iPhone SE4 features leak - fans don't like some of the features Apple has put in it

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Express newspaper

29/01/2025 23:21

The iPhone SE was once one of Apple's most popular products.

And now, this smartphone will receive its first major refresh in almost three years.

Leaked videos and photos have given tech fans their best look yet at what is claimed to be Apple's next smartphone.

Sourced from a reliable Apple source, Majin Bu, they appear to show either a real iPhone SE 4 model or a duplicate model.

Before you get your hopes up for any major changes, the leak suggests that Apple will stick with a safe design and stick with the iPhone SE 3's single camera.

Also, it seems Apple is sticking with a feature that is much hated.

Observant fans have noticed that the model has opted for the old 'notch' design instead of the Dynamic Island, a more modern feature.

On X, one concerned commenter wrote: “The fact that they’re going to use a notch in 2025 is diabolical.”

Apple's SE smartphones are budget alternatives to increasingly expensive iPhone models.

Compared to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which costs £1,599 ($1,599 in the US), the iPhone SE was relatively affordable when it was released in 2022 for just £419 ($429 in the US).

While it's now been almost three years since the last update for this popular smartphone range, new leaks suggest that an update could be just around the corner.

In a post on X, Majin Bu shared a video showing himself holding a previously unseen iPhone model, with the caption: "This is what the iPhone SE 4 looks like."

The leak was followed by a series of detailed images showing a black and white iPhone SE 4 model compared to a pink iPhone 16.

These posts indicate that the iPhone SE 4 could be close to the size of the iPhone 16, but will use only one rear camera compared to the iPhone 16's two cameras.

Furthermore, the video clearly shows that the alleged iPhone SE 4 will replace Apple's Lightning cable port with a USB-C.

This change was not unexpected as the inclusion of a standardized USB-C port is already a requirement for sales in the EU.

However, the most controversial detail is that the iPhone SE 4 appears to retain the older 'notch' design.

The notch is the small cutout at the top of older iPhone models that houses the front-facing camera and front-facing speaker.

In the latest iPhone models, starting with the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, this has been replaced with Dynamic Island.

Instead of taking up space like a notch, the Dynamic Island is a capsule-shaped cutout that can display notifications and information.

The exclusion of Dynamic Island suggests that the iPhone SE 4's design will be much closer to the iPhone 14 than the iPhone 16.

Although it's hard to see in the video, Majin Bu confirmed in another post that the iPhone SE 4 will come with a notch.

"The new iPhone SE 4 will have a 60hz OLED screen with a 6.06 inch notch and will be equipped with an action button, will you buy it?" he wrote.

On social media, Apple fans were outraged that this newest model would launch with such an 'old' design feature.

One commenter wrote: "Couldn't they have at least given Dynamic Island?"

"It's the cheap model. Of course it will have a notch," added another.

Another asked: "Why would there be a notch in 2025? It makes no sense given the fact that the rest of the iPhone line will have Dynamic Island."

Another interesting detail of this leak is that it suggests that the new iPhone SE 4 will have the Action Button.

The Action Button was first introduced on the iPhone 15 Pro and replaced the mute switch with a button that could be programmed for multiple functions.

Rumors and leaks have been flying around on the issue of whether the iPhone SE 4 will include this new feature.

Recently, a duplicate pattern used to design phone cases was shared on X by veteran streamer Sonny Dickson.

This model seemed to indicate that the iPhone SE 4 would not have an action button, but would retain the older mute switch.

However, the latest post clearly shows an Action Button, similar to the one found on the iPhone 15 Pro, suggesting that the button may be included.

Apple has yet to confirm a release date for this next-generation budget smartphone, but it is expected to launch between April and May of this year.

Given that the iPhone SE 3 was released in March 2022, the newest model is not expected earlier in the year.

The price of the new model has not yet been confirmed, but as Apple's budget offering, it can be expected to be significantly lower than that of the standard iPhone line and very likely under £1,000 ($1,220). /GazetaExpress/