Apple’s first release in 2022 could be the next iPhone SE: 5G upgrade. Though the phone is still imminent, here is everything you should know about the next budget iPhone.
Apple updated the iPhone SE to… the iPhone SE in 2020, after a four-year wait. Apple distinguishes the new model when appropriate by labeling it the 2nd-generation iPhone SE, however most people refer to it as the iPhone SE (2020) or iPhone SE 2.
It’s unlikely to be modified in 2021, whatever they call it. It’s also unlikely that Apple will update its most cheap iPhone in another four years. The upcoming iPhone SE (also known as the iPhone SE Plus, iPhone SE (2022), iPhone SE (3rd-generation), or iPhone SE 3) is expected to be introduced in the first half of 2022.
2022 iPhone SE: The Latest Rumors
Rumours about the next iPhone SE?
Here’s a rundown of all the latest rumors, leaks, and other information concerning Apple’s most cheap iPhone that we’ve been able to find.
- December 1: Apple is expected to release the third-generation iPhone SE in the first quarter of 2022, according to Trendforce.
- October 26: The next iPhone SE will be “named the SE Plus with the same 4.7′′ LCD as the 8 along with 5G,” according to Ross Young of Display Supply Chain Consultants.
- October 11: The iPhone SE is reported to have the same design as the current model, with an A15 chipset and 5G connectivity.
- September 16: Apple did not make a statement on the iPhone SE 2 during its “California Streaming” event on September 16, but it did stop selling the 256GB variant.
- June 23: Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims in a memo to investors obtained by MacRumors that the 3rd-generation iPhone SE will be the “cheapest 5G iPhone ever.”
2022 iPhone SE: Design and Display
According to the most reputable analysts, the upcoming iPhone SE will look similar to the current model. That’s a touch sad, because the iPhone SE is built on the body of the now-discontinued iPhone 8. 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. In other words, the next iPhone SE is expected to be built on the shell of the iPhone 8, plus a few new components. The upcoming SE “would appear like a revised version of the iPhone 8 and sport a 4.7-inch liquid crystal diode (LCD) display,” according to Nikkei Asia in July.
Apple is also rumored to be working on a new iPhone 11, which will include a 6.1-inch LCD with Face ID. The iPhone 11 would be more than two years old if it were released in 2022, which is consistent with Apple’s trend of utilizing existing iPhone bodies and screen technology with new internal components in the iPhone SE.
iPhone SE: 5G in 2022
The upcoming iPhone SE’s main selling point is reported to be that it is the most cheap 5G iPhone ever. With the iPhone 12 mini now being the least expensive 5G iPhone at $699, you may expect the iPhone SE to be less expensive, however it may not keep the current iPhone SE’s $399 price.
The iPhone SE’s compatibility for mmWave 5G, in addition to sub-6GHz frequencies, is uncertain. (See our 5G page for more information.)
2022 iPhone SE: Processor
Apple has traditionally equipped the iPhone SE with the most recent Apple A-series chipset, which is utilized in the most recent high-end iPhone models, in 2022. 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.
2022 iPhone SE: Camera
In the year 2022, the iPhone SE will be released with a new camera.
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 no rumors have surfaced in either direction.
However, since Apple added that camera to its $329 iPad, it’s possible that it’ll show up in the iPhone SE 2.
However, 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.
Price and Release Date for the iPhone SE in 2022
We don’t know how much the iPhone SE will cost, but it will most likely be less than any other iPhone. The iPhone 12 small costs $699 and the iPhone SE costs $399, both of which have 64GB of storage. With the addition of 5G and the related licensing expenses, the iPhone SE might see a price increase to $449 or $499, but we don’t expect it to go higher than that.
The last two iPhone SE models were released in the april, which corresponds to current rumors regarding the 3rd-generation model, which predicts its debut in the first half of 2022.
In December, Trendforce predicted that Apple is on schedule to deliver the next iPhone SE in the first quarter of 2022, which would most likely be in March. 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.
