Image Shows Supposed 'iPhone SE 2' Screen Protector With Smaller iPhone X-Style Notch

Sketchy claims that Apple's "iPhone SE 2" could boast an iPhone X-esque display apparently refuse to go away, with the latest addition to the rumor pile coming courtesy of Sonny Dickson.

Earlier today the parts leaker posted an image on Twitter of a supposed iPhone SE 2 screen protector that appears to share a similar notch-design to the one Apple uses to house the iPhone X's facial recognition sensors in lieu of Touch ID fingerprint recognition.

SonnyDickson 2018 Jun 01


The comparison shot also shows an actual iPhone X screen protector (right) beside the allegedly leaked one in order to highlight the smaller notch that would presumably be destined for the smaller form factor phone.

Unconfirmed renders and dimensions of the next iPhone SE obtained by MacRumors from casemaker Olixar claim the device will have a length of 4.7 inches and a width of 2.1 inches, making it slightly smaller than the current model but with a larger display thanks to the fuller-screen design. They also suggest the device's notch will be around half as wide as the one on the iPhone X, but the idea that it might house facial recognition sensors still seems far-fetched.

Apart from the technological hurdles that Apple would have to overcome to achieve the unlikely feat, it's hard to imagine that Apple would include Face ID on the iPhone SE at all without hiking up the price significantly. Including the feature on an iPhone that starts at just $349 would reduce Apple's gross margins and risk cannibalizing sales of the iPhone X, which starts at $999.

Those issues put the whole notch-design in doubt, given that the lack of a home button would require some other method of user authentication. Some rival smartphones have recently featured integrated screen fingerprint sensors, but Apple has suggested it won't be following that approach ever since it developed its TrueDepth camera recognition system.

Apple hasn't properly refreshed the iPhone SE since it launched back in March 2016, but it did double the available storage capacities in March 2017. Rumors about an updated model have been contradictory in recent months, but they can be distilled into two camps: one hoping for a iPhone X-like design, and another expecting a minor refresh.

Related Roundup: iPhone SE
Buyer's Guide: iPhone SE (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: iPhone

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Top Rated Comments

Schranke Avatar
87 months ago
Why do we always have to talk about the SE as a "discount" device?
I would love to pay a high price for some of the same features as the flagship model as long as it comes in the SE form factor.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheralSadurns Avatar
87 months ago
Honestly. I think this is just a cut-out for the speaker. I'd say they moved the speaker closer to the edge... and the screen protector just covers the entire front of the device... doesn't mean that the actual screen will extend this high!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WiiDSmoker Avatar
87 months ago
Why is so much speculative nonsense passed off as “news” here?
You're visiting a website called MacRUMORS
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
44267547 Avatar
87 months ago
Its just a screen protector. I don’t believe this means anything that an iPhone SE will launch with Face ID, which would hike the price considerably. If we were To start seeing more component leaks for an iPhone SE with Face ID, that would be more substantial.

If the iPhone SE is updated, I think it would be minor with an improved resolution, camera upgrade in a similar form factor retaining a familiar price point.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bacillus Avatar
87 months ago
Oahhh - uuahh a notch...!
After months of opposition, fatal notch craze has also caught me:
After eye-cell amputation, I now enjoy a blacked out notch-zone of inactive retina cells for a permanent notch view - whether on phones, tv's, iPads, haircuts, my wife's (or Joni's) face and anything else that lacks a notch.
Man, it feels so good.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
44267547 Avatar
87 months ago
Why do we always have to talk about the SE as a "discount" device?.
Did you watch the March 2016 Keynote when the SE launched? Greg Joswiak stated they introduced the SE to be an “Affordable” entry-level iPhone with a 4 inch form factor. In order to make it that way, they didn’t include all the latest technology, which also made it affordable for other countries where the higher iPhone models are exorbitant in price.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)