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Report: iPhone SE 3 will add 5G and A15 chip, but industrial design unchanged

Japanese Apple blog Macotakara today reported that the iPhone SE 3rd-generation will not feature a design change and instead will look like the current iPhone SE. This means it will keep the same 4.7-inch LCD display and Touch ID Home Button. Some earlier rumors had suggested a more significant design overhaul was on the way.

However, the new iPhone SE will pack in Apple’s latest A15 chip with support for 5G cellular networking. Macotakara expects production of the new iPhone SE to begin in December and start shipping to customers in spring 2022.

In June, reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo made a similar prediction that the 2022 iPhone SE would maintain the same chassis design but get a spec bump and 5G support.

There were rumors at one point that the next iPhone SE would get a larger ~5.5-inch display and a Touch ID side button. For instance, Kuo floated the idea of a ‘iPhone SE Plus’ last year.

However, those rumors have now mostly transmogrified into discussions about the replacement for the iPhone 13 mini in the iPhone 14 lineup. Apple is expected to drop the 5.4-inch iPhone mini size in favor of a ~6-inch non-Pro model.

A spring launch lines up with Apple’s usual schedule for the iPhone SE. The first iPhone SE debuted in March 2016 and the second-generation model arrived in April 2020.

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Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Benjamin Mayo

Benjamin develops iOS apps professionally and covers Apple news and rumors for 9to5Mac. Listen to Benjamin, every week, on the Happy Hour podcast. Check out his personal blog. Message Benjamin over email or Twitter.