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Tech · Apple · 2022

Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)

The A15 in an iPhone 8 body. Buy it for Touch ID and the home button, not the camera.

Used iPhones on eBay: six worth buying, oldest last — #5

Overall

7.6

out of 10

Axis scores

Strongest on Value (8.6), weakest on Design (6.4), a 2.2-point spread. The 7.6 overall is the plain average of all 5 Tech axes, with no weighting.

Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 5 axes. Bars run from a shared zero baseline; longer is better. Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation): Performance 7.4, Value 8.6, Durability 7.4, Ease of use 8.0, Design 6.4.PerformanceApple iPhone SE (3rd generation) — Performance 7.4 out of 107.4ValueApple iPhone SE (3rd generation) — Value 8.6 out of 108.6DurabilityApple iPhone SE (3rd generation) — Durability 7.4 out of 107.4Ease of useApple iPhone SE (3rd generation) — Ease of use 8.0 out of 108.0DesignApple iPhone SE (3rd generation) — Design 6.4 out of 106.4Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better
  • Performance — How well it does the core job
  • Value — What the same money buys elsewhere
  • Durability — Failure and fade reports past the one-year mark
  • Ease of use — Setup, daily operation, cleaning, maintenance
  • Design — Build quality and how it sits in a room

Specs

Display
4.7-inch Retina HD (LCD)
Chip
A15 Bionic
Camera
12MP single
Unlock
Touch ID home button
Port
Lightning
Battery
Up to 15 hrs video playback
Storage
64GB, 128GB, 256GB
Water resistance
IP67

As published by the manufacturer. We didn't measure these ourselves.

Is it for you

Buy it if

  • A parent or grandparent who wants a home button and Touch ID
  • A first phone for a kid where cost and a long update window both matter
  • You wear a mask or gloves often enough that Face ID annoys you

Skip it if

  • You take photos at night; there's no Night mode
  • You'd fill 64GB, which is what most cheap listings are

The 2022 SE puts the A15 from the iPhone 13 into the iPhone 8’s body. That combination is the whole argument: it should get iOS updates as long as the 13 does, and it costs less than any phone above it on this page. It also works on 5G, which the second-generation SE does not. Check the listing says 2022 or third generation, since eBay sellers mix the two up constantly.

The single camera has no Night mode and no ultrawide, and the LCD shows thick bezels that look dated next to anything with Face ID. The battery is the smallest here. For light use that’s fine. For someone who streams video all day it isn’t.

Most listings are the 64GB model. With photos and a couple of messaging apps, owners report hitting that ceiling within two years. Spend the small extra for 128GB if you can find it.

Last updated . The scoring method is on how we rank.