A video featuring a device that appears to be a cross between an iPhone SE and an iPhone X surfaced on Weibo this morning and was shared by Japanese site Macotakara.

The smartphone in the video, which has a notch at the front, an edge-to-edge display, and a vertical rear camera in a body that's similar to the current iPhone SE, is very likely an Android clone device. Fake devices like these can often be found in China, where the video originated.


There have been rumors suggesting Apple is working on a second-generation iPhone SE, but none of those rumors have indicated the device will take on iPhone X design elements. There is no indication that the device in the video is a valid Apple product at all, and in fact, it conflicts with rumors we've heard about a potential future iPhone SE 2.

For example, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who often shares reliable information on Apple's upcoming products, has said that if a new iPhone SE 2 is indeed in the works, it's not likely to offer design updates or outward-facing changes due to Apple's work on the three iPhones expected in September of 2018. Kuo is, in fact, skeptical that a new iPhone SE 2 is in development right now.

Rumors about the iPhone SE have been somewhat conflicting in general. Supply chain rumors in November indicated an iPhone SE 2 would be released in the first half of 2018, but recent information suggests Apple has no plans to introduce a new iPhone until later in 2018.

Sketchy rumors from a Chinese site also recently said Apple would introduce a new iPhone SE that looks similar to the current iPhone SE at WWDC, but the site has no reliable track record.

All in all, Apple may have a new iPhone SE 2 in the works, but it's unlikely that the device is going to adopt iPhone X elements as the iPhone SE is a low-cost device while the iPhone X is Apple's top-of-the-line flagship smartphone.

Later in 2018, Apple is expected to introduce a second-generation iPhone X with a 5.8-inch OLED display, an "iPhone X Plus" with a 6.5-inch display, and a lower-cost iPhone with a 6.1-inch LCD display. All three of these are expected to adopt edge-to-edge displays with minimal bezels and the TrueDepth Camera system for Face ID.

It could perhaps be argued that the device in the video is the 6.1-inch iPhone, but we've heard no rumors suggesting that particular device will have an iPhone SE-style body thus far.

Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

loftiness Avatar
93 months ago
mmm looks real to me, go back and watch the UI closely. @Editors did you folks even watch the video before saying "There is no indication that the device in the video is a valid Apple product at all", because it doesn't match what you already know? Come on, I expected better on this site.

If this is an android copy, it's copying iOS so well and it's essentially indistinguishable, look at the unlock animation and swipe-up animation, I just don't see a cheap android copy that look anywhere close to this. It also wouldn't make any sense since most android knockoffs are really shobby. I can't see any single UI element in this video that says it's not iOS.

So possibilities I see are:
a) This is the real new iPhone SE or, more likely the new 2018 flagship iPhone X

or this is fake:
b) really good video editing CGI compositing job
c) iPhone X disguised in a different case
d) somehow iOS 11 hacked to run on android hardware
e) an almost perfect copy of iOS UI performing on a level that's rare on android

Personally I'm betting on a)
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CmdrLaForge Avatar
93 months ago
In other words - I can keep my money and keep waiting until Apple releases an iPhone SE X
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MattXDA Avatar
93 months ago
The OS shown is iOS, no doubt about it. However, the phone doesn’t look small to me, it looks a very similar size to my X.
I think it’s an iPhone X in a modded body. Pause at 0:15 and look how far the screen sticks out of the body.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tobefirst ⚽️ Avatar
93 months ago
I would sell my X and buy this in a heartbeat. I loved my 5S, and thought my 6S was a little too big. Like @JGIGS, I would love a 4.2-4.3" phone in a body roughly the size of the SE. It has to have roughly the internals of the X though. I could live without as great a camera, but it has to be speedy and have the other features.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JGIGS Avatar
93 months ago
Fake. Apple is not going to butcher sales of their high end X model by including faceID, dual camera, oled screen in a smaller, budget friendly phone.
Well I'm guessing it wouldn't be budget friendly anymore. Personally I'd be all over it. I love small phones for one handed use. I find the iphone X a bit too large for my liking (might be better without a case). Loved the size of SE. Could have maybe been a smidge bigger. like 4.2 inches.

4.2 iphone X styled SE2? Sweet! When I say 4.2 I just mean making it a little wider obviously the screen would be bigger.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jonblatho Avatar
93 months ago
Real or fake it looks awful without the bezels. This bezel less obsession has to stop.
They’re not coming back.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...