iPhone SE (2022): Plans, prices, and deals in Australia

Apple has taken the wraps off the new iPhone SE, the most affordable handset in its family. Starting at $719, it's your cheapest option to get a new iPhone, despite being powered by the same A15 processor you'll find in the iPhone 13 family. 

If you're hoping to get your hands on a new iPhone SE, pre-orders are now running ahead of a March 18 release date. Here's everything you need to know. 

Before we start, here are a some popular iPhone SE plans: 

New iPhone SE Quick Links

• iPhone SE Plans
• iPhone SE Price
• iPhone SE Design
• iPhone SE Camera
• iPhone SE Colours
• iPhone SE Battery Life
• iPhone SE 5G
• iPhone SE Processor

iPhone SE Design

The new iPhone SE is pretty much identical to its predecessor, which was a dead ringer for the iPhone 8. You still get a 4.7-inch Retina Display and the classic Touch ID fingerprint reader, rather than Apple's newer "all-screen" design. The new iPhone SE is said to be made from more durable glass however - the same that you'll find on the back of an iPhone 13. It's rated IP67 for water-resistance.

iPhone SE Camera

The new iPhone SE features a single 12MP camera on the back that should benefit from some quality improvements thanks to support for Apple's latest computational photography tech. You also get the iPhone 13 family's style features, which lets you customise the look and feel of your images before you shoot. Night mode does seem to be missing, however, which could mean the new iPhone SE may not be a great choice for low light photography. We'll have to wait until we get our hands on the device for a proper assessment. 

iPhone SE Colours

The new iPhone SE is available in a choice of midnight, starlight, and red.

iPhone SE Battery Life

Apple says the new iPhone SE has a better battery life than its predecessor, thanks to the more efficient predecessor and "internal design updates". The manufacturer now claims you'll get up to 15 hours of video playback per charge, up from 13 hours on the last model. That's still the shortest advertised battery life on any current iPhone, however, and battery was the biggest weakness we found when we reviewed the 2020 iPhone SE. As always, we'll need to wait to test the new iPhone SE to see what the battery life is actually like.

Here are Apple's battery claims for the new iPhone SE:

• Video playback: Up to 15 hours 
• Video playback (streamed): Up to 10 hours
• Audio playback: Up to 50 hours

iPhone SE 5G

The new iPhone SE now features 5G connectivity, as with every new iPhone from the iPhone 12 and up. 

WhistleOut's coverage checker tool has been upgraded with 5G coverage maps, making it easy to see whether you can get 5G. All you need to do is pop in your address when searching for a new phone plan. After you've done so and hit Search, you can jump straight to the coverage map by tapping See Coverage Map and then tapping Click To Activate Interactive Map. 

This map will show you what kind of coverage you have in your area. 5G coverage is highlighted using the darkest shade of purple, but unticking 4G and 3G can help make it clearer. The drop down menu lets you choose between telcos.

Coverage maps are only approximate, only show outdoor coverage, and may be impacted by local conditions such as buildings. 

iPhone SE Processor

The iPhone SE features the same A15 processor you'll find across the iPhone 13 family. When Apple announced the iPhone 13, it said the A15 was 50% faster than the leading competing chip, but sadly, it didn't name and shame. Either way, the A15 is a damn fast chip, and puts the iPhone SE well and truly ahead of similarly priced phones in terms of performance. 

The A15 processor also ensures the iPhone SE will get years of software updates. We'd expect the new iPhone SE to get at least six major operating system updates, which would take it all the way to iOS 21. 

Choosing an iPhone SE Plan

With the WhistleOut search tool, you can able to compare iPhone SE plan pricing and inclusions across every provider. But there's a lot more to iPhone plans than just cost and data. Here's a breakdown of the major benefits you can expect each provider to offer.

Telstra iPhone plans are often the priciest on the Australian market, but they do come with a few perks. These include: 

• Access to Telstra's super-fast 4GX network
• Data-free access to Apple Music 
• Access to the Telstra Plus perks and rewards program

While Telstra iPhone plans aren't cheap, they're all rather flexible. They're no-contract on the basis that you can leave at any time, you'll just need to pay out the remaining value of your phone. You also have the option to step up or down in plan inclusions up to one time per month, which is great if you have variable usage.

All Telstra plans are free from excess data charges. If you go over your cap, your data will simply be slowed to speeds of 1.5Mbps, which is still fast enough to stream video in SD. But speeds may be slower during peak times.

Optus iPhone plans come with big data inclusions and entertainment extras. Optus iPhone plans come with:

• Free access to Optus Sport
• Discounted movie tickets for Hoyts cinemas through the Optus Perks program

All Optus plans are contract-free, devices can be paid off across 12, 24, or 36 months, and you can customise inclusions like roaming and international calls on a month-to-month basis. In addition, all Optus postpaid plans are now free from excess data charges. If you go over your allowance, you'll be slowed to 1.5Mbps rather than being billed $10 per gigabyte.

Vodafone iPhone plans may not come with the kinds of freebies and perks you can get from Optus or Telstra, but they do offer a lot of flexibility. Like Telstra and Optus plans, Vodafone plans are contract-free on the basis that you can leave at any time without penalty. You'll just need to pay out the remaining value of your handset.

You can also step up or down in plan inclusions up to once per month, and ease the burden of an iPhone price tag with the option to pay it off over 12, 24 or 36 months. You'll pay the same overall for your iPhone no matter which option you pick.

Vodafone postpaid plans are all free from excess data charges. When you go over your plan allowance, you'll be capped to 2Mbps and 10Mbps, depending on how much you're spending per month. The higher your bill, the higher your capped data speeds. Vodafone also has a truly unlimited plan, with one slight catch - you'll only get 30GB of data for hotspotting each month.  

You'll also get access to Vodafone's famous $5 roaming, which is still easily the best way to travel with your Australian phone number.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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