Third-Generation iPhone SE Teardown Reveals Larger Battery Capacity and Snapdragon X57 Modem

The first teardowns of the third-generation iPhone SE have surfaced on YouTube, providing a look at components inside the device.

iphone se 3 teardown pbkreviews

iPhone SE 2 on top vs. iPhone SE 3 on bottom via PBKreviews

The teardowns reveal the new iPhone SE has a larger 2,018 mAh battery compared to 1,821 mAh for the previous-generation model. The new iPhone SE offers up to an extra two hours of video playback and up to an extra 10 hours of audio playback on a full charge versus the previous model, according to Apple's tech specs.

The new iPhone SE is also equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X57 modem, according to Nikkei's xTECH. This modem does not appear to be listed on Qualcomm's website, so it may be a custom model designed for Apple, but no further details are known. The modem enables 5G on the iPhone SE, but support is limited to sub-6GHz bands, whereas iPhone 13 models also support faster mmWave bands in the United States.


A few weeks ago, it was confirmed that the new iPhone SE also features 4GB of RAM, up from 3GB in the previous model.

Overall, the third-generation iPhone SE appears to have a very similar internal design as the second-generation model. Repair website iFixit will likely share a comprehensive teardown of the device in the coming days for a closer look.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
Apple Fitness Plus hero

Apple Announces New Fitness+ Workout Programs, Strava Challenge, and More

Friday January 2, 2026 6:43 am PST by
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch. The key announcements include: New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January. "Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...
Mac Pro Feature Blue

What's Happening With the Mac Pro?

Wednesday December 31, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro. Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...

Top Rated Comments

TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
50 months ago
Saw this tweet yesterday. Very impressed by the battery life iPhone SE offers. Major improvements. Especially the fact it contains a 5G modem.

[MEDIA=twitter]1505605192053579777[/MEDIA]
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ouimetnick Avatar
50 months ago
Not sure why iFixit doesn’t do teardowns on launch day anymore. They we’re slow to teardown the AirPods Max, M1 Macs, new 14” & 16” MBP, AirPods 3, etc.

They eventually get around to it days later, but I remember being excited for the launch day teardowns.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Spock Avatar
50 months ago
Decent update but the SE needs a redesign..
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JM Avatar
50 months ago

Saw this tweet yesterday. Very impressed by the battery life iPhone SE offers. Major improvements. Especially the fact it contains a 5G modem.

[MEDIA=twitter]1505605192053579777[/MEDIA]
That’s great… but the tweeter needs to show what apps were used and what percentages.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JM Avatar
50 months ago

Numbers don't lie. Can you imagine how much battery life improvements will be made towards the iPhone 14 line-up?

[MEDIA=twitter]1505753649477304324[/MEDIA]
Nice!

I can get 8 hours with my 13mini. 7 is pretty darn good ?

Especially for $300 less

Using fingerprint reader on iPad is really unpleasant compared to faceid though! It’s hard to go back
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iksnirks Avatar
50 months ago
man I'd consider it if they updated the screen. don't even care for the size. I upgraded from the SE2 to the 12 Mini and the screen is just so much better and that's what I'm looking at all day.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)