Apple unveils third-gen iPhone SE with A15 CPU and eight-year-old design

During the “Peek Performance” event, Apple officially revealed the third generation of its budget iPhone. The latest iPhone SE retains the same eight-year-old design from the iPhone 6 era, with all the changes focused on internals.

The main upgrade in the third-gen iPhone SE is the A15 CPU that replaces A13 in the 2020 model. Still, Apple does not compare it apples to apples with the previous model. Instead, the company says the latest iPhone SE is 1.8x faster than iPhone 8 with its A11 CPU. You can expect less impressive performance uplifts when compared with the A13 or A14 chip.

Apart from upping the performance in the most affordable iPhone, the A15 CPU enables 5G support.

iPhone SE 2022 also received “an all-new camera system” with the same 12-megapixel sensor and f/1.8 aperture. It supports Smart HDR 4, Photographic Styles, Deep Fusion, and Portrait Mode. Like the 2020 model, iPhone SE 2022 offers a single-lens camera system. Wide and telephoto cameras are available in more expensive models.

Besides a new CPU and refreshed cameras, iPhone SE 2022 remains the same budget iPhone Apple introduced in 2020. The screen still has a somewhat tiny 4.7-inch diagonal with a 1334x750 resolution. The only difference is that it is now covered with Ceramic Shield glass, which is more resistant to cracks.

Apple says the latest iPhone SE has a better battery life thanks to the more efficient CPU and “the latest generation battery chemistry.” Still, you probably should not expect this phone to become a new battery champ.

iPhone SE 2022 will be available for preorder on March 11, 2022, in 30 countries. Sales start on March 18, 2022. Customers can choose from three colors (Starlight, Black, and Product Red), and storage options include 64 GB, 128 GB, and 256 GB. Prices start at $429.