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 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

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...
ios 26 1 liquid glass opaque

iOS 26.1 Beta 4 Lets Users Control Liquid Glass Transparency with New Toggle

Monday October 20, 2025 10:57 am PDT by
With the fourth betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS 26.1, Apple has introduced a new setting that's designed to allow users to customize the look of Liquid Glass. The toggle lets users select from a clear look for Liquid Glass, or a tinted look. Clear is the current Liquid Glass design, which is more transparent and shows the background underneath buttons, bars, and menus, while tinted ...
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 ...
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...

Top Rated Comments

TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
47 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
47 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
47 months ago
Decent update but the SE needs a redesign..
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JM Avatar
47 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
47 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
47 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)