40% of iPhone Users Plan to Buy iPhone SE 3, Survey Indicates

40 percent of iPhone users intend to buy the third-generation iPhone SE, according to the findings of a survey by SellCell.

Of the survey respondents that plan to buy the iPhone SE, 24 percent plan to use it as their main device, while 16 percent plan to give the device as a gift or use it as a secondary device. While most iPhone SE 3 buyers plan to use the device themselves, 10.9 percent plan to buy the device for a child, 10.2 percent plan to buy it for their partner or spouse, and 7.8 percent plan to buy it for a family member such as a parent or grandparent.

Most customers are planning to buy the third-generation iPhone SE because of its price point, but 15.2 percent are mainly attracted to 5G connectivity, 11.3 percent prefer its compact form factor, and 6.7 percent prefer the Home Button with Touch ID.

Most users upgrading to the iPhone SE will be upgrading from the iPhone 11, accounting for 11.5 percent of models that users intend to part ways with once the new iPhone SE launches. Beyond the iPhone 11, 6.8 percent are planning to upgrade from the iPhone XR and 6.7 percent are planning to upgrade from the iPhone 12, but there is widespread appetite to switch to the iPhone SE across multiple iPhone generations, from the iPhone 6 through to the iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Of the users who are not planning to buy the new iPhone SE, 66.2 percent said that they are still happy with their current iPhone model, 9.3 percent are waiting for the iPhone 14 lineup to launch, 4.1 percent say that the device is too small, and three percent say that it is not premium enough.

The independent survey asked 2,549 adult iPhone owners in the United States about their thoughts on the third-generation iPhone SE. For a more detailed breakdown, see SellCell's full survey breakdown.

The third-generation iPhone SE is widely expected to be announced at Apple's "Peek Performance" event on March 8, likely alongside the fifth-generation iPad Air, and potentially a redesigned high-end Mac mini and a refreshed 13-inch MacBook Pro.