This year’s redesign will use the same iPhone 8 body

Jan 8, 2022 09:20 GMT  ·  By

Apple’s killing off the iPhone mini form factor this year, and as a result, the only small iPhone that will continue to be available for customers will be the SE.

But because the current iPhone SE is using rather old hardware, the Cupertino-based tech giant is already working on a refresh, and its debut is expected to take place this year.

In other words, a new iPhone SE is coming in 2022, with the debut very likely to happen in the spring, either in March or in April.

The device will most likely be based on the same iPhone 8 design as its predecessor, but it’s expected to pack 5G support and therefore align with the rest of the iPhones currently on the market.

Apple tipster @dylandkt corroborated these tidbits, adding that the iPhone SE with 5G will indeed launch this year with a spec bump, though the same design as the 2020 model will be used.

Bigger overhaul planned for 2024

On the other hand, Apple is already working on a bigger redesign of the iPhone SE.

2024 is likely to witness the debut of an upgraded model that would be based on the iPhone XR, though it’s likely to sport a slightly smaller screen size.

Apple still wants to have a small iPhone on the market, and this is the reason the company could make the device slightly smaller than the original iPhone XR.

The biggest upgrade will come in terms of biometric authentication. The 2024 iPhone SE will come with Touch ID integrated into the power button, similar to the iPad Air. Apple is also planning to bring back Touch ID on the premium and larger iPhones, though in this case, the fingerprint sensor will be embedded into the glass.

Touch ID could return to the premium iPhones next year.