Newer iPhone SE is Apple’s cheapest phone but doesn’t look cheap

On Wednesday Apple announced a new version of the iPhone SE. It’s been rumored for months under different names, including iPhone 9 and SE 2, the budget phone essentially locks a iPhone 11 on an iPhone 8 body. We haven’t seen it in person yet: Apple didn’t hold a traditional event due to the coronavirus pandemic and instead announced the new iPhone in a press release, so we’ll have to wait until we can review it before we can tell if it’s a good phone or not.

But based on what Apple showed today, the new SE wisely follows the successful recipe of the original 2016 version, which gives it many promises.

The $ 399 iPhone SE is the cheapest Apple phone

At a time when the “value” of the iPhone 11 costs $ 699 and the flagship 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max They cost $ 999 and $ 1,099 respectively, an option that more people can pay is welcome. Like the original when it was introduced, the new iPhone SE is the cheapest iPhone you can buy. In fact, it starts at exactly the same price of $ 399 as the original SE.

It is the perfect time for an affordable phone. With shelter in place is a daily reality that will not yield in the short termMillions of us rely more than ever on a phone to stay in touch with friends, a loved one, or work. At the same time, millions of people are in financial difficulties. If you’re in an unfortunate situation where you need a new phone or can’t repair a damaged phone, today’s announcement offers some relief.

The SE’s $ 399 price places it alongside a growing crowd of budget Android phones, including the upcoming Moto G Power and G Stylus ($ 249 and $ 300 respectively), the $ 400 Samsung Galaxy A51 and the heavily discounted Google Pixel 4, which currently retails for $ 500. There’s also last year’s Google Pixel 3A, which normally costs $ 399 and now sells for around $ 300.

Small phone lovers unite

Although Apple introduced the original SE a few months after the larger iPhone 6S, its body relied more on older iPhone 5s and 5Ss. The SE had a small 4-inch screen (the iPhone 6S had a 4.7-inch screen), but its small size was one of the reasons people yearned for it.

I, like many other people, expected Apple could bring that little design back. Instead, Apple took the body of the iPhone 6, 6S, 7, and 8, along with the 4.7-inch screen on those phones, and revamped it. Although that makes it much smaller than the 6.1-inch iPhone 11 and 5.8-inch iPhone 11 Pro, I wonder if it’s small enough to convince little phone lovers to update their original iPhone SEs.

Apple made smart commitments on features

In 2016, when Apple put the iPhone 6S processor and A9 camera into the original SE, not all features followed suit. It is a similar story for the new SE. It has a lot of what the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro has – a True Tone display, fast charging (though you’ll need to buy a quick charger), and wireless charging, and it’s IP67 dust and water resistant, meaning it can Survive submerged under 1 meter of water for 30 minutes.

The new phone has a A13 Bionic processor, which is the same used in 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max. The benefit here is that it is faster than the A11 processor found in the iPhone 8, and should be able to run new versions of iOS in the years to come. Apple has an excellent track record of supporting older devices through software updates.

You won’t find the dual or triple rear cameras of Apple’s current flagship devices. Instead, it has a single 12-megapixel rear camera (with a 28-millimeter f / 1.8 lens) that’s less wide than the main camera (with a 26-millimeter f / 1.8 lens) on the 11 and 11 Pro.

The new camera can take photos in portrait mode (both on the main camera and on the selfie). There’s also Apple’s excellent SmartHDR, which helps optimize every detail in your images. You can record 4K videos at up to 60 frames per second or with an extended dynamic range of up to 30 fps. There’s even cinematic video stabilization for the front and rear cameras.

Apple has not confirmed whether the new camera supports night mode. And obviously the popular ultra-wide-angle camera doesn’t exist either. But those are smart sacrifices to get a small version of an iPhone 11 for $ 399.

Preorder iPhone SE or wait?

Apple has faithfully replicated the most important aspects of the original SE. But if you wonder if you should book oneWell, I can’t tell you now. I will have to test the new iPhone SE first.

That said, if you’re still using an original SE and you’re comfortable with a new phone that has a small increase in size and a huge increase in features, functionality, and the future, the new SE is definitely worth considering. And for those of you who want a iPhone 11 but at a lower price, the iPhone SE could be the compromise you are looking for.

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