【Caged Women】

Like it or Caged Womennot, the notch — that little cutout made famous by the iPhone X — is a thing for new phones. No matter if it's iPhone or Android, the notch is here for the foreseeable future.

Rumor has it Apple's upcoming iPhone SE, tentatively called the "SE 2," might follow the iPhone X with a notch of its own. It could be announced as soon as WWDC next month

SEE ALSO: This might be our first look at the iPhone SE 2

The iPhone SE was released in 2016 and is so due for an update that you might have forgotten it even exists. But we assure you, Apple still sells the lil guy because not everyone wants a huge phone.

Past rumors have suggested the iPhone SE 2 might have a similar or smaller size and design to the original, which itself was a tweaked version of the iPhone 5 released in 2012.

That means an aluminum frame and flat sides. The biggest update might be a new glass back that could support wireless charging, bringing it in line with the iPhone 8/8 Plus and X, all of which work with Qi-based wireless chargers.

Another rumor claims the SE 2 might also kill off the headphone jack, leaving the iPhone 6S as the only iPhone left in the company's smartphone lineup with the port.

However, a new leak intensifies the rumor mill, with chatter the SE 2 will have its a notch. Online phone shop MobileFun lists a glass screen protector for an unreleased "iPhone SE 2018" that, well, has a notch cutout.

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Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Yeah, we're aware the product is a screen protector, but the company that makes the accessory is Olixar, a well-established case and accessory maker. Though it's certainly possible the accessory and accompanying product rendering are inaccurate, we're still talking about a major accessory maker backing this. That'd be one major screw up if it's already started manufacturing them.

It's happened before. In 2014, some iPhone case makers were so certain of the rumored "teardrop-shaped" iPhone that they rushed to production and ended up being wrong. The iPhone Apple announced and released in 2011, ended up being the iPhone 4S, the same design as the previous iPhone 4.

MacRumors has additional details from Olixar. According to the accessory company, the design comes from a "reliable source" in China and the iPhone SE's screen will be slightly larger than the current 4-inch iPhone SE.

A notched iPhone SE 2 directly contradicts another leak that claims the new phone will have the same size screen, Touch ID and ports as the existing model.

As Mashable's resident mobile expert, I'm extremely skeptical of the notch coming to the iPhone SE. I've written about the notch extensively since the iPhone X's launch and I can't see it happening.

For one thing, the notch isn't just a design aesthetic on the iPhone; it actually houses the powerful TrueDepth camera system and I don't believe Apple will have shrunken it down to an SE-friendly size in less than a year.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Second, Apple would never release iPhone with a notch and also a "chin" bezel on the bottom of the display the way every Android phone maker is. That's just not gonna happen. On the iPhone X, the screen actually folds backwards from the top of the screen like so:

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Do you know why the iPhone X is so expensive? The screen and the technology that makes it happen is one main reason. The iPhone SE is Apple's least expensive iPhone. Adding the notch's TrueDepth system and a flexible screen will add more cost to the device and that'd defeat the point of its existence as a budget-friendly alternative to the large iPhones.

Not to mention, potentially cannibalize sales for this year's rumored low cost "iPhone 9" which will very likely have a notch and use a cheaper LCD screen, as opposed to the X's pricier OLED display.

Now, I have no inside knowledge on what Apple's really going to announce. Maybe I'm completely off base, but I've been reading the iPhone tea leaves for many years now and the notch on the SE 2 seems too bogus to be true. I've no doubt that one day all iPhones will have a notch, but not so soon on the SE. Adjust your reality distortion goggles accordingly.

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Topics Apple iPhone Gadgets