The new iPhone SE has 3GB of RAM and an 1821 mAH battery

By Stephen Warwick
last updated

Iphone Se 2020 Hero
Iphone Se 2020 Hero (Image credit: Apple)

What you need to know

  • Apple released a new iPhone yesterday.
  • A Chinese reseller website has revealed a couple of specs not mentioned by Apple.
  • It seems the iPhone SE has 3GB of RAM and an 1821 mAH battery.

Yesterday, Apple announced its brand new iPhone SE featuring a classic iPhone 8-esque design, updated internals, and a consumer-friendly $399 price point.

There were, however, as always, a couple of specs not listed by Apple that are important to buyers. As reported by 9to5Mac, the website listing of the new iPhone SE seems to have revealed the new iPhone's RAM and its battery:

Instead, we have to turn to carrier sites — or wait for reviews to drop. In this case, China Telecom reports that the new iPhone SE features 3 GB of RAM and houses an 1821 mAH battery.With 3 GB RAM, this means it has slightly less RAM than the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro series. The flagship phones feature 4 GB RAM respectively. Often, the biggest memory hog for users of iPhones is the Camera app. As the iPhone SE only has one rear camera, the 1 GB less RAM may not be that noticeable in practice.Apple's official line on battery life is that the iPhone SE 'lasts about as long as the iPhone 8'. The China Telecom specifications state a battery capacity of 1821 mAH. This lines up as the iPhone 8 also features the same 1821 mAH capacity battery.

Now, the spec sheet also states that the new iPhone SE has a headphone jack, so clearly these aren't bulletproof. However, 3GB of RAM was the long-rumored size for the new iPhone's memory, and the 1821 mAH battery matches the iPhone 8 specs, so these seem pretty legit!

Apple's website states that the iPhone SE's battery "lasts about the same as iPhone 8". Specifically, up to 13 hours of video playback, or 8 hours if you're streaming, and up to 40 hours of audio playback. More interestingly, it's fast charge capable, which means you can charge the battery up to 50% in just 30 minutes with an 18W adapter (sold separately).

Our pick

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iPhone SE (2020)

Packs a punch on a budget.

The iPhone SE combines the form factor of the iPhone 8 with the internals of the iPhone 11 at an affordable price, offering a phone with power and longevity for less.

Stephen Warwick
Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design.

Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple.

7 Comments
  • 1821 mAH battery in 2020? Oof. Yes, I get that it's an iPhone, but still though...
  • My 1821mah battery last me all day of heavy useage with 30 percent to spare at the end of it. What's your point. You only need massive batteries for big screens or inefficient snapdragon processors.
  • I don't know what you define heavy usage but mine doesn't make it threw the day at all, in-fact I'll top it off in the middle of the day.
  • There's a lot of factors to take into account there. Do you have background app refresh on? Do you have Bluetooth/Wifi on when you're not using them? Do you have auto-brightness on? How much charge has your battery lost? Plus nobody has the new SE yet which could be more efficient due to the hardware used
  • I am constantly checking internet sites, blogs, email, videos streaming music for hours and hours and more. I wake up at 5 and the phone comes off the charger and does not go back on until 9pm in the evening. Using my phone all day. Heavy usage means alot of screen on time in bright daylight will doing multiple things at once.
  • yet I do the same including phone calls, and everyone results are not the same.
  • Maybe you have a faulty battery. My wife uses her 8 and my son uses my old 6s the same amount and all last a day with at least 15 to 20 percent at the end of the day. Faulty batteries do happen.