The Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) is the compact entry-level iPhone that Apple announced on March 8, 2022. Sales began on March 18, 2022. In the US, it started at $429 for the 64GB model. It kept the 4.7-inch design of the earlier SE and added 5G and a much newer chip. Apple stopped selling it in the European Union on December 28, 2024. The rest of the world followed on February 19, 2025, when the iPhone 16e replaced it.
Design and display
The phone measures 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm and weighs 144 g. It has an aluminum frame with glass on the front and back. Apple says this is the same tough glass used on the back of the iPhone 13. The body is rated IP67, so it survives 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes.
The 4.7-inch Retina HD screen is an IPS LCD with 1334 x 750 pixels and 326 ppi. It reaches 625 nits and runs at 60 Hz. Below the screen sits the Home button with Touch ID. There is no Face ID. Colors are Midnight, Starlight and (PRODUCT)RED.
Performance
Inside is the Apple A15 Bionic, the same chip as in the iPhone 13 lineup. It has a 6-core CPU with two performance and four efficiency cores. A 4-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine complete it. Apple does not list RAM, but Xcode data shows 4 GB, up from 3 GB on the previous SE.
Storage options are 64GB, 128GB and 256GB, with no memory card slot. Connectivity covers sub-6 GHz 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC. The phone takes a nano-SIM and an eSIM.
Cameras
There is one rear camera: a 12 MP wide sensor with an f/1.8 lens and optical image stabilization. It supports Smart HDR 4, Photographic Styles, Deep Fusion and Portrait mode. Video goes up to 4K at 60 fps. Apple’s spec sheet lists no ultrawide camera and no Night mode for photos.
The front camera has 7 MP and an f/2.2 lens. It records 1080p video at up to 30 fps.
Battery and charging
Apple does not publish the capacity, but a teardown found a 2,018 mAh cell. That is about 10% more than the 1,821 mAh of the previous SE. Apple rates it for up to 15 hours of video playback. With a 20W adapter or stronger, it charges to 50% in 30 minutes. It also works with Qi wireless chargers. Charging uses the Lightning port, and no charger comes in the box.
Software and updates
The phone launched with iOS 15. Apple confirmed at WWDC 2026 that it supports iOS 27, which arrived in September 2026. However, Apple does not promise a fixed number of years of updates.
Should you buy the iPhone SE (3rd generation)?
Apple no longer produces this phone. Its direct successor is the iPhone 16e. The SE still suits buyers who want a small 4.7-inch iPhone with a Home button and Touch ID. It also runs iOS 27. On the other hand, it has a single rear camera, a 60 Hz LCD and a small battery. It also uses Lightning instead of USB-C.
