Leaked Apple iPhone SE 4 design looks like mashup of iPhones past

Like the PS5 Pro and Nintendo Switch 2, the iPhone SE 4 is one of tech's most on-again-off-again rumours of the last few years. For the last few months the budget iPhone was said to be dead in the water – but new reports suggest it's back, and with a familiar design to boot.

CAD renders of the device have leaked, revealing a design with an iPhone 14-esque body, an iPhone 13-esque notch an iPhone 15-esque USB-C port and an iPhone SE 3-esque camera cutout. In other words, yes, it looks like a bit of a Frankenphone.

With its flat edges and notch, the front looks a dead ringer for 2023's iPhone 14, whereas the single camera cutout on the back places the rear very much in standard iPhone SE territory (that single lens makes it a hard sell for those looking for the best camera phones). And with Apple essentially being strong-armed into replacing Lightning with USB-C last year, it's hardly surprising to see a USB-C port.

But while it might sound like the best of several worlds, there's one past model some users will be disappointed to see the SE 4 doesn't take inspiration from. Fans of the iPhone mini have been crossing their tiny fingers that the discontinued mini might live on in the form of the next SE. For a while the precedent was for Apple to preserve its more diminutive designs in this way, but alas, it seems the SE 4 proves once and for all that the 'S' in 'SE' doesn't stand for 'small'.

Time will tell when (or even whether) the iPhone SE 4 will become a reality. In the meantime, for the lowdown on the latest and greatest iOS experience, take a look at our iPhone 15 Pro review.