Maybe I missed it, but assuming GrapheneOS doesn't adhere to this verification, or provides some OS-level way to disable it, what makes Graphene worse after this change?
Because this is Apple's bargain device, they probably don't want to keep tooling machinery around that's specifically geared toward creating that older shape and size of iPhone.
I'd assume the iPhone SE is always going to follow the look and feel of the higher-end iPhones, maybe lagging behind a generation or so.