Apple is reportedly bringing back the iPhone XR’s design for the next iPhone SE. The report comes from noted analyst Ross Young at Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSSC) via MacRumors. Young had previously believed that the fourth-gen iPhone SE would have an Android-style hole-punch cutout on the front and a display size ranging between 5.7 inches to 6.1 inches.
Young now expects that Apple will stick to a 6.1-inch design, while also bringing the notch to an iPhone SE model for the first time. The phone is expected to be based on an iPhone XR, with Apple keeping the iPhone SE’s rear camera as a solo act for the fourth year running. There’s also reportedly no OLED or ProMotion expected here either. And with the notch making an appearance, we can safely assume the next iPhone SE will support Face ID instead of Touch ID. There’s simply no space for the traditional Touch ID sensor on the iPhone XR’s body, and recent reports from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg note that Apple has no appetite for building Touch ID into the power button on iPhones as it does on iPads.
The iPhone SE line has typically been one with feet firmly in the past, offering iPhone connoisseurs the chance to keep their favorite designs for longer than their sell-by dates. The original SE revived the iPhone 5’s design, while the 2020 and 2022 SEs brought back the iPhone 8. Though the iPhone XR still looks somewhat contemporary, its rounded edges and the wider notch will likely ensure that you don’t confuse it with a “real” new iPhone.
If the next SE does look like an XR, it’ll also end the iPhone SE’s streak of being the cheapest, smallest iPhone you can buy. While all the older SEs were small, that was more a function of the devices they were based on than anything. As Apple moves to the iPhone XR for the SE series and to the Plus line for the mainline iPhones, it’s unlikely we’ll see a proper small iPhone again for a while.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Samsung’s scandal over its Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, has returned with a bill attached. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has tentatively fined the company 20.1 billion won, or about $15.1 million, over gaming claims made for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Tab S8.
The regulator says Samsung promoted the devices as gaming powerhouses without disclosing that GOS placed preset CPU and GPU limits on certain demanding games. Samsung disputes that conclusion, calling GOS a legitimate way to manage heat.