iPhone SE 2 Discontinued, iPhone SE 3 From $429 Now Apple's Cheapest iPhone - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

iPhone SE 2 Discontinued, iPhone SE 3 From $429 Now Apple's Cheapest iPhone

With Apple's debut of the new third-generation iPhone SE at its spring "Peek Performance" event, Apple has dropped the previous second-generation iPhone SE from its lineup on the online Apple Store, which means the cheapest new iPhone Apple offers has gone up in price.

iphone se 2020 top
The old iPhone SE 2 featured an A13 Bionic chip, 3GB RAM, and a low starting price of $399. It came in white, black, and red, and was offered with 64GB or 128GB of storage.

By contrast, the new iPhone SE 3 features the A15 Bionic processor - the same chip found in the iPhone 13 series – as well as improved battery life, a new 12MP Wide camera system, and 5G connectivity (although not the fastest mmWave). As a result, pricing for the new model starts at $429, up $30 from the previous model, and is offered in the same three colors.

The new version of the iPhone SE also includes a new 256GB storage option not offered on the previous model, coming in at $579. The iPhone SE continues to be compatible with Qi-certified chargers for wireless charging, and also supports fast charging.

Preorders for the new iPhone SE 3 begin on Friday, March 11, with the first devices shipping on March 18.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Apple Event Logo

Apple's Next Era Begins September 1

Thursday May 7, 2026 10:36 am PDT by
Apple recently announced that Tim Cook will be stepping down as CEO later this year, after 15 years of leading the company. Effective September 1, Apple's hardware engineering chief John Ternus will become the company's next CEO, while Cook will become executive chairman of Apple's board of directors. In his new role, Apple said Cook will assist with "certain aspects" of the company,...
Instagram Feature 2

PSA: Instagram Encrypted Messaging Ends on Friday, May 8

Tuesday May 5, 2026 8:24 am PDT by
Instagram will remove end-to-end encryption for direct messages between users from May 8, 2026. When the date comes around, Meta will potentially be able to see the contents of all messages between users on the social media platform. Encrypting messages has been an optional feature in Instagram since 2023, but in March of this year the social media platform quietly updated a help page to say ...
macbook neo launch day

Apple May Drop Base $599 MacBook Neo as Chip, DRAM Costs Climb

Thursday May 7, 2026 4:55 am PDT by
Apple is considering dropping the cheapest MacBook Neo configuration as one possible response to the rising cost of building the popular laptop, according to Taiwan-based tech columnist and former Bloomberg reporter Tim Culpan. The Neo currently starts at $599 for a 256GB model, with a 512GB version at $699. Writing in his latest Culpium newsletter, Culpan says cutting the entry-level...

Top Rated Comments

55 months ago
This is the exact opposite of a $199 SE.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrJM Avatar
55 months ago
I think it’s beginning to look a little dated now!
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
aevan Avatar
55 months ago

I agree, It has been looking outdated since the iPhone 8 days.... As many Android phones have bigger, higher resolution displays with notches and hole punches for less than half the price of this "new" SE.
The problem is the “Android” part. If you want an iPhone, you want an iPhone. This is not the cheapest phone you can buy, it’s the cheapest iPhone you can buy.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
VaruLV Avatar
55 months ago
I see how they can milk reluctant iPhone 6, 6s, 7, 8 users for that price.
But for the rest, no way, especially if you consider pricing outside of USA and lack of Apple trade-in programs in many countries.
Where I live this one will probably start at 499 euros at best, thats just too much for what it is. I know, its not apples to apples comparison, but for 500 euros one can get pretty decent Android phone with acceptable software upgrade time as well as considerably larger battery etc. For 150-250 euros more you can get iPhone 11/12mini/13mini on sale here and those, imho, are far better value than 500 euro for upgraded iPhone 8.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple$ Avatar
55 months ago

I think it’s beginning to look a little dated now!
I agree, It has been looking outdated since the iPhone 8 days.... As many Android phones have bigger, higher resolution displays with notches and hole punches for less than half the price of this "new" SE.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
55 months ago

The problem is the “Android” part. If you want an iPhone, you want an iPhone. This is not the cheapest phone you can buy, it’s the cheapest iPhone you can buy.
What is the problem with Android itself? It's actually an excellent OS for mobile devices.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Related Apple News: Mac Mini | Upcoming Apple Products | Mac | Use Edge Light Feature Facetime Macos | Apple Ai Strategy 2024