IPhone SE 2022: Far from perfect, but worthwhile

Less than NIS 2,000: Apple's discounted flagship device came to us - and took us back a few years, to the days of the physical home button and small screens.

However, it has some very surprising upgrades despite the low price tag |

The full review

Yinon Ben Shoshan

31/03/2022

Thursday, 31 March 2022, 22:40 Updated: 22:50

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Needless to say, the iPhone SE is the latest remnant of Apple's good old phone, and also a kind of brilliant concept

.

Recognizing that there is a huge market of people who can not afford the typical price of a new iPhone (or just do not want to spend so much money), Apple takes an old and beloved model, upgrades its processor to the latest version, and offers it at a discounted price.

The first generation, released in 2016, included the processing power of the iPhone 6S (A9 processor), in the body of the iPhone 5S.

The previous generation, iPhone SE 2020, included the A13 processor - as in the iPhone 11. Now, two years later, the third generation retains the design of the previous generation and includes the processor of the iPhone 13 series - Apple A15 Bionic.

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Preserves the design of the previous generation.

IPhone SE 2022 (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Just before the local launch,

, which threw us years back - with a home button, a 4.7-inch screen and a thick rim.

So what's new this time around and does it stand the test of time?

We checked.

Design

The design of the iPhone SE 2022 can be controversial: on the one hand, it is a small device, one that is easy to put in your pocket, move around with it and does not weigh too much (only 144 grams), and on the other hand - some say it looks old-fashioned, especially after we get used to devices with screens End to end.

In any case, Apple has kept the design the same as that of the iPhone 8, with thick edges at the top and bottom, and if you missed it, you will find here the physical home button (TouchID).

In fact, after a long period of using face recognition it is a bit difficult to go back and use the physical button to unlock the device or perform other operations, but get used to it pretty quickly.

It should also be mentioned that the iPhone SE 2022 also comes without a charger and is equipped with a cable with a Lightning connection to the phone and a USB-C connection on the other side, which does not make it easier to find a suitable charger.

In addition, as expected, a dedicated 3.5mm socket for connecting the headphones does not exist in the device and you will have to settle for working with wireless headphones or connecting standard headphones with a Lightning Port adapter, which also no longer comes in the package.

Comes without charger and without a dedicated socket in size 3.5 (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

However, very happily Apple has also equipped the iPhone with IP67 water and dust protection (maximum depth of one meter up to 30 minutes) and support for wireless charging.

On the other hand, it is important to mention that Apple emphasizes that damage following contact with liquids is not covered under warranty.

The disappointing part: the lack of support at a refresh rate of 120 Hz (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Screen and performance

The display technology is almost identical to that of the iPhone 8 and is not the most impressive that exists in phones today: an IPS LCD screen, with a "retina" resolution (750 by 1344 pixels), with the disappointing (but unsurprising) part being the lack of 120 Hz refresh rate support.

However, almost any image you see on this grunt screen will just look great with high sharpness and colors as close to reality as possible - but if you have an iPhone 13 Pro or Pro Max (which support a refresh rate of 120 Hz), or any Android smartphone with the same technology, You may notice a slight difference in the flow of the screen (adversely).

And it's important to emphasize: this is not a very significant minus, but heavy users may be a little disappointed.

The physical home button is still here (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

In terms of performance, it is difficult to notice a significant difference between the iPhone SE 2022 and the previous generation, or even for any slightly older iPhone model.

The Apple A15 Bionic chip does a great job - the model we tested ran smoothly with no crashes or sudden delays, and the experience feels completely natural.

Apple proves once again that it knows how to maintain great performance and a good user experience even if not all the hardware is very up to date.

The iOS 15.4 operating system also comes with the iPhone SE 2022 model, like many of the iPhones on the market today, and brings with it a variety of familiar features - including widgets on the home screen of course.

Supports wireless charging and protection against water and dust in the IP67 standard (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Camera

The iPhone SE's camera system is not particularly impressive: it includes two cameras - a single camera on the back of the device that uses a 12-megapixel sensor and allows 4K video shooting at 60 frames per second, and a second camera (selfie) located at the front with a resolution of 7 megapixels.

And although it seems to be a particularly advanced photo array compared to other smartphones on the market, the end results are quite surprising and in many ways closer to those you will find in more advanced devices.

For example, the colors look great and the detail is great when shooting in good lighting conditions (daylight or direct sunlight).

The end results are quite surprising.

Good lighting photography (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Photo with the iPhone SE 2022 (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

When it comes to more challenging lighting conditions - like a slightly dark space, the results are quite disappointing.

The same thing happens with night mode photography, so there is also a greater lack of detail because little light enters the single sensor, and the images come out darker and grayer.

Where is the most significant disadvantage?

First of all,

.

You can settle for digital zoom, but not quite the same.

In addition, if the iPhone does not recognize a person, it will not allow you to take a portrait photo (background blur).

But do not worry: you can still capture close-up objects with background blur using the standard camera.

Landscape photography with the iPhone SE 2022 (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Photo with the iPhone SE 2022 (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Night photography with the iPhone SE 2022 (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Bottom line

Apple manages to bring with the iPhone SE 2022 the familiar and beloved experience of the iPhone in an almost perfect way to an affordable price tag - NIS 1,899 in the Idigital network.

On the other hand, the device is not suitable for everyone and especially not for lovers of innovations and those addicted to photography.

Want a small screen, a good but not great camera and an up-to-date operating system?

This is exactly the device for you.

Do you demand much more from your device?

Look for other options.

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