Hands-On: Possible iPhone SE Case Reveals Close but Not Perfect Fit to iPhone 5s

Ahead of the release of the 4-inch iPhone SE next week, we managed to get our hands on some inexpensive TPU cases designed for the device. We've compared the iPhone SE cases to Apple's iPhone 5s in a new video to get a feel for the differences we might possibly see between the two devices.

On the whole, the iPhone SE case supports rumors the iPhone SE will look similar to the iPhone 5s. When put on an iPhone 5s, the iPhone SE case fits, but in our estimation, it's designed for either a device that's slightly thinner or one that has rounded edges, so the fit is not perfect.

There's also a noticeable discrepancy at the volume buttons due to the mismatched fit, and the buttons on the iPhone 5s do not align with the button indentations on the SE case. There have been no rumors suggesting the iPhone SE will be thinner than the iPhone 5s, but it has been rumored to include slightly curved glass at the edges rather than the sharper chamfered edges found on the iPhone 5s, so that could account for the difference in fit.


Cases created for iPhones ahead of launch are typically a solid indication of what a new device will look like, but with the iPhone SE, we've seen several case variations that leave the final design up in the air. Some, like the one in the video, closely resemble iPhone 5s cases, while others have a more iPhone 6 style design. We don't know if the case we've received is an accurate representation of what we'll see when the iPhone SE launches.

Along with case designs, rumors about the SE's shape have been similarly mixed, pointing towards an iPhone 5s-style shell with a slightly curved display glass, but all recent information has largely pointed towards a device that is identical to the iPhone 5s.

We don't have long to wait to see the design of the iPhone SE. Apple will introduce the device on Monday, at its "Let Us Loop You In" event that will also see the debut of the 9.7-inch iPad and new Apple Watch bands.

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Top Rated Comments

JamesDo Avatar
121 months ago
Stop posting this garbage and start working your sources - see 9to5Mac.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
japanime Avatar
121 months ago
Stop posting this garbage.
Agreed. Arn should be ashamed for letting stuff like this pass as worthy of the front page.

These cases aren't, as the article claims, "designed for the device." The device hasn't even been released yet.

I like a lot of Juli Clover's reports. She's a decent journalist. But articles like this fall squarely in the "link bait" corner.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cableguy84 Avatar
121 months ago
Seriously there are people getting excited about this , abomination that looks nearly identical to a phone released in 2012
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bushido Avatar
121 months ago
Wow, Apple is really running on fumes if they just rehash the iPhone 5S design in 2016. That itself is just a redesign of the iPhone 4. Will show how Steve Jobs was the real force when it came to design at Apple.
the problem is "us" buying every lazy thing they release so why bother innovating if it sells anyway
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vertsix Avatar
121 months ago
Stop posting this garbage and start working your sources - see 9to5Mac.
It's all about those click$.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
one more Avatar
121 months ago
iPhone 5C body was a perfect blend of the 5/5S "palmability" and 6/6S smoothness. Looking forward to seeing what Apple come up with this time...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)