iPhone SE 3 (2022) Rumors: Specs, Release Date, Price, and Leaks

Can this be true? Oh yeah, maybe. Pretty sure it is the same thing we all have been thinking about considering the latest updates from some trusted sources online.

As it is the tradition for Apple to announce the release (and at a later date, launch) of at least three of their products annually, the iPhone SE 3 (2022) should not take you back. Perhaps, it should. Given that you weren’t expecting it to be this particular one – the iPhone SE 3.

Over the past few weeks, there have been rumors concerning the release of another product from Apple – the iPhone SE 3.

Although the details are a bit sketchy, there have been rumors littered over the internet and in those littered rumors, we could at least verify some to be true.

So, I’ve combed every nook and cranny of every piece of information on the iPhone SE 3 I could find online and I’ve been able to summarize them into an informative yet simple and interesting post and I’ll share them with you in this article.

Grab some pie and smoothie as we go on this journey. Till the point, you find the word ‘cheers’, don’t stop reading.

In this article, I’ll talk about iPhone SE 3 (2022) rumors, specs, release date, leaks, and the part you can’t wait to know about – the price.

As mentioned earlier, this is a more relatable article about the iPhone SE 3. You may have come across some before, but that’s only going to mean that this is like a confirmation of those rumors. So, let’s get started.

The first thing you want to know about the iPhone 13 SE 3 is the naming pattern. If you’re following the trend, it took almost four years for Apple to update the iPhone SE series. And trust me, the naming pattern can be sometimes confusing.

I mean, following from 2020, when the iPhone SE 2 (that is, 2nd generation) was released, many thought perhaps Apple didn’t want to tread the same path as the iPhone 6,7,8,10, on and on.

So, in this order, for the naming pattern, this new iPhone SE 3 may be called any of the following names – iPhone SE 3, iPhone SE (2022), iPhone SE (3rd generation), or iPhone SE plus.

That said, the next thing you want to know is the release date.

Release Date

According to a trusted online source, the iPhone SE 3 is likely to be released at Apple’s spring event on March 8, 2022. So, let’s keep our fingers crossed till then.

Having known the release date, you want to know what exactly the rumors are about concerning the iPhone SE 3

iPhone SE 3: The Latest rumors

Starting from the ‘not-so-recent’ to the ‘most-recent’ rumors of the iPhone SE 3, below is the summary of some of the rumors you should know about this new iPhone SE;

On June 23rd, 2021, there was a note sent to investors in which analyst Ming-Chi Kuo mentioned the iPhone SE 3 will be the cheapest 5G 3rd generation iPhone ever amongst other iPhones.

The next rumor was noticed on the 26th of October, 2021 when the Display Supply Chain Consultants, Ross Young mentioned that Apple’s next iPhone SE will be called SE plus and will have the same 4.7-inch LCD as that of 8 and 5G.

Following this, on the 1st of December, 2021, a report by Trendforce stated that Apple is set to launch its 3rd generation iPhone SE in the first quarter of 2022.

A few days after, on the 9th of December 2021, Ming-Chi Kuo mentioned again that the iPhone SE will maintain the same display as the current model and possibly will be the last of the series to have a home button.

Two weeks later, there was a report from the Chinese language publication MyDrivers which stated that the iPhone SE 3 is in its trial production phase thus, reconfirming the release date.

Further, there was another statement from Display Supply Chain consultant Ross Young which confirmed that production commences in January 2022 while the shipment will begin toward the end of April or beginning of May 2022.

Finally, on the latest rumor, according to a report in investor’s Business Daily on the 27th of February, it was stated that the iPhone SE may begin at $299 – true to their words, this is the cheapest you can get.

iPhone SE Specs

• Design

In a way, you may expect the iPhone SE 3 to be some sort of upgrade of the SE 2 but sorry to burst your bubbles, but rumors suggest it’s nothing close. Instead, the iPhone SE 3 bears semblance with the now-discontinued iPhone 8 outward appearance but with new components.

According to Nikkei Asia in July, the upcoming SE “would appear like a modification of the iPhone 8 and spot a 4.7-inch liquid crystal diode (LCD) display.”

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, on the other hand, predicts Apple will release another SE model with a 4.7-inch LCD display, a Home button with Touch ID, and no Face ID.

Ross Young said the next iPhone SE will have the same 4.7-inch display as the present model. Also said that the speculated iPhone SE with a 6.1-inch LCD has been put out to 2024.

• Processor

The iPhone SE has always been equipped with the most modern Apple A-series processor, which is also found in the most recent high-end iPhone models.

That means a 3rd-generation iPhone SE released in the spring of 2022 would use the same chipset as the iPhone 13 released later this year, which we assume to be the A15, as Nikkei Asia and Macotakara revealed.

However, according to a July report from DigiTimes, Apple will instead use the A14 Bionic chip in the A12. As with previous iPhone SE models, either processor will make the SE speedy, a fantastic bargain, and eligible for iOS updates for a long time.

The body, display, cameras, and other similar things are where Apple saves money. So, it’s best to take that as a prompting of a MagSafe not accompanying the iPhone SE 3.

The iPhone SE 3 is believed to have the same single 12MP wide-angle back camera as the current model, as well as a single front-facing camera when it launches.

The current model includes a 7MP front-facing camera, which we’d like to see increased to 12MP, but now rumors have surfaced in either direction.

However, since Apple added that camera to its $329 iPad, it may show up in the iPhone SE 2. Moreover, flashy new sensors are unlikely to result in significant increases in camera quality.

Apple is anticipated to emphasize the new iPhone SE’s better camera quality, but this will largely be due to the A15’s superior visual processing over the A13 in the current 2nd-gen iPhone SE. Additionally, the report claims that it’s unlikely for the iPhone SE to have a night mode.

• 5G Connectivity

As stated earlier, the iPhone SE 3 will be the most pocket-friendly 5G iPhone ever compared to the current iPhone SE which sells at $399, and to mention, the iPhone SE’s compatibility for mmWave 5G, and its sub-6GHz frequencies, is quite uncertain.

Although the iPhone 8’s body was never meant to accommodate the antenna modules required for good mmWave reception, however, it’s unclear how much of an issue this would be or whether Apple could readily change it.

Nikkei Asia reported in July that the iPhone SE will employ Qualcomm’s X60 modem, which will also be included in the iPhone 13. In October, the Japanese Apple website Macotakara confirmed the 5G rumor. Young also stated that the iPhone SE will support 5G technology.

Release date

The last two iPhone SE models were released in the spring, which corresponds to current rumors regarding the 3rd-generation model, which predicts its debut on March 8, 2022.

It’s worth noting that Apple ceased selling the 256GB edition of the 2020 iPhone SE in September 2021, which could suggest a stock shortage.

According to Trendforce, Apple is on schedule to deliver the new iPhone SE in the first quarter of 2022, which would likely be around March.

Recall that in January, Display Supply Chain Consultants’ Ross Young stated that manufacture of the new device would begin in January, with sales expected in late April or early May.

Price

Although the iPhone SE 3 price is uncertain at the moment, it will most likely be cheaper than any other iPhone.

The iPhone 12 mini costs $699 and the iPhone SE costs $399, both of which have 64GB of storage. So, the iPhone SE may get a price bump to $449 or $499 as a result of the inclusion of 5G and the accompanying licensing expenses, but Apple didn’t increase the price of the iPhone 12, hence, it’s improbable.

According to Investor’s Business Daily, the iPhone SE could start at $299, implying that Apple will sell both an LTE and a 5G variant.

On the whole, please note that all of the information are rumors and until proven otherwise when the iPhone SE 3 is released, keep your fingers crossed as more rumors roll out.