The third-generation iPhone SE | |
| Developer | Apple |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Foxconn |
| Type | Smartphone |
| Series | iPhone |
| First released | March 18, 2022 (2022-03-18) |
| Availability by region | March 18, 2022 April 9, 2022 April 13, 2022 June 17, 2022 |
| Discontinued | February 19, 2025 (2025-02-19) |
| Predecessor | iPhone SE (2nd generation) |
| Successor | iPhone 16e |
| Compatible networks | GSM,CDMA,3G,EVDO,HSPA+,4GLTE,5G NR |
| Form factor | Slate |
| Colors |
|
| Dimensions | 138.4 × 67.3 × 7.3 mm (5.45 × 2.65 × 0.29 in) |
| Weight | 144 g (5.1 oz) |
| Operating system | Original:iOS 15.4 Current:iOS 26.1, released November 3, 2025[1] |
| System-on-chip | Apple A15 Bionic |
| Modem | Qualcomm X57 5G[2] |
| Memory | 4 GBLPDDR4XRAM |
| Storage | 64, 128, or 256 GBNVMe |
| SIM | Nano-SIM andeSIM |
| Battery | 3.88 V 7.82 W⋅h (2018mA⋅h) Built-in rechargeable non-removableLithium‑ion battery[2] |
| Charging | Lightning connector (fast-charge capable up to 18 W),[3] orQi wireless charging[3] |
| Rear camera | |
| Front camera | |
| Display | 4.7 in (120 mm) True ToneRetina HD display withIPS technology,1334 × 750 pixel resolution (326ppi), 1400:1 contrast ratio (typical), 625 nits max brightness (typical), with dual-ion exchange-strengthened glass andHaptic Touch[3] |
| Sound | Stereo speakers |
| Connectivity | Near-field communication (NFC),Lightning connector,Bluetooth 5.0,Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax),Voice over LTE (VoLTE),Wi‑Fi calling,GPS,GNSS, Express Cards with power reserve |
| Data inputs | |
| Water resistance | IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 minutes) |
| Hearing aid compatibility | M3, T4[4] |
| Other |
|
| Website | iPhone SE - Apple at theWayback Machine (archived February 18, 2025) |
| References | [3][5][6] |
| This article is part ofa series on the |
| iPhone |
|---|
The third-generationiPhone SE (also known as theiPhone SE 3 or theiPhone SE 2022) is asmartphone designed and developed byApple. It is part of the15th generation of theiPhone, alongside theiPhone 13 and 13 Mini andiPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max models. Apple announced the third-generation iPhone SE on March 8, 2022, as the successor to thesecond-generation iPhone SE of 2020. Pre-orders began on March 11, 2022, and the phone was released afterwards on March 18, 2022.[7][8][9] It was released with a starting price ofUS$429, a $30 increase over its predecessor.
The third-generation iPhone SE has the same dimensions and form factor as thesecond-generation iPhone SE. The third-generation iPhone SE has a similar design to theiPhone 8 and similar internal hardware components to the iPhone 13 series, including theA15 Bionic system-on-chip[10] and5G connectivity.
The third-generation iPhone SE is the last iPhone to feature 4 GB of RAM, as well as 64 GB of internal storage, a home button with Touch ID, and an LCD screen.
To comply with European Union mandates, the iPhone SE (third generation), as well as all theiPhone 14 models, were discontinued in theEuropean Union (as well asSwitzerland and Northern Ireland) on December 28, 2024 and the rest of the world on February 19, 2025, completing the iPhone's transition from theLightning connector toUSB-C.
On February 19, 2025, Apple unveiled theiPhone 16e as the successor to the third-generation iPhone SE.[11]

The iPhone SE features an aluminum frame, paired with a glass front and back. It also shares the same physical sizes and dimensions as theiPhone 8 and is externally identical, except for a centered Apple logo and the removal of the iPhone branding in the lower midsection.
The iPhone SE is available in three colors: Midnight, Starlight, and aProduct Red edition.[3] Midnight and Starlight replace Black and White respectively. The Product Red color is darker than it was on the predecessor. The colors correspond to those of theiPhone 13.[12]
It is the final entry-level iPhone to retain theProduct Red edition color option since the launch of theiPhone 16e on February 28, 2025.
| Color | Name | Bezel |
|---|---|---|
| Midnight | Black | |
| Starlight | ||
| Product Red |
The iPhone SE incorporates the Apple A15 Bionicsystem on a chip (SoC), with an integratedmotion coprocessor and fifth-generationNeural Engine. It is available in three internal storage configurations: 64 GB, 128 GB, and 256 GB.[3] It has 4 GB of RAM, an increase over the second-generation model's 3 GB of RAM.[13] The third-generation iPhone SE has the sameIP67 rating for dust and water resistance as its predecessor.[3] The phone lacks theultra-wideband features enabled by theU1 chip found in the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro. Despite the phone's smaller size, which may lead to increased thermal throttling, the SE's A15 SoC runs at the same peak CPU frequencies as the iPhone 13. Like its predecessor, the third-generation iPhone SE does not feature a standard 3.5 mmstereo headphone jack and keeps a home button.
The iPhone SE 3 features the same HDRetina display found on its predecessor, usingIPS technology with True Tone and wide color gamut (Display P3). The display has a resolution of,1334 × 750 pixels, like the previous 4.7 in (120 mm) iPhones. The pixel density is 326 PPI, the same as on all iPhones with LCDs since the introduction of the Retina display on theiPhone 4, excluding the Plus models. It can playHDR10 andDolby Vision content despite not having an HDR-ready display, done by down-converting the HDR content to fit the display while still having some enhancements todynamic range, contrast, and widecolor gamut compared tostandard content.[14]
The iPhone SE has a rear 12 MP camera with a single lens, similar to the single lens camera system of its predecessor, capable of recording 4K video at 24, 25, 30, or 60 fps, 1080p HD video at 25, 30 or 60 fps, or 720p HD video at 30 fps. The camera has an aperture of ƒ/1.8,autofocus,optical image stabilization, and a quad-LED True Tone flash. The phone can also take panoramas up to 63 MP, and shoot photos in burst mode. The front camera is 7 MP with anaperture of f/2.2 and autofocus, capable of shooting 1080p HD video at 25 or 30 fps and slow-motion video at 120 fps.[3]
The third-generation SE adds several camera functions enabled by the A15 Bionic.[14] Like the 13 and 13 Pro, the rear camera supports Smart HDR 4. The rear camera also supports extended dynamic range video up to 30 fps, stereo recording and cinematic video stabilization. Both the front and rear cameras of the iPhone SE support Portrait mode and Portrait Lighting. The SE's implementation of Portrait mode only natively supports images of humans, as the hardware does not produce depth maps through the use offocus pixels and instead relies on software-based machine learning. Like the 13 and 13 Pro, Portrait mode has depth control and an advancedbokeh effect (blurring effect of theout-of-focus background around the portrait). The third-generation SE supports Deep Fusion and Photographic Styles, but lacks support for some features such as Night Mode and Cinematic mode due to older sensor hardware.
The third generation of the iPhone SE features a 2,018 mA⋅h battery, up from 1,821 mA⋅h on its predecessor. According to Apple, this enables an offline video playback time of 15 hours, up from 13 hours. This brings it up to par with the older but more expensiveiPhone 12 Mini.
The iPhone SE (3rd generation) was originally supplied withiOS 15.4 at release,[15] and was eligible to update toiOS 16 beginning in September 2022.[16] The latest version of iOS compatible with the third-generation iPhone SE, as of September 2025, isiOS 26.
The navigation gestures are the same as they were on iPhone models prior to the iPhone X.[15]
| Preceded by | iPhone e/SE 15th generation | Succeeded by |