Apple made some very interesting choices when creating the new 2020 iPhone SE. For example, the new SE looks nearly identical to the older iPhone 8 (a phone from 2 years ago), but it boasts of some of the latest and greatest technology of the newest iPhone 11. Why did Apple create such a phone? Is it just some Frankenstein cobbled together without thought or purpose?
In reality, the iPhone SE was designed for a very specific audience in mind. A number of consumers are still using the iPhone 6 and iPhone 8 and aren’t upgrading largely due to the cost of the newer top end phones. In addition, there are some Android users thinking about switching to the iPhone but again price is a barrier. For example, the latest iPhone 11 Pro starts at $999. That’s a lot of money!
Apple designed the 2020 iPhone SE to make upgrading or switching an easy decision. A brand new 2020 iPhone SE starts at just $399. You get iPhone 11 components in the iPhone SE at the price of a 2016 iPhone! Any significantly better phone will cost you almost twice as much.
VIDEO CLIP: Marques Brownlee on the value for the money
What’s Inside
The experts all agree that the best thing about the iPhone SE is that it has the same chip as the top end iPhone 11 Pro. Again, the iPhone 11 Pro starts at $999 but with the iPhone SE you get the same A13 Bionic Chip for $399! And for comparison, the iPhone 8 and iPhone X only have the A11 chip. This means that the $399 iPhone SE will handle Apple’s latest iOS software and will give you approximately 5+ years of additional update capability without a problem.
VIDEO CLIP: Marques Brownlee on Performance and Longevity
One thing to note is that the base model has 64GB memory. But for just $50 more you can upgrade to 128GB of memory, or you can go clear up to 256GB for $549. The experts recommend that if you use your phone for more than just the basics it would be a good idea to pay the extra $50 for the 128GB of storage. This will allow you to store more photos, videos, movies and doc. However, if you use online storage options like iCloud, the 64GB would work just fine for those on a tighter budget.
VIDEO CLIP: iJustine on Upgrading the Memory
Camera
The iPhone SE comes with a single wide lens, 12 megapixel main camera (ƒ/1.8 aperture) and a 7 megapixel front-facing camera (ƒ/2.2 aperture) with retina flash. The many photo tests by the experts prove that this camera takes great basic/regular photos with sharp detail and vivid pleasing colors.
The main camera has 5x digital zoom (3x front facing), optical image stabilization, true tone flash with slow sync, portrait mode with advanced bokeh and depth control, and next-generation Smart HDR. The portrait lighting which is available on the main and front facing camera has six effects: natural, studio, contour, stage, stage mono, and high‑key mono. Photos taken in well lit areas are amazing. However, when it comes to low lighting or night time shots, the experts feel the SE falls a bit short. In fact, according to the experts, not having the night mode is probably the biggest problem with this camera. With that said, there is not a better single lens camera out there, on a phone at this price. So again, for $399, the camera is great.
VIDEO CLIP: Unbox Therapy Waxes Poetic about the Camera
Video
The video on the iPhone SE is extraordinary. It offers 4K video recording at 24 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps, 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps or 60 fps, extended dynamic range up to 30 fps, optical image stabilization, digital zoom up to 3x, QuickTake video, slo-mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps, time-lapse video with stabilization, and stereo recording. These specs are very similar to what you get on the newest iPhone 11 with only two exceptions: the extended dynamic range (which is 60 fps on iPhone 11) and the additional zoom features (iPhone 11 has 6x digital zoom and 2x optical zoom). The experts who did video testing were very pleased with the lighting and detail as well as the performance of the image stabilization while walking or moving around.
When using the front facing view for filming, the SE has cinematic video stabilization (1080p and 720p), and 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps. Again, the experts are pleased with the results.
VIDEO CLIP: iJustine Throwing Slippers to Test Front and Back Video
Battery
The battery size is the same as in the iPhone 8, so the SE battery life will not compete with the newest phones out there but remember the iPhone SE has a smaller screen that the iPhone 11. The experts agree that the SE battery will last a full day and possibly a day and a half with regular use. Apple’s website says that on a single charge watching 13 hours of video is possible. However, many experts noted that if you are video streaming over WiFi that time will be reduced to about half.
Video Clip: David Lee With Good Info on Battery Life
Outside
While you can complain that the iPhone SE looks like the two year old iPhone 8, there’s upside in that you don’t have to relearn how to use the phone. The only difference at all visually from the iPhone 8 is that on the SE the Apple logo on the back has now moved down to the center of the phone. So, technically, iPhone 8 cases will fit the SE perfectly with one small disclaimer: If the iPhone 8 case has a display circle on the back for the Apple logo, the logo will not be visible on the SE (cases older than 8 will not fit due to camera lens placement).
The overall size of the iPhone SE is 5.45” by 2.65” by 0.29”, and it weighs 5.22 ounces. The screen resolution is 1,334 by 750 pixels at 326 ppi with 625 nits max brightness. Again, the experts agree that the screen is really good.
The small size makes it light in your pocket and very easy to use with one hand even with a case on it. In addition, Apple kept the Haptic Touch home button with fingerprint Touch ID (no facial recognition) so the phone opens quickly by just reading your fingerprint. Really, the home, sweet home, button is something we all loved anyway. Moreover, today, with all our faces being covered with masks, the Touch ID couldn’t have come back at a better time. Hmmmm. How does Apple know what we need and when we need it? Kinda creepy.
VIDEO CLIP: UrAvgConsumer on the Goodness of bringing back Touch ID
The 2020 iPhone SE is also water resistant (IP67 rating) up to 1M (~3 ft) for 30 min which means your phone can easily survive the occasional toilet, bathtub or gutter drop. This is a nice safety net for those of us who jump into swimming pools with our pants on (it happens) or read the news while on the toilet (we all do it so don’t freak out).
The iPhone SE is available in three colors: White, Black and (PRODUCT) RED. It comes with a 5W power cube, USB lighting charging cable and EarPods with the lightning connector. The charger and the headphones both use the same lighting outlet at the bottom of the phone. Therefore, there is not an additional outlet to plug in standard headphones. This may present a problem for some who really like to have their phone charging while using their headphones but that’s where the wireless options for headphones and/or the charger come in handy. The SE has a quick charge and a wireless charge option. The fast charging 18W power cube is an additional $29 and can charge the SE to 50% in 30 minutes.
VIDEO CLIP: The Tech Chap Showing the Water Resistance
Extras
Some additional features of the iPhone SE worth mentioning are the Dual SIM with eSIM, Audio Share, and phone case options. First, the Dual SIM allows two phone lines, personal and business for example, on one phone. Another scenario Dual SIM would be helpful is when traveling and need to add an additional phone line. Pretty cool. Second, the Audio Share allows two sets of wireless headphones to listen to the same music or movie together from one phone. Very helpful for teens. Third, you can connect a wireless mouse to the SE which may be helpful when recording videos of yourself or joining video conference calls.
The Experts Consensus
The experts agree that the iPhone SE is the best phone on the market for the price. The cost savings definitely add up quickly in family scenarios. This is a phone that will do all the basics perfectly and last for approximately five years for only $399. So, if you don’t mind a small screen and you don’t expect every camera option to be available on your phone and you are not a gamer that needs the biggest battery out there then you will be more than happy with this purchase. Plus, you can still sell your iPhone 8 for around $200 which makes upgrading an even bigger and better deal! In short, the experts agree that you can’t go wrong with the new iPhone SE.
VIDEO CLIP: Short Circuit on Incredible Value of the SE
See each experts’ detailed review for the iPhone SE: