We’re a week away from what is expected to be an Apple launch event that will include the roll out of the new iPhone 5SE handset — and the rumor mill, as usual, is churning.

A PR firm that we have been working with in China, Beeep, has sent us an interesting video and photos from Huaqiangbei (the “Silicon Valley of the East”) in Shenzhen that we would like to share with you.

I can’t say for sure if these are photos of the real McCoy, because they clearly could not get the presumed device to power on. So that’s concerning to us.

However, what is interesting is how convincing the physical device looks, this isn’t just a routine Photoshop job. Sometimes, Apple or the ODMs create “Slugs” which are full-sized mock ups of the real thing, lacking electronics, which are used for the purposes of assisting accessory designers in building products such as cases.

So it’s possible what we are looking at is a legit ODM slug of the iPhone 5SE. Which is close enough.

iPhones for size comparison. The purported 5SE is on the top.

Purported iPhone 5SE is on the top of this stack. As you can see it appears slightly thinner than the original 5 but has the curved lines of the iPhone 6.

Side by side, with the purported iPhone 5SE in the center.

Purported 5SE, stacked on the top.

Does this look like the real iPhone 5SE to you? Talk Back and Let Me Know.