Apple’s up to date iPhone SE is the only iPhone Apple sells that has a home button. Just just like the original iPhone SE, which was a rebooted iPhone 5s, the 2020 iPhone SE is mainly an iPhone Eight with new guts. But even when you could find a refurbished iPhone 8 for half the worth of a $399 iPhone SE, right here’s why it is best to spend additional—or hunt for a deal—on an iPhone SE.
Design, show, and dimension
The iPhone SE and iPhone Eight are similar in dimension and form (138.Four x 67.three x 7.3mm) and each weigh 148 grams. They each have a single rear digicam and vertically aligned flash together with a glass again. The only distinction is the place of the Apple brand, which is barely decrease on the SE to match the iPhone 11. The SE additionally is available in a (Product) Red coloration, which replaces the iPhone 8’s gold hue.
The new iPhone SE has mainly the identical show because the iPhone 8, bringing a 4.7-inch Retina HD 1334×750 decision at 326 ppi, together with True Tone, vast coloration, and 625 nits of max brightness. Below the show, you’ll discover a Touch ID sensor on each. The only main distinction is 3D Touch: the iPhone Eight has it and the iPhone SE doesn’t. In its place is Apple’s newer Haptic Touch system that was launched with the iPhone 11. They’re not fairly similar programs, however most customers gained’t discover the distinction.
What you gained’t discover with the iPhone SE is a bigger mannequin. Where Apple provided a “Plus” variant to the iPhone Eight that bumped the show to five.5 inches, the iPhone SE only is available in a single 4.8-inch taste. And you could be ready some time for a bigger mannequin to reach. The newest rumors recommend that an iPhone SE three gained’t launching in 2021 and we haven’t heard conceal nor hair of a “Plus” mannequin in months.
Performance, storage, and battery
Here’s the place the iPhone SE begins to set itself other than the iPhone 8. The SE has Apple’s A13 Bionic chip, whereas the iPhone Eight is powered by the A11 Bionic chip. That means the SE shall be quicker and smarter, because of its third-generation Neural Engine. Apple doesn’t expose the quantity of RAM inside its telephones, however we all know from teardowns that the iPhone SE has the identical 2GB of RAM because the iPhone 8.
Both telephones are IP67 rated for water and dirt resistance, which means you may dunk them in a meter of water for a half-hour. They additionally each have stereo audio system, Apple Pay help by way of NFC, and Bluetooth 5. Both the iPhone SE and iPhone Eight can be found in 64GB and 128GB varieties, whereas the SE provides a 256GB tier. They additionally each have wi-fi charging capabilities, and quick charging with an 18W adapter or increased, which you’ll want to purchase. Finally, the iPhone SE helps Wi-Fi 6 whereas the iPhone Eight has Wi-Fi 5.
Apple says the SE, “lasts about the same as iPhone 8,” however it really has a smaller battery (1624 mAh vs 1,821mAh). In our rundown assessments, nevertheless, the SE really lasted a bit longer (three hours and 37 minutes vs three hours and 17 minutes), however it’s nonetheless a far cry from the almost six-hour battery life within the iPhone 11.
Camera
While the iPhone Eight and iPhone SE each have a single 12MP, f/1.Eight vast digicam with digital zoom as much as 5x, the SE is much extra superior than the iPhone 8. Apple VP Phil Schiller says it’s Apple’s “best-ever single-camera system for great photos and videos,” which means it’s comparable however a bit higher than the one within the iPhone XR from final yr.
Under the sapphire crystal lens cowl (a characteristic not on the iPhone 8), you’re getting Portrait Mode (restricted to folks), Portrait Lighting, Smart HDR, and QuickTake video, all of which aren’t out there on the iPhone 8. Additionally, it’s also possible to take portrait movies with the 7MP, f/2.2 selfie digicam. And just like the iPhone 8, you may file 4K video on the iPhone SE. So whereas it’s not fairly pretty much as good as the primary digicam in Apple’s newer flagships—most notably, it’s lacking night time mode—the iPhone SE is without doubt one of the finest digicam telephones for below $400.
AppleCare+
Apple presents the identical AppleCare+ protection for the iPhone SE that it does for all of its iPhones, however it’s cheaper for the brand new mannequin. Where Apple charged $129 for protection on the iPhone 8, AppleCare+ on the iPhone SE is just $79 for two years of service, a 40 p.c lower. Like the opposite fashions, it carries a deductible of $29 for display screen restore and $99 for all different repairs, with a restrict of two situations. You may get a Theft & Loss coverage for $149 ($50 cheaper than earlier than), which lets you get a full SE substitute for a $149 deductible, a complete worth of no less than $100 lower than it could value to purchase a brand new one outright (or extra relying on capability).
Price and conclusion
Apple has undercut even the newest iPhone Eight costs with the iPhone SE, making it Apple’s least expensive iPhone since, nicely, the final iPhone SE:
iPhone 8
64GB: $449
128GB: $499
iPhone SE 2020
64GB: $399
128GB: $449
256GB: $549
Apple has stopped promoting the iPhone Eight on its web site, however you may nonetheless discover refurbished fashions. When out there, Apple is promoting the 64GB model is now $339 and the 256GB model is $469, which presents some financial savings over the iPhone SE. But we’d nonetheless advocate spending a couple of {dollars} extra on the SE.
iPhone SE (2020)
Not Apple’s finest iPhone, however its finest worth by a mile. The iPhone SE is a big present to those that can’t afford or don’t need to pay $700 or extra for a brand new iPhone.
Michael Simon has been overlaying Apple because the iPod was the iWalk. His obsession with expertise goes again to his first PC—the IBM Thinkpad with the lift-up keyboard for swapping out the drive. He’s nonetheless ready for that to return again in model tbh.