Nikkei: 2022 iPhone SE to Feature A15 Chip, 5G, and 4.7-Inch Display

[KazKam]

Why is Apple dragging this seven year old fat bordered design on? I don’t get it. Why not use your modern design of the mini for those models instead.

Because they're catering to consumers like me that believe the iPhone design peaked with that generation of design. I WANT a home button with TouchID and a rectangular screen without notches or rounded corners or holes in it. I DON'T want a giant phone, Face ID, or a ludicrously shaped display that requires convoluted gestures to operate.

So yeah, I think that's why they still make the SE in that design. It was/is the best design to date in my opinion, and apparently many other peoples' opinions as well.

 

[macintoshmac]

Wouldn't it be identical to the 13 Mini then?

Likely, but Apple has some tricks to play. Interacting with Notifications on Home Screen is not the same on SE as it is on “regular” iPhones.

 

[Steve Adams]

Because they're catering to consumers like me that believe the iPhone design peaked with that generation of design. I WANT a home button with TouchID and a rectangular screen without notches or rounded corners or holes in it. I DON'T want a giant phone, Face ID, or a ludicrously shaped display that requires convoluted gestures to operate.

So yeah, I think that's why they still make the SE in that design. It was/is the best design to date in my opinion, and apparently many other peoples' opinions as well.

Agreed, if I had my time back, I would never have given up my 8 for the 11. WRONG move.

 

[GM…]

Why is Apple dragging this seven year old fat bordered design on? I don’t get it. Why not use your modern design of the mini for those models instead.

It will ultimately happen. But, I hope they retain a model with the Home button and Touch ID.

 

[satchmo]

I would have preferred that the iPhone mini replace the SE is the entry level model in 2022.

One wonders what will fill the chasm between a $399 SE and a $699 iPhone 14.
By then I’d assume the XR would have been put out to pasture. The iPhone 11 could likely remain at maybe $499.

 

[Phone Junky]

The Mini will be an old design.

Besides, from Apple’s perspective, once manufacturing of a product has started, keeping it going is cost efficient, and that’s true whether they keep their iPhone 8 manufacturing line up and running, or their Mini line.

It’s do-able, but whether Apple wants greater visual differentiation between their regular products and cheap SE products is another question.

It should use the mini chassis now.

No doubt a great phone...just wish they'd retire the 2014 look and consolidate their design cues - all edge-to-edge screens, Face ID, and flat edges. Would much prefer to see a cheaper Mini transitioned into the SE slot.

iPhone 5s-------------September 2013
iPhone SE-------------March 2016

iPhone 8---------------September 2017
iPhone SE 2nd gen----April 2020

iPhone 12 mini---------November 2020
iPhone SE 3rd gen------March 2022?

No way Apple would use a design, that is a little over a year old, for a budget phone.

 

[GM…]

Because they're catering to consumers like me that believe the iPhone design peaked with that generation of design. I WANT a home button with TouchID and a rectangular screen without notches or rounded corners or holes in it. I DON'T want a giant phone, Face ID, or a ludicrously shaped display that requires convoluted gestures to operate.

So yeah, I think that's why they still make the SE in that design. It was/is the best design to date in my opinion, and apparently many other peoples' opinions as well.

Yes. I wouldn’t mind flat edges and Face ID in the top bezel (instead of a notch) as long as Touch ID and the Home button remain at the bottom.

 

[0924487]

Ha, I'm terrible and will probably buy both the 13 Mini and SE2 Refresh. I'm a sucker for a small iphone, so 2 in the same cycle... its like Christmas and my birthday all in one!

Emm, I can sell you my iPhone 4S...

 

[snipr125]

Because they're catering to consumers like me that believe the iPhone design peaked with that generation of design. I WANT a home button with TouchID and a rectangular screen without notches or rounded corners or holes in it. I DON'T want a giant phone, Face ID, or a ludicrously shaped display that requires convoluted gestures to operate.

So yeah, I think that's why they still make the SE in that design. It was/is the best design to date in my opinion, and apparently many other peoples' opinions as well.

Yes I really like the SE2 iphone 6 era design, very robust, solid and reliable with the SE2 being the most refined and very snappy with its A13 bionic. I have no issue with the 326 PPI NOTCHLESS screen on the LCD 4.7" screen either, side by side with my 12 mini, there is not that much difference to be honest. In bright sunlight, I can see the LCD screen clearly, but can barely see anything on the 12 minis OLED screen. The best part of the SE2 though is Touch ID, just love it, very reliable for me.

 

[Kar98]

No doubt a great phone...just wish they'd retire the 2014 look and consolidate their design cues - all edge-to-edge screens, Face ID, and flat edges. Would much prefer to see a cheaper Mini transitioned into the SE slot.

I’m just fine with the way it is, which was the main selling point for me, besides the price, obviously.

 

[DeepIn2U]

There won’t be anymore confusion anymore across the models.

You're forgetting ...

iPhone 13
iPhone 13 Pro
both get the 6.1" screen, Pro Max 6.7" so yeah same 'confusion' as before, not a perfect screen setup as someone had hoped.

 

[MacBH928]

Ahhh YES 4.7 inch... YES! YES! YES!
TouchID ...this is the perfect form phone..unbeaten by anything else imo.

but why it took Apple 4 years to release SE2 and now just 2 years.

It should use the mini chassis now.

No.
SE is good because of the perfect form factor, want all screen and a notch get iphone 12

top

top touch button sucks, I have it on my iPad. Its no where near functional and intuitive as a home buttom. KEEP THE HOME BUTTON IT WORKS!

 

[DeepIn2U]

If the US dairy industry is making too much milk, and the milk price plummeted, do you think the companies will give the excess milk away to the poor and needy, or do you think the companies will pour the excess milk into the ocean?

Spoiler

Answer: The ocean. This has happened before. I didn’t make this up.

Reason is, giving away milk will further diminish the demand for milk, thus pushing the price of milk even lower. This is capitalism.

Strange 'answer' since those that are getting the milk given to them most likely could not afford Milk so no the price would not be affected nor its demand.

 

[GM…]

Yes I really like the SE2 iphone 6 era design, very robust, solid and reliable with the SE2 being the most refined and very snappy with its A13 bionic. I have no issue with the 326 PPI NOTCHLESS screen on the LCD 4.7" screen either, side by side with my 12 mini, there is not that much difference to be honest. In bright sunlight, I can see the LCD screen clearly, but can barely see anything on the 12 minis OLED screen. The best part of the SE2 though is Touch ID, just love it, very reliable for me.

And, LCD doesn’t suffer from burn-in.

 

[lkalliance]

I agree with a couple of the sentiments expressed here:
--Though I really like my current SE 2020, the battery life leaves something to be desired.
--I prefer Touch ID to what I expect Face ID to be like.
--Apple's template for the SE has been now, twice: most recent chip at the time, old design, low price. I expect the iPhone 8 design to survive into the SE until such time as the screen and Face ID cameras and body of the iPhone 12 get down to a similar price to them.

There's something to be said about the older tech in the SE: it is truly battle-tested. I think I can reasonably expect little if any degradation of the materials on my current SE over a four-year-or-so life span, and I would expect it could last longer than that, with perhaps a battery replacement somewhere in there.

 

[deconstruct60]

Using A15 is a no brainer. Apple will use the same chipset as the latest iPhone on every SE generations (A9, A13). The big question is the form factor. The 2021 SE form factor's biggest issue is the tiny battery, which is not sufficient even today for smartphone use, let alone adding 5G.

'5G' doesn't necessarily mean it is also getting the mmWave abilities. Sub-6 only on a 5nm process ( whether Samsung or TSMC) has a decent chance with the power optimization implementation to be not that much more power consuming than the current. Remember the iPhone SE2 has a 14nm Intel modem in it. Not Qualcomm's best, but Intel's trailing on a trailing fab process. They are picking up 1.5-2 node increases in density and associated power savings. 5G processes more data, but the silicon fab process used is much better adaptive to that speed increase. Going to a Qualcomm x60 will help rather than hurt an iPhone SE iteration; that is a 3rd Generation 5G implementation.

mmWave means another set of antennas. If the form factor is staying largely the same then I don't see where they are going to squeeze in another set of antennas. If it is keeping the $399 price point then just having sub-6 is probably "good enough" to be competitive. So the power+RF chip for mmWave and the antennas themselves don't have to soak up more space ( SE2 body doesn't have) and power ( battery is smaller enough already ). There are some 5G "mid range" solutions from other folks but they are usually plastic bodies and spotty OS updates. Missing mmWave probably won't be a "show stopper" at that price point.


Similar with going with the A15. If Apple power tunes the chips that go in the SE2 ( cap the turbo clocks a bit ) then they should be able to squeeze better power efficiency out of that subsystem also. If there is some screen tech that is power saving also then could do better there also.

Of course, Apple can simply add magsafe support on it, to nudge people to spend more money and buy the also tiny battery pack.... Wouldn't surprise me a bit.

Again, the magsafe coils are space really don't have to give away.

Also get folks to use. "Focus" mode more. If don't keep the SE2 screen lit up full time looking at constant stream of notifications then the battery last longer. If use the SE2 more as a phone (communication device) and less as a gaming machine ( "likes" gaming or plain old bang-bang-pow ) then the battery life is decent.


P.S. Similar to the. iPhone 12 mini dual camera. Higher bill of materials and internal space don't have to give away.

 

[deconstruct60]

It should use the mini chassis now.

two versus one camera won't be the same cost.

The "disappointing". 12 mini numbers have shown that aren't a huge number of folks who will pay more for smaller. Cost is a factor as to what goes into the SE3 . And a chassis that needs more expensive components ( higher cost FaceID versus Touch ID , multiple cameras , etc. ). will probably miss the core market that the SE is appealing too.

Apple could just keep selling the 13mini for a longer time. There is no 14 mini replacement, but they don't drop it either. If they put it on a 2 or 3 year cycle similar to the mini. ( but in offset years ). 2022 SE , 2023 mini , 2024 SE , 2025 mini they could iterate those two lower volume designs at a sustainable pace for the volume sold.

3-4 years out perhaps they would merge them when FaceID got as cheap as Touch ID in bill of materials cost as well as the screen technology costs, but for now if they pushed the mini down , that would likely inflate the price of the SE3 and that would be a bad move in that particularly market segment.

The mini chassis was designed to be an expensive phone for the next several years. That isn't what Apple needs.

 

[deconstruct60]

--Apple's template for the SE has been now, twice: most recent chip at the time, old design, low price. I expect the iPhone 8 design to survive into the SE until such time as the screen and Face ID cameras and body of the iPhone 12 get down to a similar price to them.

It is not just FaceID. More cameras cost more. OLED costs more. mmWave costs more (both in bill of material costs and internal space ) . magCharging costs more ( costs and internal space) .

When Apple shifts to their own radios , OLED sinks lower, FaceID gets cheaper then probably will see a shift to some variant of then "old and paid for" mini Chassis.

 

[macintoshmac]

No.
SE is good because of the perfect form factor, want all screen and a notch get iphone 12

Just go through what you have said. It is both nonsensical and illogical.

1. Nobody ever said they love the notch and want a notch, that is not even debatable. But, people have been buying phones with the notch, and it's been 4 years that notch-haters have been going at the notch as if it's an insect up their crotch. The notch will go when Apple wants its to go, consumers who are buying the devices cannot do anything unless they are doing it en masse to hurt Apple financially.
2. That leaves the all-screen part. If I want all-screen, why in the world would I get a phone that is even larger than my 8? I would get the mini chassis that offers more screen in a size smaller than the 8. Why would you just direct people to get a larger device instead so off-handedly? The world does not comprise of Apple and you alone. It comprises of billions more and every opinion is valuable. Respecting a difference of opinion is difficult for the ego, but better for culture of the self in the long run.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

I guess the SE Plus got ditched? I'd like one.

SE Plus will never happen because the battery and display size plus an A15 chip @$399 would be too big value for money compared to the 11, 12 mini, and 13 mini.

Apple strategically has always just given the SEs enough value to sell but never so much that they kill sales of more expensive iPhones. That's not going to change unless Apple sets SE pricing higher than $399 at launch.

 

[macintoshmac]

two versus one camera won't be the same cost.

The "disappointing". 12 mini numbers have shown that aren't a huge number of folks who will pay more for smaller. Cost is a factor as to what goes into the SE3 . And a chassis that needs more expensive components ( higher cost FaceID versus Touch ID , multiple cameras , etc. ). will probably miss the core market that the SE is appealing too.

Apple could just keep selling the 13mini for a longer time. There is no 14 mini replacement, but they don't drop it either. If they put it on a 2 or 3 year cycle similar to the mini. ( but in offset years ). 2022 SE , 2023 mini , 2024 SE , 2025 mini they could iterate those two lower volume designs at a sustainable pace for the volume sold.

3-4 years out perhaps they would merge them when FaceID got as cheap as Touch ID in bill of materials cost as well as the screen technology costs, but for now if they pushed the mini down , that would likely inflate the price of the SE3 and that would be a bad move in that particularly market segment.

The mini chassis was designed to be an expensive phone for the next several years. That isn't what Apple needs.

Ah no, I was not thinking of cameras there. I was only thinking about the size of it. You are right, two cameras are costing more. I would be totally okay with one camera, but then that means it is not the same chassis, so .... yeah.. using the mini chassis for the SE will certainly send Tim itching to raise prices.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

iPhone 5s-------------September 2013
iPhone SE-------------March 2016

iPhone 8---------------September 2017
iPhone SE 2nd gen----April 2020

iPhone 12 mini---------November 2020
iPhone SE 3rd gen------March 2022?

No way Apple would use a design, that is a little over a year old, for a budget phone.

I can't stand how people always make these wishlists for the SE instead of thinking pragmatically about what it's almost 100% sure to be based on previous iterations:

If SE3 launches in 2022 or 2023, then there's absolutely no way on Earth Apple lets it get the 12 or 12 mini body. The 12 and maybe the 12 mini will probably still be in Apple's lineup in 2022 and 2023 so there's no chance they're will also be a cheaper SE with a newer A15 chip in it, NO WAY.

Well, I actually think the 12 mini will be phased out come September 2021. So the line-up in Q1-Q2 2022, post SE3 launch, will be(in order of lowest to highest specs/prices:

SE3, 12, 12s/13 mini, 12s/13, 12s/13 Pro, and 12s/13 Pro Max.

The SE3 will also most likely not get Face ID since Apple didn't even put it in the iPad Air. It might get the Xr/11 body and edge-to-edge LCD display. But probably not Face-ID opting instead for Touch-ID on the side button like we have in the iPad Air.

The SEs are just as much a tool to make you understand the value of Apple's more expensive flagship models, and Apple's flagship from last year @$499, as it is its' own product.

Apple is never going to give the SE a unique, contemporary design or unique features that can't be found with better specs in more expensive iPhones.

Apple reusing the 5s or 8 designs once more is equally unlikely since they've never done the same body for the SE twice and it would also make the SE3 look like too small of an upgrade from the 2020 SE.

My best bet is an 11 body and display paired with an A15 and other new internal features, but lacking Face-ID and using Touch-ID in the side button instead.

Stop wishing for killer features from the $399 iPhone. It's the old design from Apple's last iPhone cycle paired with a couple of newer specs:

That's the SE formula, nothing more, nothing less.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

Prior rumor said A14. Nikkei says A15 which makes more sense.

A Face-ID-less iPhone 11/Xr inspired design with the A15 chip and not-so-great cameras that are far from comparable to what the 12s/13 will have

or an 8 Plus inspired design with the A15 chip with very good cameras that are comparable to what the 12s/13 will have

There's always huge compromises to the SEs so this is the most likely SE3 I can come up with... well, unless they go above the $399 mark. But I'm not betting on that.

 

[deconstruct60]

SE Plus will never happen because the battery and display size plus an A15 chip @$399 would be too big value for money compared to the 11, 12 mini, and 13 mini.

The SE Plus wouldn't be $399 if the "plain" SE is $399. Apple would likely charge at least $100 more. That's the bigger issue. The $499 Plus would likely be running into the. two year old iPhone that also had a larger screen.

If Apple does a 13 mini it is pretty likely that the 12 mini will disappear as fast as possible. ( similar to how the SE was gone by time SE2 really got rolling. ). If the 12 mini is already disappointing sales, Apple is extremely unlikely to let a cheaper 12 mini cannibalize the 13 mini. The issue is that by the time a SE 2022 Plus could arrive the iPhone 12 would drop close to that in the second half of lifecycle. As Apple, always sells 1-2 year old mainstream iPhone models after a year as the "leading edge" choice it isn't like they have a shortage of larger screen phones to sell. If they go to selling two, leading edge 6.1" phones then they have an even bigger glut in years 1-2 on the trailing edge.

The SE Plus doesn't solve any problem that Apple has in their line up. What Apple had a year or so ago was a shortage of capable , smaller screen phones for folks who don't spend all day on their phones. Apple was off chasing the ever larger screen and there was zero shortage of those kinds of phones in the line up. If folks want a larger screen just wait until it drops into your price point and buy it.


Throwing the leading edge A-series into the SE is partially a misdirect from the. 3-4 year old antenna tuning getting with the chassis. ( typically older=ish radio coverage) . It is an offset to older stuff also getting.

 

[dontwalkhand]

No doubt a great phone...just wish they'd retire the 2014 look and consolidate their design cues - all edge-to-edge screens, Face ID, and flat edges. Would much prefer to see a cheaper Mini transitioned into the SE slot.

My fiance absolutely refuses to “use an iPhone without a home button”….I’m glad I can hold her over with this phone when it comes out so she can still get decent specifications.