Apple iPhone SE 3 render leak shows off an iPhone XR revival

By Michael Allison January 14, 2022

New renders emerged today that purport to show off the Apple iPhone SE 3 (or iPhone SE 2022, if you prefer). The renders, from TenTechReview and leaker David Kowalski, show off an iPhone that looks a lot like the iPhone XR, but in the same body as the iPhone 8-style iPhone SE. Now, there are some caveats here, but let’s dive into what the leak says first.

According to the new leak, this year’s Phone SE will be a redesign of the 2020 version and look more like a cross between that and an iPhone XR. It’ll still have a small and compact body, but it’ll drop the bezels and adopt the notch, likely with Face ID replacing Touch ID. Going off the renders, it looks like a budget iPhone 13 Mini more than anything.

Apple's iPhone SE in white. — David Kowalski / TenTechReview

Crossed wires or a new, uniform design?

However, more reputable sources including Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo say that while Apple is expected to launch an iPhone SE this year, it’s not getting any big changes. The company is expected to launch a larger iPhone SE next year with the same design as the iPhone XR, so it’s possible that this leak has gotten wires crossed by confusing the iPhone SE 2022 dimensions with the iPhone SE 2023 design.

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At the same time, it is not unexpected that Apple will attempt to unify the design of its iPhone lineup. The company could even be retooling former iPhone 12 Mini components to push FaceID to even cheaper hardware. It is also worth noting that there have also been whispers of the iPhone SE adopting the same iPhone XR-style design alongside a side-mounted fingerprint button like the iPad Air, but we’ll have to wait till March or April to find out for certain.

Whatever the case, this isn’t the only Apple redesign that’s on the menu. The company is said to be planning to drop the notch from the iPhone 14 this year despite just having adopted it on the MacBook Pro. Instead, the company will be replacing it with hole-punch and pill shape cutouts on the front to account for Face ID. This report has much stronger backing, and Apple is expected to debut the new iPhone 14 lineup at its annual fall event this September.

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Michael Allison

Former Digital Trends Contributor

A UK-based tech journalist for Digital Trends, helping keep track and make sense of the fast-paced world of tech with a…

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