KEY POINTS

  • The iPhone SE successor is previously tipped to feature a 4.7-inch display in an iPhone 8-sized body
  • It is also rumored to feature Touch ID components hidden under thick bezels
  • A new report claims that it will feature a bigger 5.4-inch display and Face ID components

A new rumor about the upcoming iPhone SE successor has surfaced, claiming that the new device will have a bigger display size than previously expected.

Previous reports revealed that Apple is working on a successor to the beloved iPhone SE, unofficially dubbed the iPhone SE 2. This device, as per noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, will come in a bigger body the size of the iPhone 8, and will feature some current-gen specs such as the A13 Bionic chip which is known for powering the iPhone 11 series of handsets.

The alleged iPhone SE 2 is expected to feature a 4.7-inch LCD display. Noted tipster @OnLeaks (with iGeeksblog) recently released renders showing how the device will look like based on all the rumors.

According to the renders, the device will have thick top bezels but feature just one front-facing camera, and it will have thick bottom bezels that will house components needed for Touch ID, which is what it will use as authentication method as per Kuo.

Contradiction

These rumors, however, are now being contradicted by a report from MacOtakara (via GSM Arena), which claims to have received information from Apple suppliers. According to the Japanese blog, the Cupertino tech giant “might” be developing an “updated version of iPhone 8” that uses Face ID instead of Touch ID. This device, as per the report, will be the iPhone 9.

This device will have thinner bottom bezels as a result of ditching Touch ID components. Furthermore, the thick top bezel will be replaced with a notch meant to house technologies that will be used for Face ID. The end result of this is that the device, which has a chassis the size of the iPhone 8, will have a display that measures 5.4 inches diagonally.

Now why does this matter? Those who follow reports regarding the iPhone SE successor will note that per an older MacOtakara report, the iPhone SE successor is called the iPhone 9. In other words, if the report is accurate, the iPhone SE successor will come with a 5.4-inch display and will employ Face ID as authentication feature. This is contrary to what was previously known about the device.

The report added that the upcoming iPhone SE 2 (or iPhone 9) will feature a bigger rear camera and an updated flash. It is still tipped to feature the A13 Bionic chip.

iPhone SE
An Apple Inc. iPhone SE, right, is displayed at the company's Omotesando store on March 31, 2016 in Tokyo, Japan. Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images