Rumor: iPhone SE 3 Could Feature iPhone XR-like Design, A15 Bionic Chip

BY Chandraveer Mathur

Published 22 Oct 2021

Rumor has it that the third-generation iPhone SE will mimic the iPhone XR’s outward design and feature Touch ID. It will also be Apple’s last iPhone to feature an LCD panel.

Chinese website MyDrivers noted that the third-generation iPhone SE will be based on the chassis design of the affordably-priced iPhone XR. The device is expected to sport a side-mounted fingerprint scanner for Touch ID, an LCD panel, the A15 Bionic chip from the iPhone 13, and support for 5G cellular connectivity. The report mentioned that this device will become a turning point since all subsequent iPhone releases would feature an OLED display.

Speculation surrounding the upcoming iPhone SE 3 continues to be a mixed bag. Reputable analysts Ming-Chi Kuo and Ross Young previously concurred with the recent MyDrivers report. They said the budget iPhone will feature a 6.1-inch screen like the current-generation iPhone XR and a side-mounted fingerprint reader. Kuo and Young have since revised their claims and believe that the third-generation iPhone SE will copy the iPhone 8’s design with Touch ID built into the Home button.

Young claims the third-gen iPhone SE will debut in the spring of 2022 with storage and price options beginning from 64GB and $399 respectively. Other storage options will be 128GB and 256GB.

Our Take

MyDrivers isn’t the most reliable source for leaks and rumors although it has predicted some details accurately in the past. That said, we believe the rumor about the LCD display could be true since there isn’t a single Android device retailing with a premium 800-series processor mated to an LCD these days.