Analysis and opinion about Apple iPhone SE: design, screen, performance, battery, camera, multimedia, sound, competitors, and price.
When we hear the word iPhone, the idea of ​​a very powerful mobile but also quite expensive comes to mind. However, Apple surprises us from time to time by launching an iPhone with a much more affordable price at the cost of cutting back on some functionality.
This was the case for the Apple iPhone SE that Apple launched in 2016 as a revival of the iPhone 5s, and it is the case again now for its successor, the new iPhone SE, which was announced in April 2020 with an iPhone body of the «era. pre-notch ‘but improved hardware.
The new Apple iPhone SE has a design practically identical to that of the iPhone 8 of 2017 but, inside, we find a chip as powerful as that of the last iPhone 11 Pro on the market at only a fraction of its price.
The iPhone SE arrives with a 4.7 ″ LCD screen, A13 Bionic processor, 12MP f / 1.8 rear camera, 7MP f / 2.2 front camera, 64/128/256 GB of RAM, Touch ID fingerprint reader, 1,821 battery mAh, and water resistance.
Apple sells the iPhone SE for $399 (64GB), $449 (€ 128), or $549 (256GB ), making it the most affordable iPhone you can buy. In fact, the starting price is the same as the original iPhone SE with only 16GB in 2016, so it is a very interesting price.
Apple iPhone SE Review
Starting with its design, the iPhone SE has a compact size, ideal for so many users who reject large smartphones but do not want to give up the power of a high-end. The iPhone SE not only fits in any pocket but is perfectly operated with one hand.
Its front has large frames above and below the screen, so the use of the front is only 65%, well below what we usually see today.
I would have loved to see an iPhone SE with reduced frames, but it seems that Apple has preferred to keep the design of the iPhone 8 almost intact for this new model.
The bottom frame is occupied by the Touch ID fingerprint reader, which works as well as ever although, to tell the truth, once you have tried Face ID, any other recognition system seems inferior to you.
In any case, now that we have gotten used to going down the street with a mask, the fact of unlocking the phone with your finger is an added value compared to mobiles that use facial recognition.
The rear of the iPhone SE is glass and offers a sleek look, with a rear camera barely sticking out of the surface in the upper left corner. Nothing to do with the prominent camera modules we see lately (yes, I’m looking at you, Samsung Galaxy Note20 )
The iPhone SE offers water resistance, a quality that we don’t find in all smartphones in this price range. This not only brings peace of mind but also allows you to clean the phone under the tap if it is very dirty.
The iPhone SE has one of the best LCD panels that we can find on the market. Although the industry is shifting towards OLED panels in the high-end, the iPhone SE screen offers a wide color gamut (covers 100% of the DCI P3 space used in cinema), excellent color fidelity, and high maximum brightness. (633 nits according to my measurements).
In addition, it has True Tone to adapt the color tone of the screen to the ambient lighting, and offers support for HDR10 and Dolby Vision content from streaming services such as Apple TV, Netflix, and more. The only limitation is in the size of its screen, which is somewhat limited to enjoy movies/series or even to play games.
The Apple iPhone SE comes with Apple’s most powerful processor to date, the A13 Bionic, which is a real beast in terms of performance. The A13 Bionic processor is built using the second generation of Apple’s 7nm process and has a total of 18 cores: a six-core CPU, a quad-core GPU, and an eight-core Neural Engine.
Having this chip is a guarantee that the device will move like a charm: no interface delays, no stoppages when scrolling, and no frame loss in games.
The Apple iPhone SE also has stereo speakers but lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack. The speakers sound quite powerful, although the stereo effect is reduced with each speaker pointing in one direction.
The battery of the iPhone SE is not particularly generous, so the autonomy of the terminal suffers and you can have problems reaching the end of the day if you do a very intensive use.
It is true that the Apple iPhone SE, due to its screen size, is not specially designed for users who spend a lot of time playing or watching videos, but it should be borne in mind.
Apple has built fast charging and wireless charging into the iPhone SE. With an 18W charger, you can charge 50 percent of the battery in 30 minutes, but the charger that comes in the box is a standard 5W.
The 7.5W wireless charging is a very interesting addition since many smartphones in this price range lack these features that, for me, are essential due to the convenience of not having to connect and disconnect the cable.
The iPhone SE arrives with iOS 13 out of the box and, given the presence of a next-generation chip, it is expected that it will receive a good number of new versions. This is one of the great values ​​of iOS since, frequently, we see smartphones launched 5 years ago receiving updates.
For now, in a few months you will receive iOS 14, which brings interesting improvements such as widgets on the home screen, a library of applications, call alerts at the top, a new Siri interface, etc.
In the photographic section, the Apple iPhone SE has a single rear camera, so the presence of an ultra-wide-angle or telephoto lens is missed. The good news is that the iPhone SE’s camera offers excellent results, and although it can’t compete with the iPhone 11 Pro (it doesn’t have a Night mode, for example), the results are quite close.
The Apple iPhone SE also has a portrait mode that, as its main advantages, allows you to adjust the depth of field afterward and apply lighting effects. The presence of a single camera means that the result is not as good as, for example, the iPhone 11 Pro, especially in problem areas such as hair.
When it comes to recording video, the iPhone SE does not disappoint as it is capable of recording up to 4K at 60 fps with excellent image stabilization.
The 7MP front camera also offers good shots even when you are against the light. If you like taking selfies, you will appreciate the presence of Portrait mode, which offers the same options that we find in the rear camera.
Finally, one of the best qualities of the iPhone SE is its price since it starts at only $399, much less than what other iPhone models cost.
In short, the iPhone SE is an ideal device for those who want to get an iPhone with a compact size, a latest-generation processor, a good rear camera, and all the advantages of iOS without spending a lot of money.
Apple iPhone SE Full Specifications
| Capacity | 64GB 128GB 256GB |
| Size and Weight | Width: 67.3 mm (2.65 inches) Height: 138.4 mm (5.45 inches) Depth: 7.3 mm (0.29 inch) |
| Display | Retina HD display 4.7-inch (diagonal) widescreen LCD Multi‑Touch display with IPS technology |
| Chip | A13 Bionic chip Third‑generation Neural Engine |
| Camera | 12MP Wide camera Æ’/1.8 aperture Portrait Lighting with six effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High-Key Mono) Optical image stabilization Panorama (up to 63MP) |
| Front Camera | 7MP camera Æ’/2.2 aperture Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control Portrait Lighting with six effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High-Key Mono) 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps |
| Touch ID | Fingerprint sensor built into the Home button |
| Sensors | Touch ID fingerprint sensor Barometer Three‑axis gyro Accelerometer Proximity sensor Ambient light sensor |
| Operating System | iOS 13 |
| In the Box | iPhone with iOS 13 EarPods with Lightning Connector Lightning to USB Cable USB Power Adapter Documentation |
All images and specifications credits for “iPhone SE“.
The Best and Worst about Apple iPhone SE
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iPhone SE Price and Competitors
Apple sells the iPhone SE for $399 (64GB), $449 (€ 128), or $549 (256GB ), making it the most affordable iPhone you can buy. In fact, the starting price is the same as the original iPhone SE with only 16GB in 2016, so it is a very interesting price.
The price of the Apple iPhone SE is much lower than the rest of the iPhones that are now on sale. Therefore, the iPhone SE is an excellent option for those who want to enjoy an iPhone without spending a lot of money.
However, if you prefer an iPhone with a larger screen and some other improvements, the iPhone XR ( $599 ) is another great option. It has a 6.1 ″ LCD screen with a notch, A12 Bionic processor, 64/128/256 GB of storage, 12MP rear camera, 7MP front camera, and 2,942 mAh battery
The natural competitor of the iPhone SE in the Android world is Google Pixel 4a ( $349.99 ). The Pixel 4a has a 5.8 ″ OLED screen, Snapdragon 730G processor, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, 12MP rear camera, 8MP front camera, and 3,140 mAh battery. It does not have wireless charging or water resistance.
