Muddled Rumors Detail New 5.4-inch iPhone with Face ID

Tech analysts are sorting through a confusing pile of iPhone rumors in the wake of a new report from MacOtakara. The rumors primarily concern the anticipated iPhone SE 2 and an updated version of the iPhone 8.

For those interested, the main takeaway is that Apple seems to be developing a new, budget friendly iPhone with a 5.4-inch screen and Face ID capabilities. The phone would have a form factor comparable to the iPhone 8, which had a 4.7-inch screen. However, the newer version would have smaller top and bottom bezels, creating more real estate on the front for the screen itself. It would also have a larger camera and contain the A13 Bionic chip that was first featured in last fall’s iPhone 11.

The confusion stems from the fact that MacOtakara seems to be mixing rumors about two different phones. Noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has previously predicted that the iPhone SE 2 would be the first of five iPhones to hit store shelves in 2020, and that it would herald the return of Touch ID while providing consumers with a low-cost iPhone option. He later indicated that the phone’s design would be similar to the iPhone 8, and incorporate the A13 chip.

Kuo has also predicted that Apple will be releasing a separate iPhone with a 5.4-inch screen later in the year, and that that phone would still feature Face ID. That second phone could be the subject of MacOtakara’s latest rumor, which was based on conversations at CES 2020.

Either way, it seems likely that Apple is working on at least one phone that borrows certain design elements from the iPhone 8. What that looks like in practice still remains to be seen, especially since Kuo recently predicted that Apple would formally introduce iPhones with in-display Touch ID in 2021.

Sources: Apple Insider, 9 to 5 Mac