iPhone SE 4 to get a new iPhone 14-like design, Face ID, USB-C, 48MP camera and more: report

iPhone SE 4 design and hardware changes

• The iPhone SE 4 is expected to get a new design that is derived almost entirely from the base iPhone 14.
• According to a MacRumours report, the iPhone SE 4 will use the modified version of the iPhone 14 chassis and will even have iPhone 14 test parameters for internal testing.
• The chassis is expected to receive two major changes, including an Action Button seen on the iPhone 15 Pro models and a USB Type-C port.
• The multipurpose Action Button replaces the mute switch on newer iPhone models and can be configured to perform a variety of actions, based on the user's choice.
• Besides these two major changes, no other significant changes are planned for the chassis compared to the iPhone 14.
• However, the camera department may not see an upgrade as the report says the iPhone SE 4 will feature a single camera and an LED flash, both of which will be aligned in an arrangement similar to the 3rd generation. 

The exact design of the camera bump is unclear at the moment but Apple apparently has developed at least five different designs for the camera bump with minor differences among them. As per the report, these designs fall under two categories: Camera and Flash encompassed in a single, oblong-shaped camera bump and only the camera raised from the main back panel's surface.

Early reports suggest that the iPhone SE 4 may also include a 48MP camera, which is a significant upgrade over the current model. The handset is also expected to get a new OLED panel, which again is said to be a derivative of the iPhone 14.

Apple may finally let go of the TouchID and will instead have Face ID on the upcoming iPhone SE 4. Multiple references to "Pearl," which is Apple's internal codename for ‌Face ID‌, have been spotted.

The company is also tipped to be working on an in-house 5G modem, codenamed "Sinope", and is apparently using the iPhone SE 4 and a derivative of the iPhone 15 Pro Max known as D84S to test the new hardware. This new 5G model was initially meant to debut on the iPhone 16 lineup but that may not be the case.

A while ago, there were rumours that Apple was developing the iPhone SE 4 exclusively for modem testing and was not intended for mass production or release to the general public. However, with the new report, the earlier claim doesn't seem likely considering the amount of effort put into the overall design of the phone, including camera bump iterations and others. 

Either way, these new iPhone SE 4 details suggest the phone is still early in the development process and there could be other changes leading up to the final mass production, that is if the phone is actually intended to launch officially.