Time to talk about the second generation iPhone SE. It's not just the latest iPhone to join the family, it's the most affordable, starting at $ 399. It's the successor to the original iPhone SE that launched in 2016. This second generation is more like an iPhone 8, but don't let that fool you. Yes, there is a 4.7-inch screen on the front and a single lens on the back, but it's more than meets the eye.
While the iPhone SE costs less and is smaller than the iPhone XR, 11, 11 Pro, or 11 Pro Max, that doesn't mean there isn't much to say about it. The iPhone SE offers a great deal of value that is basically unmatched by any other budget or mid-range smartphone on the market.
And this is not just a repeat of the original iPhone SE formula. It uses Apple's latest generation flagship processor - the A13 Bionic Chip, which means the iPhone SE is as fast as the rest of the iPhone 11 family. Plus, there's four times the amount of storage from the original SE and three colors for choose: black, white or PRODUCT (RED), which has stolen our hearts.
After a week of using the new iPhone SE, here is everything we think you need to know about it.
It is a classic iPhone design
Yes there are bezels and yes there is a start button. But don't let the classic features fool you, this smartphone is attractive. And while it's very similar to an iPhone 8, let's take a brief look at its appearance.
On the front, you'll find the 4.7-inch Retina display surrounded by bezels wide enough for the front camera and the speaker on top, and wide enough for the Touch ID. Please note this is not a real button, it has haptic feedback and that means it is motorized click to some extent, and you can customize it in settings. It's kind of weird that you can't click until the device is on. Still, it gets the job done and provides a tactile experience. The bezels on the left and right sides are quite thin. The front panel around the screen will be black regardless of the color of the iPhone SE and allows you to dive a little deeper into the images.
The sides of the device are made from Apple's proprietary aluminum material, which apart from its good looks makes the iPhone SE strong and drop-resistant. The edges match the color of the iPhone and look great with the glass back. In our case, the PRODUCT (RED) looks really sharp and charming. The edge of iPhone SE blends seamlessly and effortlessly with the back. And just like the front of the iPhone SE, the back is a fairly clean design with just a camera, a 12-megapixel lens, and LED flash, in the upper-left corner.
The bottom of the device features precision drilled speaker holes, two screws, and a Lightning port. Those speakers have a high volume for calls and music playback. Also, the earpiece on top works as a front speaker. You won't find a headphone jack here, as Apple probably won't bring it back. On the left side, you'll find the doorbell mute switch and a volume up and down key. The combo on / off button is on the right side along with a nano SIM card slot. All physical buttons feel quite tactile and strong. You can easily find the buttons without looking.
It looks great, and it's also built with an IP67 rating. This means that it can withstand spills of coffee, soft drinks or any other liquid. It can also be immersed in up to one meter of water for 30 minutes. Just remember to let the Lightning port dry before plugging in a cable.
It's also ridiculously light, to the point that you can forget it's in your hand. The iPhone SE 2020 weighs just 148 grams (about 5 ounces) and is only 7.3 millimeters (0.29 inches) thick. You can easily hold it with one hand, and it's really manageable. It's basically on par with the 11 Pro and just a little bit smaller around the edges.
It's not as small as the original iPhone SE, but we think it's fair to say that we won't have an iPhone of that size again. But 4.7 inches gives you a complete picture compared to the original iPhone SE, and if you're upgrading from a 6, 6S, 7, or even an 8, it gives you a familiar build with much better specs.
It is as fast and fluid as any iPhone 11
Let's talk about the A13 Bionic Chipset inside. It is an incredibly fast and fast experience on the iPhone SE and is almost identical to the one we saw when testing the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max.
There is a lot of technology in the Bionic A13 chipset. It's a CPU, GPU, and a neural engine, all on a chipset that fits inside a smartphone. The A13 Bionic on the iPhone SE is exactly the same as it is on the Phone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max. To be more specific, it's a 6-core CPU that doubles the speed compared to the first-generation iPhone SE. There's also a 4-core GPU that's four times faster than the GPU in the original SE. That neural motor is made up of 8 nuclei. All of this works in unison to handle tasks and run iOS on iPhone SE.
What does this mean in daily use? Well, we had no slowdowns, even with about 30 apps running in the background. You can easily chat Facetime with up to 32 people, edit a video on iMovie, juagr multiple rounds of Butter Royale and Fortnite while still texting, replying to emails, and ordering from the supermarket with Amazon Fresh. Nothing makes your speed drag, basically.
We also pitted the SE against the 11 Pro with a series of photo editing tests in the Afterlight app. We added some filters, we played with light effects, we adjusted the sharpness and we even corrected the contrast. The iPhone SE ended up being able to create the fastest high-resolution export, in about a second and ahead of the 11 Pro.
We found that iOS 13.4 works exceptionally well on SE. Since Apple makes both software and hardware, they can really make it a smooth experience. Any app we tested from the App Store or Apple Arcade game worked well on the iPhone SE, and iMessage was very easy to use. FaceTime calls were connected quickly and with fewer errors than in our 11 Pro Max.
Our real-world tests and daily tests for almost a week put the iPhone SE as a serious candidate against the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max. And it's really crazy to say that, given the price difference. The cheapest SE costs $ 399 versus the cheapest 11, which sells for $ 749. For starters, you are really getting a great quality / price ratio.
A final note on the A13 Bionic Chip. Since it's Apple's current flagship, you can expect it to work for many, many years to come. It's definitely going to be compatible with iOS 14, and probably iOS 15 and even iOS 16. Sure, it might slow performance a bit in three years, but it will give you the longevity you wouldn't normally find at a price of $ 399. Think of it this way: Many people still use an iPhone SE and even an iPhone 6. People loved that design, and with the iPhone SE, Apple is offering you an upgrade to a similarly designed device that will last for many years. It's safe to say that the second-generation iPhone SE will last as long, if not longer, than the first-generation iPhone SE.
A small Retina display
The iPhone SE has a relatively smaller screen, and it's the only iPhone in the lineup that features large bezels. Still, it's a Retina HD display with True Tone and support for a wide range of colors. It is vibrant and sharp. However, we will say that going back to it from a larger phone can be a bit difficult.
To be a little more precise, this 4.7-inch Retina HD is an LCD, a liquid crystal display. It is a similar technology to that used in the iPhone 11, but it is not an OLED like in the 11 Pro or 11 Pro Max. You won't get super dark blacks here, but it still looks pretty good. True Tone functionality will cause iPhone SE to automatically adjust color temperature based on the device environment.
Finally, unlike the iPhone 8 that featured 3D Touch, the iPhone SE uses Haptic Touch. This came with the iPhone 11 family and is now standard on the iPhone. This allows you to open quick menus in apps and notifications. It is quite useful. For example, clicking on the camera app will bring up a menu that allows you to easily take a selfie. It's useful, but we miss the more tactile feel of 3D Touch.
Overall, it's a good screen. It does a great job with color accuracy and can display a wide range.
Smart HDR and portrait mode
Apple really impressed us with the dual cameras on the iPhone 11 and the triple cameras on the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max last September. Between the quality of a quick plug-in, updates to portrait mode, and the introduction of night mode, it was a clear leap forward for the best smartphone shooter on the market.
So what can Apple do with the $ 399 iPhone SE? Well, even though it only has one lens on the main camera, the A13 Bionic is doing some magic to deliver a quality camera. And most importantly, I shoot in portrait mode. People mode is built-in, and the rear and front cameras support the popular bokeh effect, where the subject is in focus and the background is blurred.
You can take some good photos with the main camera. They don't have a wide angle, so you'll need to back up to capture wider shots, although he managed to capture a suburban New Jersey backyard with tall trees pretty well. And without a telephoto lens, you'll need to zoom in or use the 5x digital zoom. We recommend the first, as the image quality will decrease when using the digital zoom.
Still, you can get some memorable photos. There is a lot going on behind the scenes with the A13 Bionic Chip. It works to identify people in shots and to deliver a well-rounded image. The resulting images take sharpness as well as color accuracy and realism into account, while not letting in too much light. IPhone SE also supports Smart HDR. Essentially, this HDR technology recognizes different parts of the scene. If you shoot in direct sunlight, you can make sure the photo is still backlit but not overexposed, while keeping a clear shot of your face or a group of people. You can also capture burst shots, panoramas, and portraits in addition to a traditional photo. Apple has also integrated QuickTake mode, which allows you to hold down the Shutter button and slide it to the right to easily start the video. You can also capture photos while recording video, and this works on both the rear and front cameras.
Portrait mode is really impressive with just one lens. But it only works for photos of people, so you can't take photos of dogs or inanimate objects. But once you have detected a person, you can see the effect of the bokeh. And you can switch between portrait lighting effects: natural, studio, contour, stage, mono stage, and mono in high key. We're excited about the latest on the iPhone 11, and it's just as fun here. Essentially, the subject turns sharp black and white, while the background turns all white. It is a marked effect that is quite creative.
And it works well on iPhone SE. While the edge where the blur begins may not be as exact, it does add some flair to the photos. Also, the subject that is in focus is quite sharp. Also, after taking the picture, you can switch to a different lighting style and even adjust the depth.
In addition to photos, that main lens also handles video. You can shoot up to 4K at 60 frames per second. There is kinematic stabilization at all times and with an extended dynamic range that helps to get clearer and more detailed videos. We do not experience any blurred motion or unwanted artifacts. You will also record audio in stereo. You can see some photos taken on the 12 megapixel main lens below.
On the front, you will find a 7 megapixel camera. And while the front lenses on older 4.7-inch iPhones weren't always the best, this one is fine. It doesn't do any magical widening for group shots, but you can shoot videos in up to 1080p HD with cinematic video stabilization. This way, if you're vlogging , the video won't be too shaky to watch.
The great news is that portrait mode with all six lighting modes is also available with the front camera. Just like the back, the edges won't be quite as accurate compared to the iPhone 11 family, but these portrait selfies aren't bad. You can also adjust the lighting style after taking the photo and even change the depth. It's awesome, and you can get some great photos. Take a look at our front camera test photo gallery below.
The battery will help you get through the day
Apple's second-generation iPhone SE offers longer battery life than the original SE, and pretty much the same as you'd expect on the iPhone 8. In our tests, that meant starting the day at about 7 a.m. and wrapping things up. close at 9pm before needing to charge it again with moderate use. That includes some phone calls, lots of social media, answering Slack, checking email, sending messages, and taking some photos. Even playing a simple game or making a short FaceTime call. Heavy use with more calls, games, and other battery accumulation processes led us to hit the 20% mark closer to 6 p.m.Not bad, but it doesn't match the iPhone 11's battery life, either.
Quantitatively, we put the second-generation iPhone SE through battery testing. For this test, we played a video in VLC on the iPhone with the brightness set to 50% (as close to 150 nits as we can) and switched the device to Airplane mode. We also make sure that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are turned off. We start the test 100% after removing it from the charger and having it continuously play the video until the battery runs out. For video playback, the iPhone SE lasted 9 hours and 20 minutes in total. It is on par with Apple's estimate of eight hours of video playback.
IPhone SE also supports Qi wireless charging, so you can give it some juice while you work at your desk. It can also connect, and Apple includes a 5-watt slow charger in the box. Fast charging is supported, but you will need to supply your own 18-watt charger. With this, you can fill 50% of the battery in just 30 minutes.
Touch ID is faster than ever
Yes, Face ID is the new normal, but now that face masks are common, Touch ID earns points. On the second-generation iPhone SE, the home button uses a second-generation touch ID. It's quicker than ever to unlock and doesn't seem quite so dated even for 2020.
IPhone SE also supports Express cards for transit. In this way, if your iPhone is without battery and you still need to get on the subway or bus, you can touch your iPhone in the terminal to pass. Of course, Apple Pay makes use of near-field communication, which is integrated.
In summary
It's fair to say there is a lot to the second generation iPhone SE and at $ 399 it offers unprecedented value for a mid-range phone. And that's the most important thing about this smartphone: no matter what feature you're using, it intrinsically feels like an iPhone in every way.
The iPhone SE is a true iPhone. The A13 Bionic Chip gives you an almost identical experience to the 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max for $ 399. At a time when many are concerned about saving money, the iPhone SE is likely to be the perfect choice, especially if you have an older smartphone.
Apple doesn't skimp on storage, either. The initial model comes with 64GB, but for $ 50 more you can get 128GB and for $ 549 you can get 256GB.
Note: The above prices reflect the price at the time of article posting.
