A video shared on Chinese social media website Sina Weibo this week has possibly revealed a second-generation iPhone SE, but the device could easily be a knockoff, so treat this rumor with a healthy dose of skepticism.
The short clip, which we've reuploaded to YouTube, shows what appears to be an unreleased iPhone SE with a glass back, a design change that would enable support for wireless charging. The rear shell on the current iPhone SE is largely aluminum, with small glass panels along the top and bottom.
Otherwise, the device looks virtually the same as the current iPhone SE, retaining an iPhone 5s-like design with a four-inch display sandwiched between top and bottom bezels housing Touch ID, an earpiece, and a front camera.
The device also retains a 3.5mm headphone jack, despite a report last week claiming it will be removed. It would make sense for Apple to keep it if the new iPhone SE continues to have virtually the same design and thickness, as rumored, but removing it could perhaps lead to improved water resistance.
One other minor difference on the device in the video is the absence of all regulatory labels and text on the rear shell, beyond a single "iPhone" word mark, in line with the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X.
iPhone knockoffs are common in China, and the source of the video is unclear, so we stress that the footage's authenticity is unconfirmed. One possibility is that the device is an accurate dummy model based on supply chain information, but it's also very possible that this device isn't the real deal.
Japanese blog Mac Otakara, citing accessory makers, recently claimed a new iPhone SE could be released in May. DigiTimes also expects a new iPhone SE in May or June, suggesting the device could be announced via press release next month, or be unveiled during WWDC 2018's opening keynote on June 4.
Last week, Apple filed several unreleased iPhone models with the Eurasian Economic Commission, as legally required, and this action has often foreshadowed product launches. Apple submitted a new tablet to the database in February, for example, and a new 9.7-inch iPad debuted in March.
If history repeats itself, the regulatory filings in April do lend credence to a new iPhone SE debuting next month. However, it's worth noting that Apple has only debuted new products in May twice in the past five years, including the fifth-generation iPod touch in 2013 and a refreshed 15-inch MacBook Pro in 2015.
iPhone SE rumors have been all over the map in recent months, but there is increasing consensus that the device will be powered by an A10 Fusion chip, up to 40 percent faster than the A9 chip in the current iPhone SE.
If there is a new iPhone SE whatsoever, a rumor that KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is skeptical about, Apple is likely most focused on making under-the-hood improvements to the device, as it is now outdated by a few years. At $349, the device is unlikely to adopt an iPhone X-like design or Face ID.
Apple hasn't fully refreshed the iPhone SE since it launched in March 2016, but it did double its available storage capacities to 64GB and 128GB in March 2017. It also dropped the device's starting price to $349 last September.
