Is the iPhone SE 3 noteworthy or do I have to pass?

Apple has just launched the iPhone SE 3, and thanks to the A15 chip and 5G, it’s faster, smarter, and better than ever. But is it enough to be the primary device? Is there enough power to abandon the old-fashioned home button form factor? Let’s discuss and see if the iPhone SE 3 is worth it.

Difficult question 🤔

Because the iPhone SE 2022 has an iPhone 8 form factor with a home button, Touch ID, the same battery size, and about the same hardware.

Overall, we’re trying to figure out if these small changes can make a mile difference or just a hoax.

Basic specifications of iPhone SE 2022

Power and performance that make you fall in love

The tagline of Apple’s iPhone SE 2022 is “I love power” and “I love price”. Technology giants are trying to market “power” and “price range” as USPs for phones.

Interestingly, as you’ll notice in the screenshot above, Apple has also added a “Switch to iPhone” tab in the top menu. This shows that Apple is targeting the iPhone SE 2022 as an entry-level device for people to enter the Apple ecosystem.

Now that you have established your selling points and target markets, let’s dig a little deeper into the capabilities of your device.

A15 chip

What can I say about the power of the unbenchmarked or unproven A15 Bionic chip? This is currently the most powerful iPhone chip (probably until the A16 launches in September). Thanks to that, iPhone SE 3:

• Load the app faster.
• Provides smooth graphics performance – up to 1.2 times the graphics performance of the iPhone SE 2.
• It also empowers advanced photography (more on this in the next section).

camera

Apple hasn’t made any special hardware changes to the rear or front cameras, even the sensors. However, the iPhone SE 2022 leverages the A15 and iOS 15’s neural engine and machine learning to significantly improve camera quality.

Now available:

• Smart HDR4 – Auto adjusts contrast, lighting and skin tone for up to 4 people.
• Deep fusion – Study multiple exposures to capture subtle details, textures, and patterns.
• Photo style – Choose between warm, cool, vibrant, or better to maintain a natural skin and sky tone.
• Portrait lighting – 6 creative effects for clicking on studio-like portrait shots.
• Low light video shooting – Capture video with incredible details, sharp contours, shadows and highlights, even in the dark.

5G

The iPhone 11 doesn’t have 5G either, but the modest iPhone SE3 does. This makes it easier to speed up downloads, stream, play games, reduce lag, and more. In addition, the device is equipped with a smart data mode that maintains battery life when high speed requirements are not required.

OS

One of the benefits of owning an iPhone is the availability of software and security patches for at least 4-5 years. The combination of the A15 Bionic and high-speed 5G connectivity puts you at the forefront of future capabilities. Things that cannot be used so much on iPhone 11 (A13) and iPhone 12 (A14).

battery

Again, Apple hasn’t changed the battery size itself. However, Apple promises better battery performance thanks to the highly efficient A15 chip. Compared to iPhone SE 2, the 2022 version provides up to 2 hours more video playback.

In addition, the iPhone SE 2022 version also supports Qi charging and up to 50% fast charging in 30 minutes when connected to an adapter of 20W or higher.

We love power and price. How about the design?

Before you start the comparison, let’s remove this from your chest. Factor’s home button isn’t a personal issue, but it’s a 6-year-old design that can’t be overcome. Some may still want to use the home button, but I’m not one of them.

Yes, I’m dissatisfied with the iPhone SE 3 form factor. That’s not the only issue, but my key issue is that Apple isn’t willing to put things in order. What else is new besides the A15 and 5G?

Same old display

Of course, I don’t expect Apple to introduce ProMotion to the iPhone SE3. After all, it’s reserved only for the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max. But I’m not sure about LCD multi-touch displays with IPS technology. Why can’t I get a Super Retina XDR display like the iPhone 12?

Another very strange thing is Apple’s shy way of not mentioning ceramic shields. The website states that the iPhone SE 3 is “the toughest glass on a smartphone,” but the exact term isn’t mentioned anywhere in the device overview or technical specifications.

No TrueDepth camera yet

I know that you need a special 3D mapping sensor and notch to take advantage of this feature. However, in general, there are no changes to the camera settings, whether front or back. Is it difficult to combine smarter and better sensors?

Imagine the magic of creating an additional sensor and an A15 chip. Maybe a stunning night photo improvement or something else. In short, Apple is a dream weaver. I’m just a tech enthusiast who wants more.

Boring old colors

This is a slight complaint, but why is the iPhone SE3 ignored when Apple emphasizes the color of the iPhone? The tech giant has launched special colors for the iPhone 12 and 13 at spring events over the last two years. Did the iPhone SE 3 have any other color options?

Why Why? There are color options for the same old iPhone SE 2, Starlight, Midnight, and Starlight. Some new and unique color options would have been more inspiring to the user.

Is the battery really good?

On the one hand, Apple claims that the A15 has improved battery life. On the other hand, 5G, which is known to drain the battery quickly, has been added. Yes, I don’t think Apple’s additional two-hour claim is wrong, but I can’t be sure without actual statistics. So, after the battery test results come out, I put my decision on hold.

Who should buy the iPhone SE 3?

Apple has introduced and priced the iPhone SE 2022 as an entry-level device. Also, considering its features, it is suitable for first-time users with limited budgets, introductory devices for children and young adults, and elderly people with limited phone usage.

But teenagers don’t want to sport the old-fashioned form factor like the iPhone SE 2022. Yes, the iPhone is a statement maker, but what kind of statement did the design six years ago make?

Conclusion

I have no doubts about the power and features of the iPhone SE 3. But I wish it had a nicer form factor, perhaps XR or something. Maybe that’s my opinion, and some users still want and like the home button and Touch ID design.

But in the era of in-screen fingerprint sensors, the 6.7-inch full-screen display offers a chance for the 4.7-inch screen. If you want a compact iPhone, you can choose the iPhone 12mini and 13mini, and if someone is waiting for the right discount, it won’t be too expensive.

And while it looks like anger about form factor, I’m really angry / frustrated that I missed the opportunity. I wouldn’t complain if real improvements like smarter camera sensors, MagSafe, or something made this device stand out from the crowd.

I don’t think adding smarter, faster chips and connectivity solutions will reduce that. Well, at least that’s what I think. And I want to know your view on the matter?

Do you think the iPhone SE 3 is noteworthy, or do you have to forget it altogether and anticipate the release of the iPhone 14?

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