iPhone SE 3 tipped for iPhone XR-like design — finally a cheap big-screen phone

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Apple’s final smartphone with an LCD screen may be on the way

iPhone XR
(Image credit: Future)

The iPhone SE 3 will reportedly be Apple’s final smartphone with an LCD display and will feature an iPhone XR-esque design and Touch ID. If true, it could be a budget Apple device that's better equipped to take on the excellent Pixel 5a than the current iPhone SE.

The report comes from Chinese site MyDrivers, as spotted by MacRumors. Via a machine translation, the article claims that the iPhone SE 3 will be based on the design of the iPhone XR and will feature an A15 Bionic chip, 5G connectivity and a Touch ID fingerprint scanner via its side button. 

Meanwhile, news of the third-generation iPhone SE being the final Apple phone to use an LCD screen isn’t particularly surprising. All other iPhones have move to OLED after all, so it stands to reason that the company is hoping to ditch older screen technologies altogether.

MyDrivers has had a varied track record when it comes to iPhone reports, and in this case, the site has acknowledged that this new report contradicts common claims regarding the third-generation iPhone SE. Most notable among them is the rumor that the phone would more closely resemble the design of the current second-generation model, which looks largely like the iPhone 8 and features a Touch ID scanner in its Home Button.

Frequently reliable source Ross Young of Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) has previously stated that much of the confusion regarding the iPhone SE 3 may be due to the fact that some sources are mixing up third-generation reports with those of 2023’s fourth-generation iPhone SE. A potential 2023 model is rumored to feature a 6.1-inch screen, no notch and a punch hole camera. His reporting does agree that the 2022 iPhone SE 3 will come with a 4.7-inch LCD and 5G capabilities, however.

Nevertheless, MyDrivers insists that its report is accurate. The site asserts that the iPhone SE 3 will be released in spring of 2022 and that it will start at $399 for a 64GB model.

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Billy Givens
Billy Givens

Billy Givens is a journalist with nearly two decades of experience in editing and writing across a wide variety of topics. He focuses particularly on games coverage for Tom's Guide and other sites including From Gamers Magazine, Retroware, Game Rant and TechRaptor. He's also written for self-improvement sites such as Lifehack and produced in-depth analyses on subjects such as health, psychology and entertainment.