Hands-On 2022 iPhone SE Features; Lacks Support For MagSafe, 5G mmWave and More

Key Notes:

• Apple just revealed the iPhone SE 3 at its “Peek Performance” event yesterday.
• Although Apple states that this iPhone features a “durable design” and the “toughest glass in a smartphone,” it is not marketed as a “Ceramic Shield.”
• The iPhone SE 3 is IP67 certified, which means it can withstand immersion in one metre of water for up to 30 minutes.

Apple just revealed the iPhone SE 3 at its “Peek Performance” event yesterday. The smartphone comes with a new A15 Bionic CPU, new colours, and the same design as the iPhone 8, but there are certain things Apple didn’t relate at the event and here it is.

Ceramic Shield

Last-minute speculations led some to assume that we may see a ceramic shield and possibly MagSafe capabilities on the upcoming iPhone SE 3, but that’s not the case. Apple claims this iPhone has a “durable design” and the “toughest glass in a smartphone,” yet it doesn’t market it as a “Ceramic Shield.” If you compare it with the iPhone 13 Pro’s specifications, you’ll discover that the iPhone SE 3 lacks this capability.

Splash, Water, and Dust Resistance

The iPhone SE 3 is certified IP67, which means it can survive under one metre of water for up to 30 minutes. The previous generation previously provided it, which means this smartphone didn’t obtain the same classification as the iPhone 13 series with IP68.

Camera

The new Apple iPhone SE 3 comes with a 7MP front-facing camera with an /2.2 aperture as the previous model. It was expected that this iPhone may employ a 12MP sensor, given the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 currently provide it, but actually, customers are stuck with the 7MP sensor, albeit users will get a slightly enhanced experience as it features Smart HDR 4.

Photographic Styles, Smart HDR 4, but no Cinematic mode or Night mode

The iPhone SE 3 includes two camera features from the iPhone 13 line: photographic styles and Smart HDR 4. That However, Apple didn’t add another feature that demands the capability of the A15 Bionic, the Cinematic mode, so users couldn’t blur the backdrop of a movie as they can on the iPhone 13.

Camera Night Mode

In addition, Night mode, which has been available since the iPhone 11, is nowhere to be found on this device.

iPhone SE 3 (Second Generation)

5G mmWave Support

The iPhone SE 3 will not be able to use “true 5G” because it does not support 5G mmWave bands. As a matter of fact, it features the sub-6 GHz band, and the A2595 variant enables 5G NR. Unfortunately, none of them can deliver gigabit downloads.

Apple U1 Chip

The newly released iPhone model lacks support for 5G mmWave, but it also doesn’t feature the U1 chip, initially announced with the iPhone 11.

Better Battery Life

This new Apple iPhone delivers a better battery life compared to its predecessor, although not very much. Nevertheless, It features up to 15 hours of video playback (it was 13 hours in the previous iteration), up to 10 hours of video playback streaming (previously 8 hours on the prior model), and up to 50 hours of audio playback (against 40 hours in the previous model).

Apple iPhone SE 3 Price

Last but not least, the iPhone SE 3 is more expensive than its predecessor. It begins at $429, whereas the previous generation began at $399. Both start with a 64GB storage capacity.