iPhone SE 3 teardown shows larger battery, new Qualcomm X57 modem

Iphone Se 3 2022 All Colors Render Cropped (Image credit: Apple)

What you need to know

Apple's new iPhone SE features a larger battery than the previous model.
A new Qualcomm modem is used for 5G connectivity.

An early teardown of the new third-generation iPhone SE shows that it has a larger battery capacity than the previous model. There's also a new Qualcomm X57 modem that appears to be a custom part designed especially for the job.

Apple's new iPhone SE went on sale last week and a new video shows what one looks like when it's taken apart. The video was first spotted by MacRumors and shows a new, larger 2,018 mAh battery compared to 1,821 mAh for the previous iPhone SE.

Apple made a big deal about the battery life of the new iPhone SE during its launch, although it put the gains down to the use of the A15 Bionic chip rather than an increase in battery capacity.

Built for efficiency, A15 Bionic works in conjunction with the latest-generation battery chemistry and tight integration with iOS 15 to enable better battery life on iPhone SE. Even with its compact form factor and new technologies like 5G, iPhone SE has longer battery life than the previous-generation and older 4.7-inch iPhone models. iPhone SE is compatible with Qi-certified chargers for wireless charging, and also supports fast charging.

This refreshed iPhone SE is also the first to sport 5G connectivity, a new Nikkei xTECH report revealing a Qualcomm X57 modem is being used. That modem appears to be a custom design and does not appear on Qualcomm's website.

Apple's latest iPhone SE comes with the same 4.7-inch LCD screen and Touch ID that we're familiar with and costs $429. It's available in three colors and is now available for order. It's arguably the best iPhone for people who prefer a device they're familiar with and the A15 Bionic will ensure it receives updates for years to come.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.