We’ve been waiting a long time for the iPhone SE 3, with the iPhone SE (2020) having launched all the way back in April 2020. But it looks like the next model might be about to land, as a reputable source claims it will probably be announced this March or April.
The source in question is Mark Gurman – a journalist with a great track record for Apple leaks. He said as much in the latest Power On newsletter for Bloomberg, adding that the iPhone SE 3 is likely to have 5G and new internals, but a similar design to the old model – meaning the Touch ID fingerprint scanner and home button probably aren’t going anywhere.
While we’d take any single leak with a pinch of salt, this is all in line with what various other sources have said, with another recently claiming that the iPhone SE 3 would land by the end of March. So while we can’t be certain, we’d say March or April is looking very likely.
Gurman’s wording in this latest leak suggests that we might see things other than the iPhone SE 3 at this event too, but he doesn’t reveal what. He also notes that this will apparently be a virtual rather than in-person event.
Gurman also touches on Apple’s second event of 2022, which is likely to be WWDC in June, and this too will apparently be virtual. He says we’ll likely see iOS 16, watchOS 9, macOS 13, and tvOS 16 there, but that was all expected anyway.
Opinion: the iPhone SE 3 could run where the iPhone 13 mini walked
While a lot of people are probably more excited about the iPhone 14 range in September, the iPhone SE 3 could be a big seller for Apple, and could show that there’s still a market for small phones – if they’re priced right.
Most evidence so far suggests that the iPhone 13 mini hasn’t been a huge seller for Apple, but the iPhone SE 3 could offer an even smaller screen at a much lower price, and pair that with 5G (for the first time in a mid-range iPhone), which might make for an intoxicating combination.
That remains to be seen, and the increasingly dated design that we’re expecting might hold it back, but there’s a good chance that a palatable price is all people really need to embrace smaller phones again – and the iPhone SE 3 is likely to offer that.
