iPhone SE (2022) The SE3. My goodness.

[JM]

I saw the midnight SE3 at Best Buy on display. It is an extremely sleek looking, and impossibly light to hold phone.

Wow, I can’t believe it’s only $429 :O

It will be sad when it’s gone.

Man if I needed a phone right now for cheap I would rock this so hard.

Apple design team is not asleep.

 

[antiprotest]

Apple design team is not asleep.

It's the 5-year old iPhone X series shell mixed with the even older bezel and home button, as well as an older camera. So you could say the design team actually phoned it in on this one, but it's still a good design I suppose. The iPhone X was a pleasure to use and held up well for 5 years for me. The SE design is even older, but it has a much better chip.

Edit: As others have pointed out, it's actually the iPhone 8 design. I am used to the iPhone X with the same rounded edges so I used that as the reference point. But it's more accurate to say iPhone 8.

 

[sorgo †]

It is a great phone. Tried it out for a while this past summer but ultimately returned it to keep my 13 mini, which really is the best of all worlds…at least until Apple releases another mini

 

[jm31828]

Agreed!
I sold my 13 pro and bought an SE3 because I wanted a small phone and love the classic design- so I bought a Midnight color one.

I absolutely love it!

 

[Frankras]

I still running the SE2020 and no need to update yet. If the SE4 wil be as rumored, then I will pick of a SE3.

 

[Andeddu]

Is it not just a replica of the black iPhone 8 which was released back in 2017? That’s a picture of my old 8 and I am struggling to see what the Apple design team have changed since then. The phone looks great anyway and has definitely aged well!

 

[JM]

View attachment 2111932

Is it not just a replica of the black iPhone 8 which was released back in 2017? That’s a picture of my old 8 and I am struggling to see what the Apple design team have changed since then. The phone looks great anyway and has definitely aged well!

The midnight looks so much better on the SE vs the 13 mini, for whatever reason.

 

[eyoungren]

I still running the SE2020 and no need to update yet. If the SE4 wil be as rumored, then I will pick of a SE3.

My kids (19 and 14) both have the SE2020. My son started with the SE2016. Good phone series.

 

[MrAperture]

Isn’t it just the iPhone 8 shell?

 

[IllinoisCorn]

Isn’t it just the iPhone 8 shell?

Yeah, it is. I'm wondering what everyone is geeking out about.

 

[WalterSobchak]

So I have a midnight 2022 SE and the design is totally underwhelming. But thats also why I like it. When i head that this will (likely) be the last iphone to feature the home button I wanted to snag it and use it out and about as my XR was becoming too large and heavy for my active pursuits. I still use my XR at home and leave with my SE.

I like that its small
I like that its cheap
i like that it draws zero attention and even some ridicule - but i have always reveled in ridicule.

I purchased it for those reasons (well and PWM sensitivity) and for that its been incredible. Touch ID is amazing for passwords and payments, and it feels more solid than the old 8's. I still have an 8 at home for comparison. But otherwise its the exact same phone as the 8, which was arguably "outdated" in its year of release. That is totally fine with me, its almost refreshing.

But unless small, cheap, and unassuming are your objectives, maybe this phone wont wow you all that much. But it will work without fuss and hopefully keep your screen time down a little.

P.S. I will give kudos to the screen calibration department, this IPS panel calibration is perfect - must be seen to be appreciated.

 

[IllinoisCorn]

I had no idea this old design is so beloved. It’s not for me. Cool other people geek out over it.

 

[MyPhone99]

Iphone SE 2022 is my business/work phones since 5 months. It serves my purpose for that price tag.

-> Small , compact and light weight , easy to carry.
-> Touch ID is flawless
-> Same charger as my primary phone
->IOS device (for iclould data)
-> I must say i am more than surprised regarding the battery performance (i get to check few work emails , few phone calls, 1-2 hours for webex meetings and few calls from my primary phone come over here when i am on same wifi network and few validations of some application) and still end with >20% at the end of the work day. Very much impressed

 

[eyoungren]

I had no idea this old design is so beloved. It’s not for me. Cool other people geek out over it.

There are reasons for that…

It's - cheaper, smaller, still has an lcd screen and a good budget CPU. But most importantly for a lot of people, it still has a home button and TouchID.

For myself, I've bought three of them since 2016 for my kids only. It's an iPhone and it's less than half the cost of flagship phones.

 

[IllinoisCorn]

There are reasons for that…

It's - cheaper, smaller, still has an lcd screen and a good budget CPU. But most importantly for a lot of people, it still has a home button and TouchID.

For myself, I've bought three of them since 2016 for my kids only. It's an iPhone and it's less than half the cost of flagship phones.

I can see this phone for children for sure.

 

[eyoungren]

I can see this phone for children for sure.

Well, my kids are 19 and 14, so not exactly 'children'.

 

[sorgo †]

-> I must say i am more than surprised regarding the battery performance (i get to check few work emails , few phone calls, 1-2 hours for webex meetings and few calls from my primary phone come over here when i am on same wifi network and few validations of some application) and still end with >20% at the end of the work day. Very much impressed

This, in my opinion, is what makes the 2022 SE a true “sleeper hit”—the battery life is just superb for what it is. I guess it’s that newer, enhanced battery chemistry, the efficiency of the A15, or some combination thereof, but whatever it is it’s amazing. Blew my 13 mini (with 100% battery health) out of the water in the battery life department with the same content and settings.

But at the end of the day the mini won out with its expansive, high-DPI screen, its clever little boxy shape, and its superior cameras.

 

[MICHAELSD]

It’s amazing how this combination of components can still feel so modern.

It’s like the display, camera, and body are almost significantly improved over an iPhone 8 despite using similar parts.

The biggest surprise is the premium build, and how much better the glass and aluminum feel on the SE3.

My only regrets with the SE are that it fell out of my pocket without a case before I decided that I was going to keep it, and that the Battery Health dropped to 98% while I tested an iPhone 14 Pro Max.

 

[DrCC]

2022 SE and the 13 Mini have the same chip, but the 2022 SE has approx 2.5 less pixels to push on the display. So the A15 should use slightly less power on the 2022 SE compared to the 13 Mini.

 

[MICHAELSD]

2022 SE and the 13 Mini have the same chip, but the 2022 SE has approx 2.5 less pixels to push on the display. So the A15 should use slightly less power on the 2022 SE compared to the 13 Mini.

I attributed what feels like twice as much battery life to not spending nearly as much time using iPhone SE as iPhone 13 Mini, and not pushing it with games or streaming content.

 

[sorgo †]

2022 SE and the 13 Mini have the same chip, but the 2022 SE has approx 2.5 less pixels to push on the display. So the A15 should use slightly less power on the 2022 SE compared to the 13 Mini.

Right, it makes sense in execution, but the real-world discrepancy is funny after looking at the battery runtime stats on Apple’s own store:





Seems in theory the 13 mini should be a bit better but the SE absolutely demolished it in my actual use.

 

[Jumpthesnark]

It's a great device. And I'm glad I'm not paying for features I don't care about.

 

[ssledoux]

I had the SE2020 for a while, and I really enjoyed going back to a Touch ID on the phone for a time. My granddaughter has mine for using as an iPod, and I got my grandson the SE2022. Anytime I pick it up to use it I love it, and if I were diligent about using my phone mainly as a phone, it’s probably what I’d have.

 

[DaPhox]

2022 SE and the 13 Mini have the same chip, but the 2022 SE has approx 2.5 less pixels to push on the display. So the A15 should use slightly less power on the 2022 SE compared to the 13 Mini.

Also, the SE has a very nice 16:9 display. A keeper..

 

[Jim Lahey]

It is a great phone. Tried it out for a while this past summer but ultimately returned it to keep my 13 mini, which really is the best of all worlds…at least until Apple releases another mini

13 mini is the apex of iPhone and a spiritual throwback to the original in terms of its diminutive charm. It’s much bigger of course, but in a world of breadboard sized black mirrors it feels like stepping back into days gone where technology was getting smaller instead of deliberately bigger. A true delight.