Major iPhone design changes don't happen very often, but with the first iPhone 14 leaks, new information suggests Apple fans are in for a surprise.
A new exclusive and influential Chinese website, MyDrivers, has revealed that Apple will be giving a dramatic design update to the 2022 iPhone SE. The upgrade is so important that iPhone 13 upgraders may want to save money waiting.
MyDrivers explains that the third-generation iPhone SE, due for release in early 2022, will no longer be based on the iPhone 8, but on the iPhone XR. Interestingly, the site also says it will use Touch ID instead of Face ID —a biometric technology that might be more practical for a world that still wears masks. It could also mean a smaller and no gap.
Perhaps the best news, though, is that MyDrivers claims Apple will pack the iPhone SE3 with 5G and the A15 chipset used in the iPhone 13 series. If the news is correct, this should be the non-MMWave 5G and a slightly less capable version of the non-professional A15. Either way, that means the phone should be supported for as long as its premium stability partner.
The only bad news is that MyDrivers reports that storage will start with 64GB, which is understandably priced at 3,299 yuan ($516). The price is significantly higher than the current 2,899 yuan ($454) second-generation iPhone SE in China, though the upgrade guarantees a price increase.
MyDrivers has a relatively solid record. It accurately leaked storage upgrades for the iPhone 7, chipset changes for the third-generation iPad Pro, and full-spec glitches for the fourth-generation iPad Air, even though it had some previous release dates wrong.
However, the bigger conundrum is that the MyDrivers leak contradicts previous information from well-known insiders Ross Young and Ming-Chi Kuo, who both said that the bezel-less iPhone SE won't be available until 2023. That said, Kuo did report that Apple plans to add 5G to its 2022 iPhone, that the iPhone SE was built to be the "cheapest 5G iPhone ever," and that the company is saving money by reusing old components and hardware. So waiting until 2023 to relaunch a design first introduced in 2018 could push the trend — even for Apple.
In addition, the recently leaked first iPhone 14 revealed that Apple is working on a "complete redesign" for the 2022 iPhone range, which could be a springboard for an iPhone SE design upgrade.
The iPhone 14, based on leaked information, could open the way for a redesign of the iPhone SE. All of which gives potential iPhone 13 upgraders something to think about, since the 6.1-inch model starts at $799. The iPhone SE series typically costs $399, and even with the price increase, you'll get the same screen size, similar design. and matching performance for a few hundred dollars less.
So will you wait?
