Here are all of the rumours and leaks around the iPhone SE. Apple’s speculated iPhone SE 3 is expected to be released in the following months, maybe sooner than planned. However, if and when a new iteration of Apple’s low-cost phone is released, it will have a tough bar to cross. The current model, the iPhone SE (2020), offers a still-powerful A13 Bionic processor in a small package. While it is beginning to seem a bit antiquated, the iPhone SE is still a really fine phone.
However, Apple may remedy that old sensation with the iPhone SE 3. According to rumours, Apple will provide a number of significant iPhone SE enhancements, including 5G connection and the same strong A15 Bionic CPU featured in the iPhone 13.
The new processor is expected to boost not just performance but also photos and battery life. It’s no surprise that the iPhone SE 3 is one of the phones we’re most excited to see in 2022.
Unfortunately, Apple appears to be using the same design on the iPhone SE 3 as it does on the current iPhone SE. Nonetheless, the combination of 5G and the predicted power for what should be one of the finest affordable phones might make the iPhone SE 3 a lot larger issue than you realise.
Here’s all we know about the iPhone SE 3 thus far.
iPhone SE 3 news (updated February 4)
- Let the speculation over the iPhone SE 3 release date continue, as a fresh rumour indicates Apple is holding an event on March 8 to unveil the new phone, as well as an upgraded iPad Air.
- The first reported real-world iPhone SE 3 photograph has emerged, thanks to leaker Jon Prosser.
Rumors about the release date of the iPhone SE 3
So far, all indications and speculations point to the iPhone SE 3 being introduced this spring during an Apple event that is supposed to be a product presentation. The major issue is, when will it be in the spring?
Previous speculations suggested that the iPhone SE 3 will be released in April/May, coinciding with the introduction of the iPhone SE 2020 two years ago. However, Bloomberg is now pointing to a March 8 event that will feature not just a new iPhone, but also the iPad Air 5.
Interestingly, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that Apple plans to release a new iPhone SE model with a bigger display in 2023.
If you’re wondering if the buzz is worth it, read our guide to deciding whether to wait for the iPhone SE 3 or buy the iPhone SE now. And it will be intriguing to see how the prospective iPhone SE 3 vs. Google Pixel 5a duel plays out, since this might be the year’s biggest budget phone battle.
Price of the iPhone SE 3
We don’t know much about the pricing of the iPhone SE 3, but we believe Apple will stick with the $399 price of the current iPhone SE. The price-to-performance ratio is what makes Apple’s present model so enticing to many consumers, and it would be crazy for Apple to deviate from that. However, the same could be said of the Pixel 4a’s $349 price tag, but Google didn’t hesitate to raise the Pixel 5a’s price to $449 when 5G connection and an ultrawide camera lens were added.
According to one report, the iPhone SE 3 would cost 3,499 yuan (about $542). That appears to be a hefty price to us, and such currency conversions are rarely precise.
According to JP Morgan, the iPhone SE 3 might sell more than a billion copies due to its ability to attract “roughly 1.4 billion low-to-mid-end Android phones and around 300 million older iPhone model customers.”
That’s a big forecast, but it appears to be aided by competitive pricing and trade-in value. According to Samik Chatterjee, an analyst at JP Morgan, while Apple’s trade-in value for older Android phones vs older iPhones is biassed in favour of Apple phones, the iPhone SE 3 might have an average starting price ranging between $269 and $399. The iPhone SE 3 might sell a lot of units if the price is right.
Is the iPhone SE 3’s name going to be iPhone SE Plus, iPhone SE 5G, or something else?
With just two varieties of the iPhone SE ever launched, Apple hasn’t had to go to great lengths to differentiate one from the other. That might change with the release of the iPhone SE 3.
According to display researcher Ross Young, the next low-cost iPhone will be dubbed the iPhone SE Plus 5G, and it will retain a 4.7-inch display. Then, quite unexpectedly, Young has stated that the actual iPhone SE 3 will be out in 2023 or 2024, with a 5.7-inch display.
Another option is that Apple simply adds a 5G to the iPhone SE moniker — for example, iPhone SE 5G — to highlight the most anticipated feature of this year’s model.
Specifications for the iPhone SE 3
So far, we don’t know much about the iPhone SE 3 specifications, but according to a Macotakara claim, the next iPhone SE will be powered by the A15 Bionic CPU. This is the same CPU that powers the iPhone 13. As a result, the iPhone SE 3 might possibly be the quickest low-cost phone on the market.
That’s not exactly taking a risk. The processor that powered the flagship iPhones introduced the previous autumn was used in the final two iPhone SE models. As a result, the iPhone SE (2020) uses the same A13 chip as the iPhone 11.
Another significant enhancement rumoured for the iPhone SE 3 is 5G connection, which appears to be a no-brainer for any phone in 2022. Google already has a low-cost 5G phone in the Pixel 5a.
Design of the iPhone SE 3
The iPhone SE (2020) used the same chassis as the iPhone 8. Even though the phone’s design appears to be badly obsolete by today’s standards, it was an efficient cost-cutting technique.
The bad news is that the iPhone SE 3 may retain the existing iPhone SE’s design. That’s a 4.7-inch display with thick bezels and a real Touch ID button.
We hope that’s not the case, but expert Ross Young backs up this theory, claiming that the iPhone SE Plus will include a 4.7-inch display and 5G connectivity. That, he claims, is the name of the upcoming iPhone SE smartphone, not the iPhone SE 3. According to sources, the device under trial production looks similar to the existing iPhone SE design.
A second photograph from Jon Prosser shows the rear of what appears to be the iPhone SE 3, as shown by the leaker during a podcast. However, the image is blurry since he is displaying it on an iPad mini.
Cameras on the iPhone SE 3
Thanks to Apple’s computational photography, the iPhone SE 2020 shoots good-looking photographs, yet it only has a single lens. For the iPhone SE 3, we’d like to see Apple include an ultrawide lens.
On compete with the Pixel 5a, Apple could also add a night mode to the iPhone SE 3. The front camera of the iPhone SE 3 might also use an improvement, as the present selfie snapper is limited to 7MP.
Battery and charging for the iPhone SE 3
The iPhone SE’s battery life was a noteworthy flaw. The iPhone SE managed 9 hours and 18 minutes in the Tom’s Guide battery life test, which was more than 4G. Fortunately, the A15 Bionic CPU should make the iPhone SE more efficient, and we’re hopeful Apple can also fit in a bigger battery.
What we hope to see in the iPhone SE 3
As fantastic as the iPhone SE (2020) is, there are a few things we’d want to see fixed with its successor.
5G: Now that other phone manufacturers are selling 5G phones for less than $500, if not less than $400, it’s time for Apple to do the same for its affordable device. Despite the fact that 5G networks are still being implemented, customers want future-proof connection.
OLED display and greater resolution: While the LCD display on the iPhone SE (2020) is adequate, we’d want to see a superior OLED display in the iPhone SE 3. This would result in brighter colours and deeper blacks with improved contrast. We’d also want to see a resolution increase.
The pixel density on the iPhone SE (2020) is also not particularly high at 1334 x 750.
Better battery life: As previously said, the battery life of the iPhone SE (2020) is adequate. It doesn’t reach the 10-hour average that we want in our battery testing, but it will carry you through a day of light to medium use. We hope that Apple employs a larger battery with the iPhone SE 3.
More cameras and Night Mode: The iPhone SE (2020) is equipped with a single 12MP wide-angle camera. It takes good images, but in certain situations, Apple behind the Pixel 5a. If the iPhone SE 3 gets a second camera, it’ll most likely be an ultrawide sensor. We also like
Slimmer bezels: The iPhone 8 was a fantastic gadget for its time, but it predates the iPhone X’s significant overhaul. As phones’ bezels become thinner and thinner, the iPhone 8 body begins to seem old and out of date. We are hopeful that Apple will alter the design of the iPhone SE 3 to make it more contemporary. Other low-cost phones appear more current.