2022 iPhone SE will be based on iPhone XR

Looking ahead at the next generation of iPhone SE, the third rendition of Apple‘s budget phone is expected to release in early 2022. According to reports, rumors suggested that the iPhone SE 3 will be dropped closer to the Spring season. Unlike its predecessor that borrows the design of the iPhone 8, the new SE iteration will adopt the exterior design of the iPhone XR from 2018, equipped with a 6.1-inch display, front notch design, 5G connectivity, and the A15 chip.

The touch ID button is replaced with a side fingerprint scanner, while there will also be Face ID recognition. Rumors suggest that the iPhone SE 3 will be priced slightly above the $400 USD price point similar to the second generation. The SE, which has a classic design language and the only front fingerprint recognition, is still favored by some consumers. It seems that Apple does not intend to give up, and iterative models are revealed to be released next spring. According to the latest news, the iPhone SE 3 will be Apple’s last mobile phone equipped with an LCD display. For those who have no love for OLED, there are few opportunities left. However, it was said earlier that the iPhone SE 3 is still the iPhone 8 model, that is, 4.7-inch screen, front Touch ID , but the latest rumor is that it is based on the iPhone XR, equipped with side fingerprints, of course, does not rule out the front Face ID. A new report from reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today reiterated expectations for the next-gen iPhone SE. Kuo believes the two big upgrades will be 5G and an upgraded processor, with the new entry-level iPhone coming in Spring 2022. Kuo reiterates that the 2022 iPhone SE will have a similar design as the existing 4.7-inch iPhone SE.

Apple iPhone 13 Release Date

Despite the recent release of the iPhone 12, Apple is now believed to be preparing to introduce the iPhone 13. According to trusted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, we could be seeing the next flagship smartphone sooner than expected. Kuo is predicting that we will see Apple hold its usual September Keynote event, after being skipping its tradition in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also expected that the event will unveil four versions of the new phone iPhone 13, the iPhone 13 Mini, the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. If Apple follows its previous pattern of releasing a new phone about a week and a half after an unveil, the iPhone 13 could release around the third week of September.

In the investor note obtained by 9to5Mac, Kuo writes that all 2021 iPhone models will include a Lightning connector, ruling out the possibility of USB-C or a port-less design completely, at least in 2021. Kuo specifically writes that the iPhone 13 will be available in “four models and the same screen sizes.” This is the strongest evidence yet that the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini design will stick around for another year.

The analyst also corroborates that the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max display will use more power-efficient LTPO technology and add 120Hz support, similar to the ProMotion display on the iPad Pro. The iPhone 13 will also include a “reduced notch area” as one of the “main hardware specification changes.”

The camera will feature serval changes with the iPhone 13 lineup. Kuo writes that the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max will feature an upgraded ultra-wide camera, going from 5P (f/2.4) and fixed focus (FF) to 6P (f/1.8) and autofocus (AF).

What about Touch ID? Kuo says that he’s not quite sure about this just yet, but it doesn’t sound like it’s happening:

    The market expects the iPhone to abandon Lightning in favor of USB-C and equip the power button with the Touch ID sensor, but our latest survey indicates that there is no visibility on the current schedule for the iPhone to adopt these two new specifications.

    We believe that the iPhone will significantly improve the user experience if it adopts the power button with the Touch ID sensor. However, currently, there is no visibility on the timing of adopting this new specification.

Other tidbits on the iPhone 13:

    iPhone 13 will include a larger battery capacity compared to iPhone 12, making the devices heavier.
    Internally, Apple is adopting new space-saving designs such as integrating the SIM card slot with the mainboard, reducing the front optical modules’ thickness, and more.
    LiDAR still only available on the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max.
    Qualcomm’s 5G modem upgraded to the 5nm X60M (vs the iPhone 12’s X55M made by 7nm).