With the 2nd generation iPhone SE looking a whole lot like the iPhone 8, you might be able to save some money by finding an old case.
A new iPhone is on the way, and while the insides are new, the outside is very familiar.
Take a quick glance at the iPhone SE for 2020 and you’ll see a phone that looks a whole lot like the iPhone 8, a dramatic departure from the iPhone SE before it.
With its flat metal edges and glass front and back, the original SE was more reminiscent of the iPhone 4 and 5, while the new one borrows more from the iPhone 8, with a softened metal frame and coloured glass back.
In fact, going on size and specs alone, the iPhone SE 2020 and iPhone 8 occupy an identical set of dimensions, with 138.4mm height, 67.3mm width, 7.3mm thickness, and 148 grams. The screen is the same 4.7 inch 1334×750 screen, and it even uses a 12 megapixel camera.
If it weren’t for the difference in underlying hardware, you’d think the new iPhone SE was the old iPhone 8, for sure.
And with an identical design, we think the old cases should match, too. That leads us to ask: will the iPhone SE fit in an iPhone 8 case?
Will an old iPhone 8 case fit a new iPhone SE?
While we’re yet to play with a new iPhone SE, the 2020 variant of the iPhone SE should fit in an iPhone 8 case cleanly, because the dimensions appear to be the same.
The camera may end up being the point of difference, but if it is, it’s likely to be a small difference only in thickness, and should fit fine in an iPhone 8 case all the same.
That means if you do buy an iPhone SE this year, you might be able to find an inexpensive case to go with it, or even find an old iPhone 8 case you had from back in the day.
So yes, the iPhone SE should fit in an iPhone 8 case cleanly. Certainly not an iPhone 8 Plus case, as the dimensions are very different, but an iPhone 8 case should be fine.
Will the iPhone 8 fit in an iPhone SE case?
Going in the other direction, if you still have an iPhone 8 and you’re keen to get a case for what is now a discontinued phone, the iPhone SE cases should fit the iPhone 8, too.
While there may be a camera difference of sorts, the similarity in dimensions should mean that if you have an iPhone 8, the iPhone SE cases will fit your old phone, too.
