New iPhone SE 2 design images offer a glimpse at what could be

Rumors about the iPhone SE 2 have been floating around for quite a while now. We've been hearing bits about the alleged device here and there, but over the last year, especially after the reveal of the iPhone X, things have changed quite a bit. The iPhone SE 2 is now rumored to have a similar bezel-less design, complete with a notch, just like the X, and is, indeed, closer to reality than ever before. In fact, most sources are pinning the SE 2 for a September 2018 unveiling, alongside other iPhone models.

As far as the design of the iPhone SE 2 goes, we've recently gotten a good look at some renders of the device used by smartphone accessory maker Olixar for a new lineup of screen protectors and cases for the iPhone SE 2. The images were accompanied by alleged schematics of the device, as well as photos of the real screen protectors. These helped paint an even clearer picture of what to expect from Apple this year, but as usual, there were some questions left unanswered, and the images were, as usual, less-than-ideal in terms of quality and size. 

The renders Olixar shared depicted the iPhone SE 2 with the same rounded notch as the iPhone X, but the photos of the actual screen protector, as well as the device schematics, suggested a more angular notch design. And if these screen protectors are indeed real, then it's very likely that the notch is different. Actually, this angular design goes quite well with the suggested boxier aesthetic of the phone.

Which one will it be, remains to be seen, but that there will be a notch is almost certain, as other rumors suggest Face ID also coming to the iPhone SE 2. This one is still up in the air, but since there won't be a physical home button with fingerprint scanner in it, it is very likely that Apple intends to implement some sort of face unlocking in the phone, though whether it would be a full-blown depth sensing system like on the iPhone X, or a more simple solution that relies on 2D face recognition, is too early to tell.

Another rumored feature of the iPhone SE 2 is a glass back for wireless charging. This has been confirmed by a number of separate leaks and is something that we expect from the phone at this point. Another thing we expect from the SE 2, and from every Apple phone going forward, is the omission of the 3.5mm audio jack. No surprises here, really, Apple wasn't going to backtrack on its decision to remove the technology and it it's not going to do it in the future.

The iPhone SE 2 is rumored to have the same exact dimensions as the original iPhone SE. That is, 4.87 x 2.31 x 0.30 inches (123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm). It's supposed to weigh around the same as well -- 3.99 oz (113 g). The big change from the original, of course, is the much larger screen, as far as design goes, at least. Without the home button of its predecessor, the iPhone SE 2 is expected to adopt the same gesture-based user interface that the iPhone X debuted with last year.

As far as other design changes are concerned, there aren't that many. The iPhone SE 2 will likely retain the boxy design of the original, with the same button arangement to the sides and top of the device. That is, volume keys and mute switch on the left, and power button at the top.