The third-generation iPhone SE likely won’t release in 2021, but it’s coming soon. Here’s everything we know so far.
In 2020, after a four-year wait, Apple finally updated the iPhone SE to… the iPhone SE. Hanging on to the same name is a little confusing—Apple differentiates the new model when necessary by calling it the 2nd-generation iPhone SE, but most people either call it the iPhone SE (2020) or iPhone SE 2. Whatever you call it, it’s not very likely to be updated in 2021. It’s also not very likely that Apple will wait another four years to update its most affordable iPhone. We currently expect the new iPhone SE (which may be called the iPhone SE (2022), iPhone SE (3rd-generation), or iPhone SE 3) to be released in the first half of 2022. Here’s a summary of all the latest rumors, leaks, and other information we’ve been able to gather about the next revision of Apple’s most affordable iPhone. All of this is subject to change until Apple officially announces it. July 21: Nikkei Asia reports that a 5G iPhone SE with an A15 processor is due to arrive in the first half of 2022. July 19: DigiTimes reports ( via Macrumors) that the iPhone SE will launch in the first half of 2022 with an A14 Bionic processor. June 23: In a note to investors seen by MacRumors, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple will position the 3rd-generation iPhone SE as the “cheapest 5G iPhone ever” (though Apple will undoubtedly not use the word “cheapest”). IDG Currently, the most reliable analysts expect the next iPhone SE to physically resemble the current model. That’s perhaps a little disappointing—the iPhone SE is based on the body of the iPhone 8, which is now discontinued. However, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple plans to move ahead with another SE model to feature the 4.7-inch LCD display, a Home button with Touch ID, and no Face ID. In other words, the next iPhone SE is once again rumored to be based on the iPhone 8’s shell, with select new components.
