Side-Button Touch ID
The TrueDepth camera system that powers Face ID isn’t just a bonus feature for Apple’s flagship iPhone models; it’s also one of the most expensive components Apple packs into its iPhones. So, it’s pretty safe to say we’re not going to see Face ID on a budget iPhone model.
Instead, Apple is likely to follow the approach that it took with the fourth-generation iPad Air last year, and the sixth-gen iPad mini this year — a Touch ID sensor integrated into the side Sleep/Wake button.
We’ve been hearing reports about this design since early 2020, months before it showed up on the iPad Air. There’s also a slim possibility Apple could go with in-display Touch ID instead, but it’s important to remember the iPhone SE is all about keeping costs down, and it’s safe to say the side-button Touch ID sensor is the far more economical way to go.