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Hands-On: Possible iPhone SE Case Reveals Close but Not Perfect Fit to iPhone 5s

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Ahead of the release of the 4-inch iPhone SE next week, we managed to get our hands on some inexpensive TPU cases designed for the device. We've compared the iPhone SE cases to Apple's iPhone 5s in a new video to get a feel for the differences we might possibly see between the two devices.

On the whole, the iPhone SE case supports rumors the iPhone SE will look similar to the iPhone 5s. When put on an iPhone 5s, the iPhone SE case fits, but in our estimation, it's designed for either a device that's slightly thinner or one that has rounded edges, so the fit is not perfect.

There's also a noticeable discrepancy at the volume buttons due to the mismatched fit, and the buttons on the iPhone 5s do not align with the button indentations on the SE case. There have been no rumors suggesting the iPhone SE will be thinner than the iPhone 5s, but it has been rumored to include slightly curved glass at the edges rather than the sharper chamfered edges found on the iPhone 5s, so that could account for the difference in fit.


Cases created for iPhones ahead of launch are typically a solid indication of what a new device will look like, but with the iPhone SE, we've seen several case variations that leave the final design up in the air. Some, like the one in the video, closely resemble iPhone 5s cases, while others have a more iPhone 6 style design. We don't know if the case we've received is an accurate representation of what we'll see when the iPhone SE launches.

Along with case designs, rumors about the SE's shape have been similarly mixed, pointing towards an iPhone 5s-style shell with a slightly curved display glass, but all recent information has largely pointed towards a device that is identical to the iPhone 5s.

We don't have long to wait to see the design of the iPhone SE. Apple will introduce the device on Monday, at its "Let Us Loop You In" event that will also see the debut of the 9.7-inch iPad and new Apple Watch bands.

Article Link: Hands-On: Possible iPhone SE Case Reveals Close but Not Perfect Fit to iPhone 5s
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2016/03/18/iphone-se-case-hands-on/
JamesDo said:
Stop posting this garbage.
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Agreed. Arn should be ashamed for letting stuff like this pass as worthy of the front page.

These cases aren't, as the article claims, "designed for the device." The device hasn't even been released yet.

I like a lot of Juli Clover's reports. She's a decent journalist. But articles like this fall squarely in the "link bait" corner.
 
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I would imagine that Apple is throwing several different case designs out there to thwart those factories that leak shots.
 
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I like how just a few days before we are getting a ton of rumors. Starting a pool to see which are right and which were fake. :cool:
 
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I'm a bit confused about the video, Matt says there is some minor air gaps around the corners...so if the 5se is going to be slightly thinner in design how is thinner going to fill up the air gaps? If the edges are going to be slightly rounded off how will this fill in the air gaps?

It sounds like prior cases are going to fit but not perfectly, this is weird. I have a bunch of 5 cases so this will be interesting to see.
 
I would've rather enjoyed an iPhone 6 design but in a much smaller form and the phone to be rebranded as "iPhone 6e".

I just makes more sense. I like the slightly curved glass of my 6s and the seamless design between the glass and the aluminum. It feels much better in the hand than the brick design that the iPhone 5/5s had, although it's slightly more slippery.

image.png


And the external aluminum could have a subtle tint with color.

Something like (but not quite):

image.jpeg


And, finally, storage options of 32GB and 64GB. It's time to move on.

Just some common sense ideas that crossed my mind.
 
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vertsix said:
I would've rather enjoyed an iPhone 6 design but in a much smaller form and the phone to be rebranded as "iPhone 6e".

I just makes more sense. I like the slightly curved glass of my 6s and the seamless design between the glass and the aluminum. It feels much better in the hand than the brick design that the iPhone 5/5s had, althougg it's slightly more slippery.

And the external aluminum could have a subtle tint with color.

And, finally, storage options of 32GB and 64GB.

Just some common sense ideas that crossed my mind.
Click to expand...

I'm in the opposite camp. I would love an iPhone 5 design for the 4.7 and 5.5 iPhones, I'm ok with the curved glass, but the squared back felt so good in the hand.
 
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MrGuder said:
I'm a bit confused about the video, Matt says there is some minor air gaps around the corners...so if the 5se is going to be slightly thinner in design how is thinner going to fill up the air gaps? If the edges are going to be slightly rounded off how will this fill in the air gaps?

It sounds like prior cases are going to fit but not perfectly, this is weird. I have a bunch of 5 cases so this will be interesting to see.
Click to expand...


It's a little hard to describe on video, but basically it seems the air gaps are formed from from the case not fitting right. If the device was thinner it would most likely allow the case to wrap around the front of the phone and fill in the gaps. OR a rounded device would fill in the gaps. Hope that makes sense
 
gaximus said:
I'm in the opposite camp. I would love an iPhone 5 design for the 4.7 and 5.5 iPhones, I'm ok with the curved glass, but the squared back felt so good in the hand.
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But it's a brick.

Size-wise, yes, because it actually fit in your hand.
 
mattdgonzalez said:
It's a little hard to describe on video, but basically it seems the air gaps are formed from from the case not fitting right. If the device was thinner it would most likely allow the case to wrap around the front of the phone and fill in the gaps. OR a rounded device would fill in the gaps. Hope that makes sense
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Ok thanks maybe you could have zoomed in on that gap you were mentioning and talk about what you meant for 20 more seconds in the video. I guess it's something you have to see in person?

So does this mean the 5se won't have the chamfers edges diamond cut?
 
MrGuder said:
Ok thanks maybe you could have zoomed in on that gap you were mentioning and talk about what you meant for 20 more seconds in the video. I guess it's something you have to see in person?

So does this mean the 5se won't have the chamfers edges diamond cut?
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No matter what I did I couldn't get it to show up on video, so i just mentioned it instead. You really have to feel it to notice it.
 
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vertsix said:
I would've rather enjoyed an iPhone 6 design but in a much smaller form and the phone to be rebranded as "iPhone 6e".

I just makes more sense. I like the slightly curved glass of my 6s and the seamless design between the glass and the aluminum. It feels much better in the hand than the brick design that the iPhone 5/5s had, although it's slightly more slippery.

View attachment 621817

And the external aluminum could have a subtle tint with color.

Something like (but not quite):

View attachment 621818

And, finally, storage options of 32GB and 64GB. It's time to move on.

Just some common sense ideas that crossed my mind.
Click to expand...

You forgot a few versions::

Jamaican
Rainbow

Stainless steel:
a) polished
b) brushed
c) Link shell
Hermes Corinthian leather ( WT$# does Corinthian even mean)

U2 red incl. donating 16GB chips
 
Wow, Apple is really running on fumes if they just rehash the iPhone 5S design in 2016. That itself is just a redesign of the iPhone 4. Will show how Steve Jobs was the real force when it came to design at Apple.
 
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Stop calling it a "smaller-form" device... it's the "standard" size, with the 6s being the "larger-form". ;)
[doublepost=1458325029][/doublepost]
a.gomez said:
Wow, Apple is really running on fumes if they just rehash the iPhone 5S design in 2016. That itself is just a redesign of the iPhone 4. Will show how Steve Jobs was the real force when it came to design at Apple.
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How can you improve upon a design that is already good? I think it's unrealistic for us to expect new/different for each release.

The first iPhone had rounded edges, then they moved to straight edges, then back to rounded, and now (possibly) back to square... but rumours suggest that the edges will be rounded like the 6/6s.
 
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I'm still buying this on release day, gonna switch back will be nice to get back to the smaller one hand form factor.
 
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