thrown into doubt by a leaker.
Leaker claimed it will have a Dynamic Island
A week ago, leaker Evan Blass posted images he said were visual aspects from the iPhone SE 4 (along with three iPads).
Notably, the iPhone image appear to show a faint sign of a Dynamic Island rather than a notch. Blass confirmed that this was present.
Blass has shared the following image that purportedly reveals visual assets for the same four devices […] Accompanying the leaked image, Blass wrote that he had “color corrected the phone to highlight the dynamic island.”
This would be a surprise, as it would make the budget model harder to distinguish from even the iPhone 16, risking significant cannibalisation.
But latest dummy models suggest a notch
However, fellow leaker Majin Bu has shared several photos and a video of a dummy model. Notably, the video shows the selfie camera toward the left, which is where it can be found on the iPhone 14. This positioning points to a notch rather than Dynamic Island.
The leaker backs that by saying that although Apple did toy with a Dynamic Island design, it has instead opted for the notch.
From what I know there is a project with the Dynamic Island as I reported some time ago, but it seems that in the end the version with notch will come out.
9to5Mac’s Take
The Dynamic Island report did seem surprising, aligning the design of a budget model so closely with the current flagships. For that reason, the notch does seem a more likely bet.
Hopefully we won’t have too much longer to wait before we know for sure, with the new model expected to launch in the spring.
Check out the photos here, and the video – with a glimpse of the selfie camera position – here.
iPhone 14 photo: Apple
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
