iPhone SE 2020: Price, features and review of the cheapest iPhone

A few months ago I bought each of my two teenage children a iPhone 8, 64GB, for $ 450.

With the arrival of the iPhone SE in 2020 I am bumping my head for not having waited for me: Not only because the new Apple cell phone costs US $ 399 for the same 64GB, but also because the device surpasses the 2017 model in many ways – plus it costs $ 300 less than the iPhone 11 cheaper with everything and that has the same processor as that phone premium.

The best way to describe iPhone SE is like this: The new phone is a hybrid of iPhone 8 and iPhone 11.

What you share with iPhone 8

• Same 4.7-inch Retina HD display with 326dpi
• Same 12 megapixel camera with f / 1.8 aperture on the back
• Same front 7-megapixel camera with f / 2.2 aperture
• Same glass and aluminum body
• Image stabilization in photos (rear camera)
• Wireless and fast charging
• Home button with Touch ID
• Good price (even $ 300 less than cheaper iPhone 11)

What improves compared to iPhone 8 (and shares with iPhone 11)

• A13 Bionic processor
• IOS 13 operating system from the box
• Video stabilization on both cameras
• Portrait mode and all its effects on both cameras
• Smart HDR and Quick Take function to record video
• Same storage (64GB, 128GB and 256GB)

What the iPhone 11 Pro lacks

• 5.8-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display (6.5-inch for iPhone 11 Pro Max) with 458ppp
• Different colors (dark green, space gray, gold and silver)
• Second and third rear lens (iPhone 11 has two; iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max have three, in total); one has 2X optical zoom
• Face ID and TrueDepth system on the front camera
• Virtually bezel-free display
• Slow motion in front lens
• Night mode
• 512GB version
• IP68 water and dust resistance (up to 4 meters depth for up to 30 minutes)

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iPhone SE: A hybrid between iPhone 8 and iPhone 11, …

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Design

The design is practically identical to that of the iPhone 8 (same weight and measurements, so the same covers can be used), although it only has the apple logo, centered on the back, just like the iPhone 11 (the iPhone 8 it has the logo above, in addition to featuring the word iPhone). Introduced with the 2014 iPhone 6, this design was a drastic change in Apple’s aesthetic direction because it changed the angles and flat sides of the iPhone 5 and 5S for many more curves and smoother contours, dominated by aluminum. The iPhone 8 was Apple’s last phone with that design, as the 2017 iPhone X launched a new aesthetic generation.

One of the reasons I keep using the iPhone 8 is because I really like its size: it fits perfectly in my pants pocket. The iPhone SE is exactly the same size.

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The iPhone SE has the same glass as the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X and uses the same 7000 series aluminum that models like the iPhone 8, iPhone XR, and iPhone 11 have. The glass on its back has a seven-layer process of Color and oleophobic coating that helps prevent traces and grease from sticking.

The 2020 iPhone SE comes in three colors: black, white, and red. Offers IP67 water and dust resistance (up to 1.5 meters depth for up to 30 minutes). Its body is made of glass and aluminum. One design difference from the darker model (which is the color of the unit I analyzed) with the iPhone 8 is that the sides of the phone are exactly the same color as the rest of the body, while in the 2017 model, the side it was in a more metallic shade (that color is called space gray, while the new one is only black).

The 4.7-inch screen is Retina HD and offers Haptic Touch, the haptic interface that emits pulsations in some actions (it no longer has 3D Touch, the previous haptic interface that opened apps and did more things). Phone has Touch ID Start button to unlock with fingerprint, but doesn’t offer Face ID, the face-unlock system on phones premium from Apple.

The iPhone SE has IP67 water and dust resistance (the same as the iPhone 8), which means it can be up to 1.5 meters deep in water for up to 30 minutes. (So ​​it went to iPhone 8 in our water tests, and these were the results of the iPhone 8 in our crash test.) In my personal experience, my iPhone 8 chipped in a corner when dropped from a height of one and a half meters, so it’s clearly not ultra-resistant glass (damage to glass-faced phones always depends on how and on what surface they crash). My recommendation: don’t throw away your new iPhone SE, or buy it a cover (you can use the ones for the iPhone 8; the official ones from Apple cost US $ 45 for leather and US $ 35 for silicone ones).

2020 iPhone SE processor

The iPhone SE has the A13 Bionic processor, the same of the iPhone 11 2019, which features a six-core CPU with an eight-core Neural Engine for artificial intelligence (machine learning) tasks. According to Apple, the A13 Bionic is 2.4 times faster than the A9 on the 2016 iPhone SE, and 40 percent faster than the A11 Bionic on the 2017 iPhone 8. The GPU is four times faster than the A9, and Twice as fast as the A11 Bionic, which helps with tasks like video editing, playing video games, or virtual reality experiences.

In my daily use for several days, the iPhone SE performed smoothly: messaging and social media apps run well, videos look sharp and crisp, video calls are heard and clear. Although I’ve never had any performance issues with the iPhone 8, the iPhone SE is a power beast that offers the enormous advantage of having an updated processor (and one of the most powerful in a phone today) that must work well and at the level competitive for at least three years.

In our performance tests (Geekbench 5 and 3D Mark Ice Storm Unlimited), the 2020 iPhone SE chip gave exactly the same result as last year’s iPhone 11 processors, confirming that it is the same chip.

As for its storage, the iPhone SE comes in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB versions and can be charged wirelessly with the Qi standard. In addition, the SE offers fast charging, Gigabit LTE, Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 6. It works with dual SIM and eSIM and comes with a free year of Apple TV Plus.

Drums

Apple says the new SE’s battery lasts the same as the iPhone 8’s, which was 1,821mAh. In our 50 percent brightness Airplane Mode continuous video playback test, the iPhone SE lasted 15 hours and 45 minutes. In 2017, the iPhone 8 lasted us 13.5 hours in the same test.

In my daily use on a single charge, the iPhone SE reached the end of the day with no problems and with up to 40 percent battery remaining. On some of those days usage included capturing dozens of photos, 4K, slow-motion and fast-motion video recording and intensive Internet browsing, including answering emails and text messages and making video calls.

I’ve asked Apple why the iPhone SE’s better battery performance versus the iPhone 8’s (if it’s processor or software efficiencies, or a combination of both). I will update the analysis when you reply.

Cameras

In addition, the new cell phone has a 12 megapixel camera and f / 1.8 aperture on the back (the same as the iPhone 8). It includes optical image stabilization for photos (OIS) and offers next-generation Smart HDR, which generates an image with multiple exposures from the same shot using artificial intelligence. Apple says the Smart HDR “allows subjects to look more natural and improves difficult shots like backlit shots by intelligently re-lighting the subject.” The company explains that the Smart HDR uses machine learning to recognize people and treat them differently from the rest of the elements of a capture to improve shadows and skin tones, for example.

In my photo comparison between the iPhone SE and iPhone 8, the SE had better overall photos; The only thing that the iPhone 8 seems to me to do better is capture more dramatic photos, with much greater contrast (when trying to sharpen the entire shot, the iPhone SE adds details in the background that are sometimes not ideal to create those contrasts ).

On the front, the iPhone SE has the same 7-megapixel camera and f / 2.2 aperture as the iPhone 8.

Something that I really liked and is very good for people who make video with their phones is that both cameras offer film stabilization. This helps that your videos do not come out so shaky or that you can do without a tripod in many cases. Also, the phone records sound in stereo. These two new features will help you record much higher quality videos.

In addition, the rear camera has many format options: it records 4K at 24 frames per second, 30fps or 60fps; high resolution (1,080p) at 30fps or 60fps and 720p at 30fps. (Don’t forget that if you buy the 64GB version you won’t be able to store many 4K videos). Record video in slow and fast motion.

In addition, both cameras can take pictures in Portrait Mode, which was not possible with the iPhone 8. This is accomplished through a combination of processing with the A13 Bionic chip’s Neural Engine and software (as opposed to the iPhone 11, which does the bokeh effect using two lenses; in addition, the iPhone 8 does not offer bokeh from objects other than people with the rear camera, as the iPhone 11 does; that is, it only recognizes people). This Portrait Mode offers six different styles. The combination of the chip and the software, in general, is what allows the camera captures of the iPhone SE to be better than those of the iPhone 8.

The iPhone SE also has the QuickTake function, with which you can take a video if you press hard on the Photo button without changing modes, a function also present in iPhone 11.

These are the photos taken by the iPhone SE:

And this is how his camera compares with that of the iPhone 8 of 2017:

Price and availability

The second-generation iPhone SE has a starting price of $ 399for the 64GB version; US $ 449 for the 128GB and US $ 549 for a 256GB. Until before the launch of the iPhone SE, Apple sold the 64GB iPhone 8 for $ 449, but Apple will discontinue the iPhone 8 in favor of the new SE. The cheapest iPhone 11 currently costs $ 699 for the 64GB model (the 64GB iPhone 11 Pro costs $ 999 and the 64GB iPhone 11 Pro Max costs $ 1,099).

The iPhone SE 2 is available in presale from Friday, April 17 and delivered from April 24.

Comparative

Who is this cell phone for?

As I said at the beginning, this cell phone is perfect for a teenager who doesn’t want to spend a lot of money but wants to have a functional phone that does all the basic things well. It doesn’t have the best cameras on the market, but its options are good and the rear camera captures good quality photos with good contrast, light and colors. However, the night photos are mediocre, and the phone lacks the extra lenses and Night Mode of the premium iPhone 11.

Who is iPhone SE for?

• Someone who wants a good affordable phone.
• A person who wants to stay in the iOS ecosystem without spending so much.
• Someone who wants a device that performs all the basic daily functions very well, such as surfing the Web, making video calls, answering emails and texts, taking photos and making video.
• A phone with a latest generation processor.
• A small 4.7-inch phone that can be stowed well in a bag or pants.
• A cell phone that makes good video with 4K quality and stereo sound.
• For people who have wanted to buy an iPhone but the price was an obstacle.

Who is the iPhone SE for?

• Someone who wants the latest of the latest, like a more modern bezel-less design.
• A person who prefers to unlock his cell phone with his face.
• Who wants a better screen of higher quality and size.
• A device with the best cameras and the most modern photo functions.