iPhone SE (3rd generation)

Now even more bang for your buck

The 3rd generation iPhone SE is here, two years after the previous generation handset was launched. The 2020 version was a revelation for those wanting a small, relatively inexpensive iPhone, and the new–for–2022 version continues this theme with aplomb. Ostensibly, it’s the same device that was released in 2020, with a few choice upgrades that bring it up–to–date, and ensure that those wanting a small iPhone don’t have to compromise on performance. There are some aspects of the 3rd generation iPhone SE that are lacking slightly compared with the more expensive models, but at the $429 entry point, you can’t really grumble about this.

So what exactly is new then, and what remains unchanged? The new iPhone SE is still sporting the same 4.7–inch Retina HD screen in a hand– and pocket–friendly design. It’s slightly lighter this time around at 5.09 ounces compared with the outgoing model, which is 5.22 ounces. The new iPhone SE also has a slightly different range of color choices available at the point of purchase — you now get Midnight, Starlight, and Product Red. The latter option remains unchanged, but the former two are subtly different to the black and white of the 2nd generation SE, Midnight being a dark navy, and Starlight an off–white color. Though the 2022 model might look the same physically, it now features the same glass front and back as in the iPhone 13, which is tougher than the 2020 model, so that’s good to know. It’s also still IP67 water resistant, which gives you a bit of a safety net if you accidentally drop it in water. You won’t find Face ID on the new generation SE — instead you get the same Touch ID allied to the Home button. That’s not a bad thing though — it’s still a really great, easy way to securely sign in to services, and pay for goods.

Still Budget Friendly?

The new iPhone SE is marginally more expensive than the previous model, with a $429 starting price, compared with the previous model’s price of $399. That gets you 64GB of storage, which is a little mean given that the handset is capable of shooting 4K video at 60fps. Though there are options to upgrade storage to 128GB ($479) and new–for–2022 256GB ($579), 128GB should be the minimum an iPhone comes with these days (as it does with the iPhone 13).

Though the weak entry–level storage capacity and the slight price hike might sting compared with the SE of two years ago, there are some major differences internally that will help to put your mind at ease. The first of these is the introduction of Apple’s most powerful processor — the A15 Bionic chip. This isn’t some stunted or throttled version of Apple’s chip. Geekbench 5 numbers put the iPhone SE (2022) on equal footing with the A15 Bionic in the iPhone 13 mini. It’s worth noting that the phone now has 4GB of RAM, which will certainly help with performance. Basically, everything that’s good or better about this phone (4K video shooting and editing, console–level gaming, AI–enhanced photography) is better because of the A15 Bionic.

The iPhone SE (2022) also welcomes the SE line into the iPhone 5G family. However, it’s important to note that the new iPhone SE does not support mmWave technology, so you can’t tap into Verizon’s high–speed Ultra Wideband network. But you’ll be able to connect to sub–6GHz 5G networks from all the major carriers, as well as C–Band 5G as that rolls out. Using the Speedtest.net app on T–Mobile’s network, we got over 100 Mbps downloads in Bryant Park, New York City, and as high as 86 Mbps in central New Jersey. That’s not super fast, but it’s marginally better than LTE.

Battery Gains

The iPhone SE is rated to deliver up to two hours of longer battery life than the previous SE, due to a slightly larger battery and efficiency gains from the A15 Bionic chip. The new iPhone SE lasted 9 hours and 5 minutes on our battery test, which involves continuous web surfing over 5G at 150 nits of screen brightness. That’s actually a bit less than the iPhone SE 2020’s runtime of 9:18; however that was over a 4G LTE connection, which uses less power.

When it’s time to recharge, you can do so with the included cable at 18W (go find your own USB–C power adapter!) or by placing it on a Qi– compatible charging base. The phone does not support Apple’s new MagSafe chargers.

One area that hasn’t changed, at least in terms of hardware, is with the camera. You get just a single 12MP rear wide camera, as with the outgoing iPhone SE. And unfortunately the front camera continues to have a fairly low–resolution 7MP sensor.

The good news is that the addition of the A15 Bionic processor opens up new camera features and capabilities through computational photography. This includes Smart HDR 4 for handling tricky lighting while providing better rendering of faces, Deep Fusion for better details and textures, and Photographic Styles for giving you more creative control.

To test out the iPhone SE 2022’s camera, we took a series of photos. Overall, the new iPhone SE performed well, but the lack of Night mode is a major drawback, and the Portrait mode is still fairly limited.

The $429 iPhone SE 2022 is a phone that straddles the future and the past. Its throwback tiny display and huge bezels are a bit outdated now, and the entry–level storage capacity is weak, but the A15 Bionic chip delivers flagship power for hundreds less than the iPhone 13. And the image quality is mostly great — we just wish Apple would include a proper Night mode.