The iPhone SE 3 has been officially announced as Apple’s most affordable A15 device at the Peek Performance event.
Leaked and rumoured heavily before release, the iPhone SE 3 (or the iPhone SE 2022) is an interesting new addition to Apple’s ever-expanding smartphone lineup.
Replacing the iPhone SE 2 – a phone we rated very highly – the third-generation SE adds in a number of modern features, but keeps a lot of what made the SE something of an oddity in the smartphone world.
Big upgrades here include 5G, the same A15 Bionic chipset as the iPhone 13, Ceramic Shield and three colour choices.
Price and Release Date
While we’re still waiting for full UK pricing, the 64GB iPhone SE 3 will start from $429. That’s the same price as the outgoing model.
The phone will be available to buy from March 18, with pre-orders going live on March 11.
Specs and Features
The iPhone SE 3 is powered by the A15 Bionic, that’s the same chip you’ll find in the entire iPhone 13 range. This is one of the fastest chips around, powering through everyday tasks and Apple Arcade games with ease. In benchmarks, the Apple A15 consistently tops the charts, even when compared to the best Android phones.
While Apple clearly isn’t aiming this device at those who upgrade to the big iPhone every year, these speed boosts will be of huge importance to those upgrading either from the previous SE or an older device like the iPhone 8.
Continuing with the theme of speed, the iPhone SE 3 packs 5G support – a first for the series. Networks and carriers have been pushing 5G a lot since its inception and while we don’t think it’s a reason to upgrade (yet) it does help to futureproof any device.
The use of the A15 Bionic also, according to Apple, leads to improved battery life. Apple hasn’t confirmed whether the battery size of the phone is actually larger but it did say that multiple other factors should allow the phone to stay on for longer.
On the back of the iPhone SE 3 is a single 12-megapixel camera. This camera takes a number of features from the iPhone 13 range, like Deep Fusion for improved detail and Smart HDR 4. There’s also the same set of Photographic Styles to give your pictures specific looks.
Design
The design of the iPhone SE 3 is likely to be its most dividing skill. Instead of giving it a big refresh, it has stuck with a body that’ll be familiar to just about everyone, It looks just like the iPhone SE 2, and just like the iPhone 8 (and iPhone 6, for that matter). That means it keeps the home button, 16:9 display and hefty bezels. The sides are rounded and the back glass.
It’ll come in three colours (black, white and red) and has the same Ceramic Shield as the recent iPhones for added durability. It also has an IP67 rating that’ll keep it protected against accidental splashes.
The display looks to be the same as the previous iPhone SE. The 4.7-inch LCD panel is one of the smallest on any phone these days and the large bezels certainly give it a retro look. The trusty home button remains too, so this will be a good choice for those who don’t like the gesture control of the more recent iPhones.
Trusted Take – It’s what we expected…
It’s hardly the most exciting Apple smartphone release, but the iPhone SE 3 is likely going to be a big seller. Whether it’s for people who dislike large phones or those upgrading from older devices like the original SE and iPhone 8, this will represent huge improvements in terms of speed and camera performance. I’m most interested in the battery life though as it was a little disappointing in the previous model.
How does the iPhone SE 3 compare to the iPhone SE 2?
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
