Honestly, it’s a bit of a dinosaur. Or at least, that’s what the guy at the Apple Store will tell you while he’s trying to upsell you on an iPhone 17 Pro with a titanium frame that costs as much as a used car. But here’s the thing about the iPhone SE 3rd generation—it’s the cockroach of the tech world. It just won’t die.
You’ve seen it before. That chunky forehead and chin, the circular home button that feels like a relic from the Obama administration, and a screen size that looks like a postage stamp compared to the massive "slabs" everyone else is carrying.
But is it actually "new" in 2026?
Well, technically, Apple stopped selling it through their main storefront back in February 2025. But if you’re looking for a "new" unit today, you’re likely hitting up carriers like Tracfone, browsing the back shelves of a Walmart, or snagging a "New-In-Box" unit from a reseller on eBay. And people are still buying them. Like, a lot of people.
The A15 Bionic is still a beast (sorta)
The biggest misconception about the iPhone SE 3rd generation is that because it looks old, it acts old. That's just wrong. Inside this shell is the A15 Bionic chip. That’s the same silicon that powered the iPhone 13.
While it’s not going to win any benchmarks against the A19 chips hitting the market now, it still handles iOS 26 surprisingly well. Apps open fast. Scrolling is smooth. It doesn't feel "laggy" in the way an old budget Android phone does after two years.
But there’s a catch.
4GB of RAM. In 2026, that is the bare minimum. You’ll notice that if you have thirty tabs open in Safari and try to swap back to a heavy game like Genshin Impact, the phone is going to cough. It’ll reload the app. It's just the reality of how modern software eats memory.
What about Apple Intelligence?
Here is the hard truth: the iPhone SE 3rd generation is on the wrong side of the AI history books. Apple’s latest "Apple Intelligence" features—the stuff that writes your emails and generates weird emojis—basically requires 8GB of RAM to run locally.
The SE 3 doesn't have it.
If you buy this phone today, you are choosing to opt-out of the AI revolution. For some people, that’s actually a selling point. No creepy AI suggestions, no bloated features you don’t use. Just a phone that works.
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Why people are still hunting for this specific model
It’s not just about the price, though getting a "new" unit for under $200 on a prepaid plan is a steal. There are three very specific groups of people keeping the iPhone SE 3rd generation alive in 2026:
- The Touch ID Diehards: Some people just hate Face ID. They hate having to look at their phone to unlock it. They want to reach into their pocket, press a button, and have the phone ready by the time it hits their eyeballs.
- The "Small Phone" Enthusiasts: With the iPhone Mini dead and buried, this is the last compact iPhone that actually fits in a normal human hand.
- The Fleet Managers: Businesses love these things. If you’re a construction company or a delivery service, you don’t give your workers a $1,200 glass sandwich. You give them an SE 3. It’s durable, cheap to repair, and fits in a rugged case easily.
I talked to a guy named Josh who runs a small tech repair shop in Delaware. He told me he sees more SE 3 battery replacements than almost any other model. "People don't want to give them up," he said. "They just swap the battery for sixty bucks and keep going."
The screen is the biggest "yikes"
Let's talk about that 4.7-inch LCD.
In a world where every phone has an OLED screen with deep blacks and vibrant colors, the SE 3 screen looks... grey. The contrast ratio is 1400:1. Compare that to the 2,000,000:1 on a modern iPhone and it’s like comparing a candle to a lighthouse.
If you watch a lot of Netflix or spend hours on TikTok, you’re going to feel cramped. The bezels (those black bars at the top and bottom) take up so much space that you’re effectively losing a third of your potential screen real estate.
But hey, it’s 625 nits of brightness. It’s perfectly readable in sunlight. It’s just not "pretty."
The "One Camera" struggle
There is no Ultra-Wide lens. There is no Telephoto. You get one 12MP wide lens on the back.
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In daylight? It’s great. Apple’s Deep Fusion and Smart HDR 4 do a lot of heavy lifting. The photos look natural, not over-processed.
But when the sun goes down? Good luck. The iPhone SE 3rd generation famously lacks a dedicated Night Mode. If you try to take a photo in a dimly lit bar, you’re going to get a grainy, noisy mess. It’s one of those things Apple held back to keep the price down, and it’s the most glaring omission in 2026.
On the flip side, the video quality is still better than most $400 Android phones. It shoots 4K at 60fps and the stabilization is rock solid. If you’re a YouTuber on a budget or just want to film your kids' soccer game, it punches way above its weight class.
Battery life: The elephant in the room
The battery is tiny. 2018 mAh.
If you are a "power user" who spends six hours a day on your phone, you will not make it to dinner time without a charger. Period.
However, because the screen is so small and low-resolution, it doesn't actually draw that much power. For the person who just checks email, sends a few texts, and listens to Spotify, it lasts a full day. But if you’re buying a used one, check that battery health percentage. Anything under 85% and you’re going to be living next to a wall outlet.
Is it still "supported"?
Yes. Apple is legendary for long-term support.
Based on how they’ve handled the original SE and the SE 2, the iPhone SE 3rd generation will likely get iOS updates until at least 2028 or 2029. Security patches will probably go even longer.
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You aren't buying a brick. You're buying a long-term tool.
Actionable Advice: Should you actually buy one now?
If you’re looking at an iPhone SE 3rd generation in 2026, don't just click "buy" because it's the cheapest option. Think about how you actually use your device.
- Buy it if: You prioritize Touch ID over everything else, you have small hands, or you just need a reliable backup phone that won't break the bank. It's the perfect "first phone" for a kid or a "no-nonsense" phone for a grandparent.
- Skip it if: You care about photography (especially at night), you want the new AI features, or you spend more than two hours a day watching video content.
If you do go for it, skip the 64GB model. Seriously. Between system files and basic apps, 64GB fills up in about five minutes. Look for the 128GB version—it’s the sweet spot for longevity.
Check carrier deals first. Many "budget" carriers like Visible or Mint Mobile often have these sitting in a warehouse and will practically give them away if you switch your service. Just make sure it's the 3rd gen (2022) and not the 2nd gen (2020). They look identical, but the 2020 model lacks 5G and has a much weaker processor.
The easiest way to tell them apart without turning them on? Look at the back. The 3rd gen is available in "Midnight" (a very dark blue/black) and "Starlight" (a creamy white), whereas the 2nd gen was just "Black" and "White."
It’s a specific phone for a specific person. It’s not the "best" iPhone, but for a certain crowd, it’s the only one that makes sense.