After several months of silence, more iPhone SE 3 details may have just leaked, including a potential price.
The info comes from user 搞机阿森 on Weibo, while we've also seen fresh renders of the iPhone SE (2020) follow-up from Twitter user MajinBu. Although we're about to hear the official details of the iPhone 13, learning of Apple's plans for a new cheaper model will be of interest of those who don't want or can't afford more expensive flagship iPhones.
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The Weibo post reiterates the idea that the new iPhone SE will launch within the first half of 2022, a claim previously reported by DigiTimes. That would make for a two-year gap between iPhone SE models, which is longer than the usual 12-month refresh cycle for phones, but shorter than the four-year gap between the original 2016 iPhone SE and the current edition.
Apparently the iPhone SE 3 will be based on the iPhone XR. That's a big deal since it would mean the iPhone SE's design will have finally caught up with the flagship iPhones. The current iPhone SE is one of the only phones on the market that still uses huge bezels and a physical home button, and looks dated as a result.
The price is apparently going to be 3,499 yuan, which converts to $542. That's quite a bit more than the $400 base price of the current iPhone SE, although it's possible that the U.S. pricing for the iPhone SE 3 will be lower, as such direct currency conversions are rarely accurate. Equally, given that the iPhone XR currently sells for $500, perhaps a similar price for an iPhone SE based on it is within reason.
Because it's tipped to be based on the iPhone XR, the iPhone SE 3 could also supposedly use an LCD display instead of OLED. That may be a problem given that the majority of phones, even in the mid-range bracket the iPhone SE devices sit in, use OLED displays. It could make for a dimmer, less colorful display on the iPhone SE 3 than on rivals, and may negatively effect the battery life too.
The chipset within is predicted to be the A14 Bionic, the same chip used within the iPhone 12 series. While we're expecting there to be a new more powerful A15 chip in the upcoming iPhone 13, this should still mean the new SE outperforms the majority of Android phones. It would also mean that the iPhone SE 3 would probably feature 5G connectivity.
It's still a few months to wait until this alleged iPhone SE 3 launches, but at least in the meantime we have the excitement of the iPhone 13's launch, which is likely happening at Apple's September event tomorrow. If you want to look even further into the future, there's recently been a series of leaks for the iPhone 14, Apple's supposed flagship phone for 2022. The rumored details of its under-display Face ID system, flatter camera bump and the potential return of Touch ID make for interesting reading.
