Is the iPhone SE still a good phone in 2022?
Yes. The iPhone SE (2022) has the performance and lastability of more expensive iPhone models, a decent camera, and is the smallest, most portable iPhone you can buy.
The iPhone SE (2022) is a very capable, reasonably priced, stylish, and well-made everyday smartphone. But if you're a “power user,” or someone who wants to really enjoy the camera, it's probably worth saving up and buying a more expensive iPhone.
Design is dated and color options are limited. Relatively low quality camera compared to more expensive iPhone models, particularly in low light. Battery life is significantly worse than physically larger iPhone models with bigger batteries. Not as waterproof as more expensive iPhone models (IP68).
In fact, the iPhone SE has enough horsepower to keep going and stick around for at least another five years, thanks to the iPhone 13's A15 Bionic chip, which lives inside the SE.
The iPhone SE (2022) and iPhone 12 are the cheapest iPhones you can buy. The iPhone SE is the least expensive iPhone and it uses the same processor as the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14. But the iPhone 12 is the better phone overall, thanks to its design, screen size, battery life, and cameras.
The iPhone 13 is the best all round iPhone to buy in 2022. Great design, excellent specs, brilliant screen, and all for a little less than the premium iPhone 13 Pro models.
Other than its low price, the iPhone SE's biggest attributes are its support for 5G and the inclusion of Apple's A15 Bionic chip. That's the same chip found inside the iPhone 13, meaning the iPhone SE has some of Apple's more modern internal camera upgrades.
Software and updates
It's likely to be supported for years to come too – even the original iPhone SE, which launched back in 2016, can still update to iOS 15. If this model sees similar support, it could be updated all the way through to iOS 21 six years after its launch.
Last week, trusted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple has canceled 2024's iPhone SE refresh. The company is concerned that its “in-house baseband chip” isn't enough to compete with Qualcomm's respective hardware.
- Design is painfully dated and color options are limited.
- 5G networking does not support mmWave.
- Relatively low quality camera compared to more expensive iPhone models.
- Battery life is significantly worse than physically larger iPhone models with bigger batteries.
Which is better iPhone SE or iPhone 11?
You want a newer iPhone design
But unlike the SE, the iPhone 11 has a much more screen-dominant appearance, with a notch at the center for Face ID (face unlock) instead of the old Touch ID fingerprint sensor. It's also significantly larger than the SE, with a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina display.
Video: Watch Everything Announced at Apple's WWDC 2022 Event
This means any phones introduced in 2016 or earlier, including the iPhone 6S, iPhone SE and iPhone 7, won't be getting Apple software updates anymore. It's not an unexpected move, given that the company regularly retires software support on older devices.
| Model | Release date | Discontinuation date |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone SE (3rd generation) | Mar 18, 2022 | In production |
| iPhone 14 | Sep 16, 2022 | In production |
| iPhone 14 Plus | Oct 7, 2022 | In production |
| iPhone 14 Pro / 14 Pro Max | Sep 16, 2022 | In production |
With its combination of usability, affordability, and quick performance, the iPhone SE is the ideal iPhone for this demographic. Pro Tip: If you're looking to save on your cellular plan, check out our guide to senior cell phone discounts.
The iPhone SE has a faster processor, but you're not likely to notice much of a difference in day-to-day use. It's also a bit smaller, if you really care about having a small phone, and has Touch ID if you just can't stand Face ID. It has 5G but doesn't support the mmWave bands that give you crazy-high speeds.
Tech giant Apple, which introduced the iPhone of 2022 in September, will soon be marking the iPhone 5c as an obsolete product by next month.
The $430 2nd-generation iPhone SE released in 2022 is the least expensive iPhone you can buy. It's an excellent little inexpensive phone, but it comes with caveats. The iPhone SE is very top-heavy on performance — it runs on the same processor as the iPhone 14, so it has legs to last a long time.
Apple has a bit of an obsession with speed and performance, and that's great as the iPhone SE actually has faster performance than the iPhone 11! That of course is because of the age of the phones: the SE is fresh out of 2022, while the iPhone 11 was launched way back in 2019.
Apple supports the last three versions of its operating systems for bug and security updates, so if your iPhone runs iOS 13 you should be ok. So that means Apple supports the iPhone 6s or newer when it comes to software updates.
Despite featuring the proprietary lightning port, iPhones and all Apple-made chargers already use the industry standard USB-Power Delivery spec, which means existing chargers will work perfectly fine with the upcoming USB-C iPhone.
Will iPhone SE work on 5G?
Apart from Apple's A15 Bionic chip, one of the main selling points of the iPhone SE 3 is 5G support. Indeed, this affordable phone can take advantage of 5G networks if you live in a supported region.
iPhone SE 3rd Gen 2022 prices start at $154 and cost $276 on average as of January 2023. iPhone SE 3rd Gen 2022 prices will continue to get cheaper over time. Apple phones hold their value well, but prices will continue to drop as time passes and new models are announced.
Differences. Overall, the iPhone SE is an excellent entry-level iPhone option for just $429. In some respects, the iPhone SE is better than the iPhone 12 since it is a newer device, featuring a faster and more efficient chip, Photographic Styles, and Smart HDR 4.
In many respects, the iPhone SE is better than the iPhone 11 since it is a much newer device, featuring a faster and more efficient chip, 5G connectivity, Photographic Styles, Smart HDR 4, and a larger 256GB storage option.
A lot of older cellphones, including the IPhone 5, IPhone 5S and Samsung Galaxy S4, as well as many of the flip phones, will become obsolete in 2022 as mobile providers make the switch to 5G networks.
AT&T announced that it phased out its 3G network beginning in February 2022. Verizon announced that it will finish shutting down its 3G network by December 31, 2022. T-Mobile announced that it finished shutting down Sprint's 3G CDMA network as of March 31, 2022 and Sprint's 4G LTE network as of June 30, 2022.
The discontinuation of an iPhone simply means that Apple will no more make it available for you to buy on its website. However, even if Apple discontinues the iPhone 11, you will still be able to find it on several online retailers and e-commerce websites till the stock exists, Tom's Guide report suggested.
The iPhone SE (2022) is worth buying if you only want an iPhone and aren't willing to spend more than $500. For everyone else, there are better Android alternatives that offer more for the same price, or better iPhones that have more features and an updated design.
With the launch of the iPhone SE (2022), Apple secretly bumped off the new mid-range iPhone's popular predecessor, the iPhone SE (2020), relegating it to the records of history...
Video: Watch Everything Announced at Apple's WWDC 2022 Event
This means any phones introduced in 2016 or earlier, including the iPhone 6S, iPhone SE and iPhone 7, won't be getting Apple software updates anymore. It's not an unexpected move, given that the company regularly retires software support on older devices.
Why not to buy iPhone SE 2022?
I feel the dated design, relatively smaller screen and lack of some camera features like the ability to shoot ultra-wide photos or night mode, limit the appeal of the iPhone SE 2022. They also make the phone slightly overpriced at Rs 43,900.
Apple iPhone SE (2020)
Apple's $399 iPhone SE, released in 2020, looks like an iPhone 8 but works like Apple's newer iPhone 11 Pro.
Still, the iPhone 13 is a bit more fully featured than the iPhone SE (2022). That higher price tag buys you an additional rear camera, a bigger and better display and MagSafe compatibility, among other features.
The iPhone SE has a 7MP FaceTime HD front-facing camera that can record 1080p video with Auto HDR, but the iPhone 11 has a much better 12MP TrueDepth front-facing camera that can record 4K video with Smart HDR and slo-mo.
- iPhone 4 (8GB)
- iPhone 4S.
- iPhone 5.
- iPhone 5C.
- iPhone 6 Plus.