iPhone SE 4 Case Leak Suggests Device May Not Feature Action Button
Serial leaker Sonny Dickson has shared an image on social media purporting to show a case designed for Apple's unannounced iPhone SE 4. The case aligns with most rumors about the device, expected to launch in the spring, but there is one difference.
Rumors have suggested that the iPhone SE 4 will have a design similar to the iPhone 14, featuring an all-display design with Face ID instead of Touch ID, a 6.06-inch display, OLED display technology instead of LCD, a USB-C port, a single 48-megapixel rear camera located in a horizontal oblong bump, an Apple-designed 5G modem, 8GB RAM, a notch, and perhaps a multi-purpose Action button to replace the mute switch.
Most of the rumored design changes align with what can be seen in the image. However, if you look closely, there's a cut-out on the side above the location of the volume controls that appears to be an opening for a physical mute/silent switch. It's possible that the case manufacturer has left a cutout simply because they don't know if the button will be present or not. But given that Apple suppliers are expected to begin ramping up mass production of the device this month, it could be that Apple has chosen not to add an Action button, despite the fact that all iPhone 16 models inherited the button from 2023's iPhone 15 Pro models.
Some users may consider the lack of a programmable Action button a deal breaker, but we're betting most iPhone SE buyers wouldn't care. In our own online poll conducted earlier this year, half of iPhone 15 Pro users who participated said they forgot the Action button was even there, while many said they had it set to function essentially as a mute/silent switch replacement. The results suggest the button is popular with a more niche cohort of power users (i.e., not the kind of customers most likely to be interested in a ~$500 iPhone).
There's a small possibility that the more affordable iPhone SE 4 could be released ahead of the Lunar New Year in January 2025. However, all three previous iPhone SE models were announced in March over the years, so a spring 2025 release seems most likely.
Popular Stories
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across the Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, Clock, and Safari apps.
More features and changes will follow in future ...
With the fourth betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS 26.1, Apple has introduced a new setting that's designed to allow users to customize the look of Liquid Glass.
The toggle lets users select from a clear look for Liquid Glass, or a tinted look. Clear is the current Liquid Glass design, which is more transparent and shows the background underneath buttons, bars, and menus, while tinted ...
Apple plans to cut production of the iPhone Air amid underwhelming sales performance, Japan's Mizuho Securities believes (via The Elec).
The Japanese investment banking and securities firm claims that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are seeing higher sales than their predecessors during the same period last year, while the standard iPhone 17 is a major success, performing...
Apple's software engineers continue to internally test iOS 26.0.2, according to MacRumors logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions.
iOS 26.0.2 will be a minor update that addresses bugs and/or security vulnerabilities, but we do not know any specific details yet.
The update will likely be released by the end of next week.
Last month, Apple released iOS 26.0.1,...
While the new iPad Pro's headline feature is the M5 chip, the device has some other changes, including N1 and C1X chips, faster storage speeds, and more.
With the M5 chip, the new iPad Pro has up to a 20% faster CPU and up to a 40% faster GPU compared to the previous model with the M4 chip, according to Geekbench 6 results. Keep in mind that 256GB and 512GB configurations have a 9-core CPU,...
iOS 26.4 is expected to introduce a revamped version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence, but not everyone is satisfied with how well it works.
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said some of Apple's software engineers have "concerns" about the overhauled Siri's performance. However, he did not provide any specific details about the shortcomings.
iOS 26.4 will...
Apple on Wednesday updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro with its next-generation M5 chip, but previous rumors have indicated that the company still plans to announce at least a few additional products before the end of the year.
The following Apple products have at one point been rumored to be updated in 2025, although it is unclear if the timeframe for any of them has...
With the fourth beta of iOS 26.1, Apple added a toggle that makes Liquid Glass more opaque and reduces transparency. We tested the beta to see where the toggle works and what it looks like.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
If you have the latest iOS 26.1 beta, you can go to Settings > Display and Brightness to get to the new option. Tap on Liquid Glass, then...
Apple plans to launch MacBook Air models equipped with the new M5 chip in spring 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple is also working on M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models that will come early in the year.
Neither the MacBook Pro models nor the MacBook Air models are expected to get design changes, with Apple focusing on simple chip upgrades. In the case of the MacBook Pro, a m...
