Will 2022 be the year of the new iPhone SE? Many hope so and Apple’s low-cost smartphone seems about to show up in a possible spring keynote. We go around everything we can expect.
Will come, won’t come? As with each hypothetical arrival, the iPhone SE is desired. If all the rumors announce its launch during a possible Apple keynote in the spring – more precisely on March 8, 2022 – but nothing is less certain. The apple brand had been able to make its fans wait four years between the first two iterations, all punctuated by extremely minor improvements in the middle (doubling of storage and red color), but leaving a renewal to be whispered each year.
So, we have the right to wonder if 2022 will be the right time to see the arrival of the 3rd generation of this small-format, low-cost smartphone from Apple. For several months, it has been lent a lot of things, from a new design (or not) to the arrival of 5G, through a larger or borderless screen, more power or possibilities. We make the portrait-robot of this potential iPhone SE (3rd generation).
How many iPhone SE to expect?
So far, the iPhone SE has always shown itself solo. But it may well be that, for its 3rd version, it will come with a larger model, a sort of iPhone SE Plus with a screen of at least 5.5 inches like the old iPhone 8 Plus. This would then offer Apple users a device with a large screen that is more affordable than the latest ones (even if the overall size would be similar to that of the iPhone 13 Pro Max in terms of dimensions).
If the rumor has long circulated, this smartphone low-cost large format, however, has not been talked about for a very long time.
What design for the iPhone SE (3rd generation)?
The 2016 iPhone SE took the chassis of the iPhone 5s, released two and a half years earlier, to boost it with the power of the latest iPhone 6S (the all-new A9 SoC), and various new capacities (better battery, 12MP camera, 4K/30fps recording). Four years later, the 2nd generation iPhone SE took on the features of the 2017 iPhone 8 with a screen that increased from 4 to 4.7 inches to equip it with the A13 Bionic processor, the wide-angle module of the iPhone XR in the back.
If the iPhone SE arrives well this year, then it should take over the design of the iPhone 8 whose chassis is no longer used by Apple except as a case for the iPhone SE 2020. If there are any left in stock and that the changes are minimal, there is no doubt that Apple will reuse them and we will once again have an iPhone with Touch ID as well as wide borders. This is also what differentiates it from other iPhones, such as the 9th generation iPad from the iPad Pro, Air or mini.
But if he wants to play the real revolution card, we would expect to see an all-new design appear. The tracks are diverse among the iPhones that have left the catalog lately. Starting with the iPhone XR which is no longer sold by Apple. With its 6.1-inch Retina screen and its solo photo sensor on the back, it could serve as the new body for the iPhone SE 2022. It would also allow the famous notch with Face ID to finally arrive on the range, but not yet screen display.
However, this would be a much larger size than the latest iPhone SE and far from the concept of a compact device. So why not like the famous iPhone SE Plus? Unless the smaller iPhone X format (5.8-inch screen), with a dual photo sensor on the back, is chosen. But it has been abandoned since the arrival of the iPhone XS and it seems very late to recycle it. Not sure either that Apple can “bend” an LCD panel without worrying about backlighting in this size, which was long whispered as the main concern of the company to integrate a notch on the iPhone SE.
Otherwise, the real model low-cost expected compact, if it were to change its look, could possibly recall the iPhone 13 mini. A small format, but with a screen still larger than that of the current iPhone SE (5.4 inches). However, giving the iPhone SE 2022 the look of an iPhone 13 mini would signify the end of the latter. And it is not certain that its burial as a top model, even selling less than the others, is already on the agenda. This would nevertheless have the advantage of offering a double photo sensor to the range, but would also make it look like its acolytes without distinction.
Screen: same service or revolution?
Again, the design of the device will be the key element. There is nevertheless a virtual certainty: the next iPhone SE would not yet opt for an Oled screen and would remain with an LCD panel (Retina) like its predecessors. You also have to justify the lower cost.
Currently, the iPhone SE has a 4.7-inch LCD panel surrounded on all sides by the borders and the Home button with Touch ID. Many are predicting the move to a near-edgeless display to bring it in line with the rest of the smartphone lineup.
The rumor of the punch also circulates. It’s hard to imagine the TrueDepth camera and its facial recognition system grouped together in a simple bubble on the high-end iPhones, or else it would take a hell of a shake-up in the layout, with the crazy idea of a punch and a pill-like camera to make it all work. On an iPhone SE, the idea seems less far-fetched for the front camera, with a less elaborate Face ID system. Everything could then bring this smartphone closer to the iPhone 13 mini and its 5.4-inch screen in almost similar dimensions.
The punch can also be a possibility in the same chassis as currently to offer a larger screen while retaining the Touch ID button – which is still close to the hearts of many users.
On the other hand, it seems unlikely to us that the iPhone will already switch to the XR format with a 6.1-inch screen that is far too large to meet the “compact” criteria. To see for the iPhone SE “Plus” possibly. As for the appearance of the notch on a small LCD screen, the technical prowess is up to them. But no one from the competition had managed to offer a notch on an LCD screen of less than 5.8 inches either…
5G for the future?
This could — should — be the big news of the next iPhone SE, compatibility with 5G. The brand’s latest iPhones are all ready for the new mobile network that is rolling out around the world. Only, it is far from being operational everywhere and it is perhaps the only thing which could still slow down Apple on its entry-level model which it intends for a wider audience, in particular to go and convince Android users. to change dairy. This is also why 5G only arrived on the iPhone 12 generation. Because this could also have a cost to be passed on to the final price.
Without the assurance that markets not ready for 5G do not turn their backs on it, it is not certain that Tim Cook and his people are already drawing compatibility. Especially since this has never been the main selling point put forward by the firm. However, with a less regular renewal device, it would already be a good bet on the future.
What about the camera?
Until now, the iPhone SE could only count on a single photo module on the back. If the next expected takes up the design of the iPhone 8, it will have to be content with its 12 Mpx single sensor capable of filming in 4K / 30 fps. And this could be the main sensor of the old iPhone 12 Pro Max which serves as the basis for the entire iPhone 13 range.
New photo module and A15 chip, the iPhone SE could then take advantage of new modes (cinematics, photographic styles), Smart HDR4, a night mode finally activated.
Power and configuration
According to the basic precepts of the iPhone SE range, the smartphone takes up an old chassis to put the latest power into it. If the next iPhone SE does exist, and it is really new, then it should be able to rely on the A15 Bionic chip of the latest iPhone 13.
The iPhone SE will obviously run on iOS 15, Apple’s latest operating system, with all the new features announced last fall. On the configuration side, it could benefit from 4 G GB of RAM against 3 GB for the current iPhone SE.
In terms of storage, the iPhone SE 2016 started with a low 16 GB of available space (or 64 GB) quickly saturated before going to 32 GB or 128 GB a year later (and arriving in red). In 2020, Apple had revised its copy to offer more decent storage (64, 128 or 256 GB). Keeping more or less the same proposals seems honest. Eventually, a 512 GB model could appear for the most greedy.
What name for the iPhone SE 2022?
If Apple sticks to its usual nomenclature, the iPhone SE should be called… iPhone SE (3rd generation). This is the most plausible as the apple brand generally strives for a certain classicism in its names. If it’s just an iPhone SE 2020 with the addition of 5G and possibly a new processor, then it could go by the name iPhone SE 5G. But that would nevertheless mark it with a red iron and, for countries without a 5G network at the moment, potentially put it out of mind at the time of purchase. For its 5G-compatible iPhone 12 and 13, Apple has been careful not to put the mention “5G” in the name as can other competing brands for which it is the selling point.
Recently, Ross Young, rather known for his reliable information on the screens of smartphones and tablets, put forward the supposed name of “iPhone SE + 5G”. A name that would be out of the ordinary for Apple. The “+” was rather the prerogative of Samsung when Apple opted for the mention “Plus” for its large format iPhone. And 5G has never appeared in the name of any product. Maybe we have a working name for the device here that suggests it’s just a minor improvement (more powerful processor, more storage?) with the addition of a 5G chip.
If this turns out to be the real name, it would already be a revolution in itself for this product.
iPhone SE 2022 price and release date
If the iPhone SE finally shows up, it should be announced in late March-early April for immediate availability. This is the window of opportunity chosen by Apple since its launch and it is also due to the usual product presentation strategy: spring is mainly dedicated to entry-level products in the various categories such as the iPad. In a year 2022 which promises to be particularly busy, showing up in the spring would be a good idea so as not to be overwhelmed by the big announcements (iPhone, MacBook, possibly virtual reality headset) and to find a place in the sun (finances too to get the year off to a good start. The various rumors also announce its presentation as imminent.
Its price should start under 500 euros, even with the addition of 5G, to remain an attractive product. Beyond that, the iPhone SE would lose its appeal low-cost Apple to find itself head-on against aggressive competition from Xiaomi or Realme in particular. Or else he would have to see bigger in size to justify it. Different colors could arrive and why not more fun color like on the iPhone XR in the past. This would offer a significant option for the brand.
But it must be admitted that if Apple wants to play the breakthrough product compared to the previous model, already unveiling a new iPhone SE would be surprising as all the conditions do not seem to be met to already see a new smartphone appear. Its rhythm is less cadenced than that of its acolytes and it still sells very well in its 2020 version. A simple little boost in power level could be enough for it without putting it in direct competition with the iPhone 13 by already resuming their design.
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