The iPhone SE 3 has a high bar for erasure. For just $ 399, the iPhone SE (2020) delivered the same powerful A13 Bionic chip in a compact body. Despite some weaknesses, the phone was of incredible value overall.
Some Apple watchers expect the company to release an iPhone SE 3 this spring, but the release date is in the air. But we’ve heard about some improvements from early leaks, including the design and specs.
The iPhone 12 mini’s problems suggest that there may be a limited appetite for a premium small phone. But the iPhone SE 3 should have a strong value component that will be hard to ignore. This is what we know so far.
iPhone SE 3 name: will it be the SE 3 or the SE Plus?
We’ve heard about an iPhone SE Plus, which may or may not be the same as the iPhone SE 3. Rumors suggest this is a larger, affordable iPhone, and it’s hard to say if it’s really the iPhone SE 3.
At the moment we just don’t know. Apple could release two new models, a smaller version and a larger one. Both handsets are said to target the affordable mid-range market. We’ll just have to wait for further leaks in Apple’s plans.
Release date iPhone SE 3
This is where things get a little dark. Obviously, we guess the iPhone SE 3 will be out in April, but previous leaks make us question this. All the way back in October, Display gave Supply Chain Consultants Ross Young said Apple had no plans to release a sequel to the iPhone SE (2020) until 2022.
Meanwhile, speaking with 9to5Mac, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested the iPhone SE 3 would be released later in 2021. Apple seems to be very happy with SE (2020) sales so far, so a sequel is unlikely to come soon. . We hope this is not the case.
However, Japanese blog MacOtakara says the iPhone SE 3 will arrive in April 2021, according to Chinese suppliers.
iPhone SE 3 price
We don’t know about the price of the iPhone SE 3 at this point, but we think Apple will still aim for that $ 399 price. It’s the price-performance ratio that makes the SE (2020) so attractive to many people, and it would be silly for Apple to argue with that.
If there is an iPhone SE 3 Plus or iPhone SE Plus with a larger screen, we could see that handset costs $ 499. But then it should be a replacement for the iPhone XR, which is still one of the best iPhones for its $ 499 price point.
iPhone SE 3 specifications
The iPhone SE (2020) featured some rock-hard specs given its price – no Android phone could compare. The A13 Bionic is still a great chip, but we think Apple will use the newer A14 Bionic for the iPhone SE 3. That’s the same 5nm processor that powers the iPhone 12 series.
Screen size and resolution remain unknown for now, but rumors suggest a 5.5-inch or 6.1-inch screen.
The current storage options for the iPhone SE are 64GB, 128GB and 256GB. The iPhone SE 3 would likely stick with the same options, although Apple could make the base option 128GB as it would cut costs by not including a charger. This trend started with the iPhone 12 and we don’t see it disappear.
iPhone SE 3 design
The iPhone SE (2020) used the exact same housing as the iPhone 8. It was an effective cost-effective measure, even if the design of that phone seems very outdated by today’s standards.
On YouTube, concept designer 4RMD released a video showing possible renderings for the iPhone SE 3. It shows a phone similar to the iPhone XR without the notch. Instead, there is a Touch ID sensor on the bottom. Everything looks sleeker and more modern, including the dual camera system on the back.
There are also rumors that Apple is putting a Touch ID sensor in the power button of the new iPhone SE, similar to the new iPad Air.
iPhone SE 3 cameras
The iPhone SE 2020 takes beautiful photos, thanks to Apple’s computational photography, but it only has one lens. We would like to see Apple add an ultra-wide lens for the iPhone SE 3.
Apple also needs to give the iPhone SE 3 a night mode to better compete with the Google Pixel 4a. The front camera could also use an upgrade on the iPhone SE 3 as the current selfie shooter is stuck at 7MP.
iPhone SE 3 battery and charging
A notable weakness of the iPhone SE (2020) was its battery life. It couldn’t match the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro in our list of best phone battery life. In Tom’s Guide’s battery life, the iPhone SE (2020) tested 9 hours and 18 minutes.
However, this run time beat the Pixel 4a, which lasted only 8:55. We expect the iPhone SE 3 to have a larger battery, but nothing has been confirmed yet.
iPhone SE 3: what we want to see
As good as the iPhone SE (2020) is, we would like to see a few things improved for its successor.
5G: With other phone manufacturers releasing 5G phones for less than $ 500 and even less than $ 400, it’s time for Apple to do the same for its budget handset. While 5G networks are still being deployed, buyers deserve future-proof connectivity.
OLED screen and higher resolution: The LCD screen on the iPhone SE (2020) is fine, but we would like to see a better OLED screen on the iPhone SE 3. This would mean more powerful colors and deeper blacks with better contrast. We would also like to see a bump in the resolution. The pixel density on the iPhone SE (2020) is also not that great at 1334 x 750.
Better battery life: As we said above, the battery life on the iPhone SE (2020) is just okay. It doesn’t hit the 10-hour average we’d like to see in our battery tests, but it can last a day with light to moderate use. For the iPhone SE 3, we hope that Apple uses a larger battery.
More cameras and night mode: The iPhone SE (2020) uses a single 12 MP wide-angle camera. It delivers decent photos, but in some cases Apple lags behind the Pixel 4a. If the iPhone SE 3 adds an extra camera, we expect it to be an ultra-wide sensor, like the ones found on the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12. We also really want Night mode because the SE (2020) does not have it.
Slimmer Edges: The iPhone 8 was a nice device for its time, but it predated the radical redesign that came with the iPhone X. As phones use slimmer and thinner bezels, the iPhone 8 case is starting to look old-fashioned and out of style. We hope Apple will update the design for the iPhone SE 3 and make it look more modern. Other affordable phones, like the Pixel 4a, look really nice by comparison.