iPhone SE review: Apple’s $399 iPhone lives up to the hype
The new $399 iPhone SE looks like an iPhone 8 but works like Apple’s top-of-the line iPhone 11 Pro.
The new iPhone SE has the classic design that defined the iPhone for its first 10 years. The design, the body and the camera lenses are all the same as 2017’s iPhone 8. But Apple performed a clever brain transplant, replacing the nearly 3-year-old processor with the A13 Bionic processor used in the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max. This goes well beyond a simple spec bump by majorly improving things like the cameras and battery life. The new processor not only runs faster, but it will likely future-proof the phone through years of iOS updates.
But a $399 (£419, AU$749) iPhone comes with compromises, which Apple chose wisely. The SE has only a single rear camera, it doesn’t have Face ID and it lacks camera features like Night Mode, Slofies and Deep Fusion processing. The selfie camera is OK but not as amazing as the one found on the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max.
When you look at the complete picture, the iPhone SE represents the most value for your dollar of any phone Apple sells. It has an attractive price, fantastic battery life, great rear camera, A13 processor, water resistance and support for wireless charging. The SE is not only a wonderful iPhone, but one of the best budget phones you can currently buy.
iPhone SE (2020) specs compared to iPhone 8, iPhone SE (2016), iPhone 11
| iPhone SE (2020) | iPhone 8 | iPhone SE (2016) | iPhone 11 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display size, resolution | 4.7-inch Retina HD; 1,334×750 pixels | 4.7-inch Retina HD; 1,334×750 pixels | 4-inch; 1,136×640 pixels | 6.1-inch LCD Liquid Retina; 1,792×828 pixels |
| Pixel density | 326ppi | 326ppi | 326ppi | 326ppi |
| Dimensions (Inches) | 5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 in | 5.45×2.65×0.29 in | 4.87×2.31×0.3 in | 5.94×2.98×0.33 in |
| Dimensions (Millimeters) | 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm | 138.4×67.3×7.3 mm | 123x58x7.6 mm | 150.9×75.7×8.3 mm |
| Weight (Ounces, Grams) | 5.22 oz; 148g | 5.22 oz; 148 g | 3.99 oz; 113 g | 6.84 oz; 194g |
| Mobile software | iOS 13 | iOS 11 (can update to iOS 13) | iOS 9.3 | iOS 13 |
| Camera | 12-megapixel | 12-megapixel | 12-megapixel | 12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide) |
| Front-facing camera | 7-megapixel | 7-megapixel | 1.2-megapixel | 12-megapixel |
| Video capture | 4K | 4K | 4K | 4K |
| Processor | Apple A13 Bionic | Apple A11 Bionic | Apple A9 | Apple A13 Bionic |
| Storage | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB | 64GB, 256GB | 16GB, 64GB | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB |
| RAM | Not disclosed | 2GB | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Expandable storage | No | None | No | No |
| Battery | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Fingerprint sensor | Home button | Home button | Home button | No |
| Connector | Lightning | Lightning | Lightning | Lightning |
| Headphone jack | No | No | Yes | No |
| Special features | Water resistant (IP67); dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless charging | Water resistant (IP67), wireless charging | Apple Pay; Haptic Touch | Water resistant (IP68); dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless charging |
| Price off-contract (USD) | $399 (64GB), $449 (128GB), $549 (256GB) | $699 (64GB), $849 (256GB) | $399 (16GB); $499 (64GB) | $699 (64GB), $749 (128GB), $849 (256GB) |
| Price (GBP) | £419 (64GB), £469 (128GB), £569 (256GB) | £699 (64GB), £849 (256GB) | £359 (16GB) £439 (64GB) | £729 (64GB), £779 (128GB), £879 (256GB) |
| Price (AUD) | AU$749 (64GB), AU$829 (128GB), AU$999 (256GB) | AU$1,079 (64GB), AU$1,329 (256GB) | AU$679 (16GB); AU$829 (64GB) | AU$1,199 (64GB), AU$1,279 (128GB), AU$1,449 (256GB) |
The iPhone SE’s iPhone 8 design
Physically, the SE is an iPhone 8. The front and back are made of glass, the chassis and sides are aluminum. The only physical difference between the iPhone SE and iPhone 8 is that the Apple logo is now centered on the back to match current-generation iPhones.
The new phone has Apple’s old-school forehead and chin bezel above and below the screen. This makes the SE look, well, old. This is the one of the few things that I’m not too thrilled about. It’s not ugly, it’s just dated. And that might appeal to some people, but not me.
Having used Face ID for the past couple years, it’s a strange and familiar feeling to set up and use Touch ID. It’s like going from an automatic transmission back to a stick shift. But in the right car, stick shift can be a blast.
I forgot how much I missed the home button and how it makes interactions and navigation less fussy than swipes and holds. I tap and hold to pay for purchases instead of angling my phone to get Face ID verification. A speedy double-tap shows recent apps. Though Face ID has its own benefits, the home button is still as satisfying to use as it was back in the day.
For tiny phone lovers, the iPhone SE’s 4.7-inch LCD display isn’t as small as the original SE’s 4-inch screen. But it’s still smaller than most phones out right now and is enough to be portable and comfortable for most people.
The screen on the SE is similar to the one on the iPhone 11, especially in terms of quality and resolution. Text looks sharp, colors are accurate and it’s bright in sunny conditions.
The iPhone SE is rated IP67, meaning it can withstand being submerged for 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter (about 3 feet). I wasn’t able to test this claim, though I did submerge it in a liter of water for 30 minutes and everything worked fine. This level of water and dust resistance isn’t something you normally find on phones under $400, so it’s particularly noteworthy that the iPhone SE has it.
The SE comes in three colors: black, white and red. The iPhone 8 had its own red version too, but it had white bezels and damn if the iPhone SE doesn’t look more striking in red with black bezels.
The iPhone SE’s battery life is longer than the iPhone 8
Apple’s website says that the iPhone SE’s battery lasts about the same as the iPhone 8, but my testing showed it lasted much longer. I played a looped video on Airplane mode at 50% brightness and the iPhone SE lasted 15 hours, 45 minutes. That’s hours longer than what the iPhone 8 and iPhone SE lasted in the same test when they were new. Anecdotally, it made it through a day and a half without a problem, and a couple times it went two days straight without a charge.
I should note that I have more battery tests to run (including streaming video tests), so check back when I’ll update the results.
The iPhone SE has wireless charging, which is another feature not found on most budget phones. There is also support for fast-charging, which replenishes the battery to 50% in 30 minutes. But the iPhone SE doesn’t come with the necessary 18-watt charger and instead includes the slower 5-watt one. Again, this is likely to keep the cost of the device low.
iPhone SE has A13 Bionic processor performance
The longevity of Apple’s iOS support for “older devices” is a quiet but significant appeal of owning an iPhone. The iPhone 8 and its A11 processor are now two-and-a-half years old and will likely stop receiving iOS software updates a couple years before the iPhone SE and its newer A13 Bionic processor.
In performance tests, the iPhone SE was consistently better than the iPhone 8 and (no surprise) the original iPhone SE. It scored similar results to what we got on the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max.
In real life that meant app launches were peppy, playing games like Sky: Children of Light and Doomsday Vault were a breeze. Editing photos was easy and I could even use graphics-heavy AR apps such as Wonderscope, which transformed my bedroom into a training ground for ghosts.
iPhone SE cameras have Portrait Mode, Smart HDR
The rear camera on the SE has the same specs as the iPhone 8, but when combined with the A13 chip and iOS 13 it transforms the camera into something that can compete with the best phone cameras, and even go toe-to-toe with the main rear camera on the iPhone 11. It has a slew of features, including Smart HDR for photos, Quick Take filming and Portrait Mode — these are impressive features and a first for a $399 iPhone.
The rear camera on the SE has a 28mm f1.8 lens while the iPhone 11 has two rear cameras: a main wide-angle camera with a 26-mm f1.8 lens and an ultrawide-angle camera with a 13mm f/2.4 lens. I do enjoy the ultrawide-angle on the iPhone 11 but I didn’t miss it during my time with the iPhone SE.
When I compare photos taken with each phone, it’s hard to distinguish between them unless you bring them onto a larger screen and even then the differences are subtle.
In good light, photos from each are similar in terms of image quality. Look at the pictures below of a tree I took in my backyard. Can you tell the difference? You see my point. The most obvious difference is that the iPhone SE photo is framed tighter than the iPhone 11.