Apple outlines battery improvements in the new iPhone SE

Apple has provided details about the battery improvements that it has made with the new iPhone SE, also known as the iPhone SE 3, iPhone SE 5G or iPhone SE (2022). As we discussed in our launch article, Apple has switched the A13 Bionic in the second-generation model for the A15 Bionic, the same SoC found in the iPhone 13 series. The company has made a few other changes with its latest iPhone SE too, although MagSafe support remains missing.

Unfortunately, Apple continues to avoid confirming the battery capacity in its smartphones. Instead, it provides battery life estimates for video playback, video playback when streaming content and audio playback. To Apple's credit, the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 exceeded Apple's battery life estimates during our H.264 runtime tests. Additionally, we found the A13 Bionic to be 57% less efficient than the A15 Bionic when reviewing the iPhone 13, albeit only at idle.

Hence, equipping the new iPhone SE with an A15 Bionic should deliver better battery life than its predecessor offers. According to Apple, the iPhone SE 3 should last up to 15 hours, dropping to 10 hours when streaming video content. Based on Apple's estimates, the iPhone SE 3 will deliver 2 hours longer battery life than its predecessor and up to 10 hours superior runtimes when listening to podcasts or music.

In other words, Apple expects the iPhone SE 3 to match the iPhone 12 mini for battery life. Conversely, the iPhone 13 mini should outperform both smartphones in this regard, as will the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13. Currently, it is unclear whether the iPhone SE 3 retains its predecessor's 1,821 mAh battery. Apple will begin shipping the new model on March 18, after which teardowns should determine the device's battery capacity.

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