While some leaks pointed towards an earlier release date, many said April 15th. Today, Apple release the iPhone SE, and… it looks exactly like we predicted it would look like. That’s not quite fair, seeing as it’s using the same design as the iPhone 8 7 6s 6. With the new release, Apple discontinued the iPhone 8, but why would you want it? The 2020 iPhone SE has everything the iPhone 8 had, plus much more. And it costs less.
The Hardware With it All
The new iPhone SE has the body of an iPhone 8, but the guts on an iPhone 11. In fact, the iPhone 11 Pro, too, as they use the same processor. That’s a lot of bang for your buck. Apple may have given it less RAM, but we won’t know until people can run benchmarks and find system stats on it. Since reducing the RAM might not shave as much money off the cost as using the same manufacturing process, it’s possible the iPhone SE will have the same memory as the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. Regardless, it’s the same processor. That’s a lot of power for Apple’s “cheap” iPhone. It’s the most powerful smartphone processor on the market today, and it’s in Apple’s least expensive iPhone.
The camera should also be familiar. This is the main camera from the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro as well. A wide angle 12MP camera with a 1.8ƒ aperture means it can take brilliant photos and shoot 4K video. It even has portrait mode for human subjects, like the single-lens iPhone XR. It won’t have night mode, this seems to use multiple sensors and exposures, but it’ll still be a very good camera.
Outside of that, the iPhone SE has a 4.7″ retina display and no notch. However, it does have a rather large bezel for the Touch ID sensor and speaker. Yes, Touch ID. It’s still around, fortunately. It’s better as a security measure for anyone with vision impairment, which forces people to turn off “Requires Attention” for Face ID. This means their phones can be unlocked by someone pointing the phone at them. Instead, Touch ID is equally secure for people with vision impairments. Also, if you have an evil twin, this is the phone for you. While your faces are the same, your alignment and fingerprints will be different.
The rest of it is aluminum and glass, is water resistant, and has the battery life of the iPhone 8, according to Apple. That does mean it’ll have the shortest battery life of any of Apple’s iPhones. You may want a battery case for it. Accessory makers will likely be able to provide this quickly though, as the iPhone SE and iPhone 8 have the same body. Still, you may want to check in person.
One More (Tiny) Thing
One small difference you’ll notice over previous models is the faceplate. Rather than have a white faceplate around the screen on the red and white models, Apple has opted for a black faceplate on all models. Not only does this look much better, but it hides the size of the screen.
Furthermore, that red model is a (Product)Red model. Currently, purchases of this iPhone will go to COVID-19 relief. Which reminds me: don’t buy this in store. Order it online and stay at home.
To Small or Not to Small?
Apple’s rumored 5.4″ iPhone would be smaller than the new iPhone SE, but larger than the old one.
Maybe it’s a good thing this isn’t the size of an iPhone 5. I want a phone in that size, but I also want a multi-camera array and small bezels. An iPhone 5-sized iPhone wouldn’t have been enough to pull me away from the features of the iPhone 11, even though I think it’s an oversized mess with a terrible design. It’s rumored that Apple will release a new iPhone 12 this year that will take design cues from the iPhone 5. It will also feature a 5.4″ edge to edge display, which would make it only slightly larger than the iPhone 5, but with a screen almost the size of the iPhone 11 Pro. That’s right in the “perfect” zone for small (read: human-sized) phone fans. Perhaps Apple’s saving their smaller phone for the pro model? After all, they could never keep the iPhone SE in stock. It sold out when it went on sale, and, even refurbished, it can’t stay on shelves. People really want smaller iPhones, and Apple may finally give us it in a pro model.
On Sale Friday
The new iPhone SE starts at $399 for 64GB of storage. That’s a decent enough amount for many light users, though heavy users will want 128GB or more. At just $399, this iPhone is a fantastic value. If you don’t need a large display, ultra-wide angle lens, or Face ID, this is a fantastic alternative to the iPhone 11, which costs twice as much. The iPhone SE will go on sale at 8AM EDT this Friday. Set your alarms!