No Sign of iPhone SE 4 With Touch ID Side Button 'Actually in the Pipeline'
Despite years of rumors, there is reportedly no sign of a fourth-generation iPhone SE model featuring Touch ID integrated into the Side button.
In a recent edition of his newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who often reveals accurate insights into Apple's plans, said while he can envision a new iPhone SE with a Touch ID button on the side, he hasn't "heard anything about that actually being in the pipeline."
The latest iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini models feature Touch ID integrated into their Top buttons, but no iPhones offer this functionality yet. As Apple's cheapest iPhone offering and to keep costs down, the iPhone SE has never had Face ID authentication, sticking with a capacitive Touch ID Home button like older iPhone models. As such, it would make sense for the iPhone SE to be the first iPhone model to gain the newer Side button-style Touch ID implementation.
Chinese site MyDrivers and and leaker Jon Prosser believe that the iPhone SE is set to move to an iPhone XR-like design, which would involve eliminating the Home button. The change is likely since Apple's "SE" products so far have always used the designs of older devices. Moving to an all-screen design, there will no longer be space for a capacitive Touch ID Home button in the device's bottom bezel.
Multiple reports, including information from MyDrivers and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggest that Apple is planning to add a Touch ID Side button to the iPhone SE.
Display analyst Ross Young now expects a fourth-generation iPhone SE to launch in 2024, featuring a 6.1-inch LCD display and a notch. The size of the fourth-generation iPhone SE's notch is not yet known, but it seems plausible that it could be narrower than it was on the iPhone XR if it does not contain components like a dot projector for Face ID because the device features Touch ID.
While Apple refreshed the iPhone SE earlier this year to add an A15 Bionic chip and 5G connectivity, rumors suggest that a larger iPhone SE is still planned for launch in 2024. Given Gurman's latest information, it is now difficult to tell whether the device will actually feature a Touch ID Side button.
Popular Stories
The first iOS 17.3 beta rolling out to developers today includes a new "Stolen Device Protection" feature that is designed to add an additional layer of security in the event someone has stolen your iPhone and also obtained the device's passcode. Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern and Nicole Nguyen reported about instances of thieves spying on a victim's iPhone...
Apple has made available for download its major end-of-year iPhone software update, iOS 17.2, featuring a large number of features and changes that users have been anticipating for quite a while. Below, we've listed 33 new things that your iPhone can do once you've installed the update. Check Settings ➝ General ➝ Software Update on your device to get downloading. 1. Help You Keep a Daily ...
With the launch of the iPhone 15, Apple introduced design changes like a curved frame and a frosted glass back. Information acquired by MacRumors suggests that Apple's next-generation iPhone 16 will build on these updates with modifications to the buttons and the camera layout. We have details on early pre-production designs for the iPhone 16, including a look at the variants and hardware...
Earlier this year, General Motors (GM) announced plans to phase out Apple's CarPlay and Android Auto in its future electric vehicles, with the company instead relying on an infotainment system co-developed with Google. This has not been a popular decision with iPhone users, and today, GM provided some additional insight into the decision in a discussion with MotorTrend. According to Tim...
While the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are still over nine months away from launching, there are already several rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped new features and changes expected for the devices so far. These are some of the key changes rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro models as of December 2023:Larger displays: The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped...
Apple today released tvOS 17.2, the second major update to the tvOS 17 operating system that came out in September 2023. tvOS 17.2 comes more than a month after tvOS 17.1, an update that expanded the availability of the Enhanced Dialogue feature. tvOS 17.2 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the Apple TV. Go to System > Software Update to get the new software. Apple TV...
When Apple releases new software, iOS updates tend to get most of the attention, and there are sometimes useful new features in Mac updates that go under the radar. That's the case with macOS Sonoma 14.2. It doesn't have flashy features like the Journal app that came in iOS 17.2, but there are a number of useful improvements that make it worth installing. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube ...
