Third-Generation iPhone SE Features Increased 4GB of RAM

Apple this week unveiled a third-generation iPhone SE, with key new features being an A15 chip, 5G support, longer battery life, camera enhancements, and more durable glass. While not advertised by Apple, the new iPhone SE also features more RAM.

iPhone SE 3 stacked
With assistance from developer Moritz Sternemann, MacRumors has confirmed that the third-generation iPhone SE features 4GB of RAM, compared to 3GB in the previous model. This information is sourced from strings within the Xcode 13.3 Release Candidate that Apple released following its "Peek Performance" event on Tuesday.

The same type of Xcode strings have accurately revealed the amount of RAM in several generations of iPhones and iPads. For example, the strings revealed that the sixth-generation iPad mini also has an increased 4GB of RAM.

Photo and video editing apps can benefit from access to more RAM, as they are able to keep more layers stored in memory. Additional RAM can also allow more apps and pages loaded in Safari to remain active in the background.

The new iPhone SE will be available to pre-order starting at 5 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday, March 11 in the United States, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, the United Kingdom, and more than 30 other countries and regions. Deliveries to customers and in-store availability will begin Friday, March 18.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iPhone Air

Report: 'Virtually No Demand' for iPhone Air

Wednesday October 22, 2025 3:22 am PDT by
Apple is "drastically" cutting production of the iPhone Air and shifting focus toward the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro models, Nikkei Asia reports. The business publication claims to have learned of a major cut to iPhone Air production motivated by weaker-than-expected consumer interest, nearly to "end of production levels." Despite early reports of the iPhone Air selling out within hours of...
sam sung auction

Former Apple Employee Sam Sung Changed His Name to Avoid Attention

Wednesday October 22, 2025 4:44 pm PDT by
Back in 2012, an Apple retail employee named Sam Sung went viral because his name is similar to Samsung, one of Apple's main competitors. In a recent interview with Business Insider, he detailed that period in his life, how Apple responded, and he explained why he ultimately changed his name. Someone posted an image of Sung's Apple business card on Reddit in 2012, and it spread rapidly....
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features for Your iPhone

Wednesday October 22, 2025 6:15 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. iOS 26.1 is currently in beta testing. The update will likely be released in the first half of November, and it is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and newer, but some...
cadillac lyric infotainment

GM to Remove CarPlay from All Future Vehicles, Including Gas Cars [Updated]

Wednesday October 22, 2025 11:34 am PDT by
General Motors began phasing out support for CarPlay in its electric vehicles back in 2023, leading to complaints from iPhone users, but the company has no plans to back down. In fact, GM is going further and plans to remove CarPlay from all future gas vehicles, too. In an interview with The Verge, GM CEO Mary Barra said that the company opted to prioritize its platform for EVs, but the...
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

Apple's Plan to Launch Three New iPhone Designs Allegedly Revealed

Wednesday October 22, 2025 6:24 am PDT by
Apple plans to launch a new type of iPhone every year for the foreseeable future, according to an Asia-based source. The detailed information was shared by the account "yeux1122" in a blog post on the Korean platform Naver, citing domestic trend and component research companies. Corroborating other reports, Apple will apparently launch its first foldable iPhone in 2026, featuring a...
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

Report: Apple to Skip 'iPhone 19' Name for 'iPhone 20'

Thursday October 23, 2025 4:28 am PDT by
Apple's new iPhone lineup launched in the fall of 2027 will be called the "iPhone 20" models, rather than the "iPhone 19," according to research firm Omdia. Speaking at a conference in Seoul (via ETNews), Omdia Chief Researcher Heo Moo-yeol corroborated rumors that Apple plans to move the launch of its standard iPhone to the first half of the year and provided some additional clarity about...
maxresdefault

Apple's iPhone Air Experiment Fails as Supply Chain Cuts Production by 80%

Wednesday October 22, 2025 10:48 am PDT by
iPhone Air demand failed to meet Apple's expectations and the company's supply chain is scaling back shipments and production, reports Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Suppliers are expected to reduce capacity by more than 80 percent between now and the first quarter of 2026, and some components with longer lead times will be discontinued ...
iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iOS 26.1 Beta Liquid Glass Battery Drain Test: Tinted vs Clear Mode

Friday October 24, 2025 2:30 pm PDT by
In the fourth iOS 26.1 beta, Apple added a "Tinted" option that reduces the translucency of Liquid Glass for those who prefer a more opaque look. I saw some comments wondering whether the setting might preserve battery life, so I thought I'd do some testing. Test Settings I did four separate tests using the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and I kept the parameters as similar as possible. Here are the...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

iPhone Driver's License Feature in Apple Wallet App Launches in Another U.S. State

Thursday October 23, 2025 7:44 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Starting today, the feature is available to residents of West Virginia. To set it up, open the Wallet app and tap on the plus sign in...
trump white house ballroom

Apple Donating to Trump's $350M White House Ballroom Project

Thursday October 23, 2025 3:55 pm PDT by
Apple is one of several tech companies that will contribute to the construction of U.S. President Donald Trump's 90,000-square-foot ballroom, reports CNN. Construction began on the ballroom this week, and the White House's east wing was torn down. Trump claims that the ballroom will cost $350 million, and that it will be privately funded through donations. The cost has already increased $150 ...

Top Rated Comments

44267547 Avatar
47 months ago

It could be the underclocked A15 from the iPad Mini 6.
So what if it is? Consumers don’t care about that. With the A15, that’s at least five years of iOS updates from a compact iPhone priced at $429 with improved battery life. I’m pretty sure that’s the selling point here.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Klae17 Avatar
47 months ago
Translation: We are going to keep this design for another 4 years.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Reggaenald Avatar
47 months ago
Wait, is it featuring the exact same chip as the iPhone 13 Pro? That reminds me of the first SE which was actually faster than the 6s and 6s Plus because the screen was smaller and lower res. Funny.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DFZD Avatar
47 months ago
So much performance. So little screen.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CheesePuff Avatar
47 months ago

Wait, is it featuring the exact same chip as the iPhone 13 Pro? That reminds me of the first SE which was actually faster than the 6s and 6s Plus because the screen was smaller and lower res. Funny.
No, it’s the same chip as the 13. The 13 Pro has one additional GPU core
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rr23 Avatar
47 months ago
This SE3 will be incredibly snappy and fast in day to day use.

I’m pretty sure it’s going to be noticeably faster when navigating between screens than the rest of the iPhone 13 lineup. It’s probably not a huge difference, but I’m sure it’s there.

The same thing happened with SE2 and iPhone 11. If you play with both side by side, you will clearly notice that the SE2 is snappier, despite having the same chipset.

I plan on upgrading to the SE3 from my iPhone 13 Pro for the following reasons:

- Face ID just sucks. For me, Touch ID is far more reliable and convenient.
- 13 Pro is too bulky and heavy. Feels like a brick. Never got used to it.
- 13 Pro has extra cameras that I never use. Bunch of gimmicks all around that are useless to me.

Now that SE3 comes with an improved camera and 5G, it’s a no-brainer to me.

I just wish Apple offered it in black. There should always be a black color. I emphasize black, no graphite or midnight. The midnight is actually a rich navy, which is clearly blue during the day.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)