"The new iPhone SE is the fastest phone you can buy for $ 400."
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Light, compact design
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Class leading performance
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Loud, pleasant audio
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Great camera
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iOS is excellent
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Not a great display for $ 400
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The battery life is ok
Apple develops devices for a long service life and not just because they like them. Apple can also refurbish an old device with new specifications and sell it as a new one. The iPhone SE is the latest example, but hardly the first. Apple took a similar approach to the iPhone 8 and continues to sell a MacBook Pro 13 with a touch bar that is essentially the same as the 2015 model.
It's a polarizing strategy, and the new iPhone SE has created a schism for the usual reasons the moment it was announced. Some see the wise reuse of a great design that still makes sense. Others see a rotten rebranding of an outdated phone. People in both camps tend to have their opinions ready before they ever put their hands on the phone in question.
Whatever your thoughts may be, one fact is undeniable: the iPhone SE ($ 400) is the cheapest iPhone, and that makes it important regardless of design or hardware. Many people will buy it because it is the new standard selection.
But is it a good phone?
design
I'll get an uncomfortable shot out of the way. As a technical appraiser, you can expect me to update my equipment every year. Not me. My everyday phone is an iPhone 7 Plus, which despite the lack of knockout functions on modern devices is still a nice phone.
The only thing I don't like is a disadvantage that it shares with the iPhone SE: chunky frames around the display. They are massive compared to other modern phones. Every Android competitor in this area offers slim frames with maximum screen size for a certain space requirement.
Can you live with them Certainly. I have been for years. However, this is certainly the biggest problem with the design of the iPhone SE. You get jealous when a friend pulls out a Google Pixel 3a or Moto G stylus. While the iPhone SE replaces the iPhone 8, its design is based on the iPhone 6 – a phone that came out in 2014. It's not unfair to say that the new iPhone SE looks like a six-year-old phone.
Fortunately, the bad news ends here.
Matthew Smith / Digital Trends
Despite its frame, the iPhone SE remains a slim, slim device with pockets. It's 5.45 inches tall, 2.65 inches wide, 0.29 inches thick, and weighs only 5.22 ounces. It is the lightest of the current iPhones. The Google Pixel 3a, which is one of the smaller mainstream Android phones, is still half an inch larger, more than a tenth of an inch wider, and a tenth of an inch thicker – although it has the same weight.
If you compare the iPhone SE with a powerful Android phone like the Moto G Stylus, you will notice a bigger difference. The phone with a 6.4-inch display is three quarters of an inch larger, a quarter of an inch wider, and much thicker. It's also about 30 percent heavier. That's a difference you'll notice easily, and I complained that the G stylus felt too heavy and too thick in my test.
As a small phone, the iPhone SE answers the prayers of those who preach the path of using one-handed smartphones. I am 6 feet, 1 inch tall and never needed two hands to use it. In fact, it feels a bit silly to put two hands on it.
Owners under 5 feet, 4 inches can find a way to reach the top edge, but the maneuver is still possible with a slight flicker. In this sense, the new iPhone SE lags behind the highest one-handed use of its 4-inch predecessor. Still, it's small enough that I don't think most people find this a problem.
Here you will find all the usual buttons: power supply, volume up and down and a physical switch for switching vibrations on and off. Like the chassis, they are all made of aluminum and feel good.
The Touch ID sensor, which enables error-free registration via fingerprint, continues to serve as a home button. This is a subtle but significant design decision. Since the iPhone SE has a home button, it does not use the new gesture navigation system of other new iPhones. I like that. Gesture control is clearly the new normal, but I like the button that I think is more intuitive.
As for the ports, you get a Lightning connector – a proprietary dead horse that I don't have to dig up and whip. You just need to know that you need either wireless audio or a Lightning to 3.5mm audio adapter that is not included.
display
The iPhone SE has a 4.7-inch IPS multi-touch display with a resolution of 1,334 x 750 (or 326 pixels per inch). It is a true tone screen (ie it adapts to the light in your environment) with a wide color support, haptic touch and a maximum brightness of 625 nits per Apple.
Is a 4.7-inch screen too small for a smartphone sold in 2020? No … but it's close.
This is an undeniably small screen next to what you might find elsewhere. Many Android competitors offer 6.2-inch to 6.5-inch screens at the same price, and some may even be OLEDs. I'm not going to say that these displays look "more realistic", but they'll please your eye in a way that the iPhone SE's 4.7-inch IPS screen can't. They are of course larger and often look more powerful and lively.
Matthew Smith / Digital Trends
Let me put it differently. The screen of the new iPhone SE is about 23 percent smaller than that of a Google Pixel 3a and 40 percent smaller than that of a Moto G stylus or Samsung Galaxy A51. It's also 33 percent smaller than Apple's iPhone 11. It is much smaller than other phones that you will see in this price range.
I had no problem using it every day. In fact, the smaller size feels more comfortable in normal everyday use.
The new iPhone SE is a great device to create a quick text response, take a few photos, or go to Yelp to see what foods are nearby. It's small, nimble, easy to get to, and shows just enough information to get the job done.
The longer I used the device, the more I felt restricted. This starts on the home screen, where apps are icons that are much closer together than on most iPhones. Text can be more difficult to read because it is smaller and you need to scroll more when navigating websites.
Then there is a video. Mobile video consumption is a big deal for many people, and here the iPhone SE has to make a sacrifice. Viewing a video on the 4.7-inch display is nowhere near as comfortable as on a larger 6.4-inch or 6.5-inch screen. Even the 5.5-inch display of my iPhone 7 Plus belongs to a different league.
Audio
While the display of the iPhone SE impressed me just as I expected, the audio quality was a surprise. This little phone can rock.
The iPhone SE offers stereo playback with enough volume to fill a living room with sound. There's even a hint of bass that opens the sound stage and reduces distortion on complex tracks.
While listening to lo-fi hip hop beats, I noticed a depth of sound that I don't often hear on a midrange smartphone. It sounds like an older Oontz speaker that I use a lot, although the maximum volume of the iPhone SE is much lower.
Matthew Smith / Digital Trends
The clear middle section also helps in films. Large explosions and deep bass soundtracks usually destroy the smartphone speakers, with smaller and cheaper phones suffering the most. The iPhone SE isn't free of subdued dialogues, especially in action scenes where explosions and dialogues often occur simultaneously, but it's better than most of the others.
And yes, it's a huge upgrade for anyone still stuck on the original iPhone SE.
As already mentioned, there is no 3.5 mm audio jack here. To use external audio devices, you need wireless audio or a Lightning-to-3.5 mm audio adapter.
camera
Take a look at the specs and the iPhone SE's camera doesn't look impressive. It is a single lens system with a 12MP shooter. It has optical image stabilization, portrait mode, panorama mode and Smart HDR among other things, but none of it is really remarkable.
Apple claims the secret sauce is its image pipeline, powered by the powerful A13 Bionic Neural Engine. And you know what? It's a good sauce. This is the entire camera I will ever need for a phone.
Outdoor picture quality
Matthew Smith / Digital Trends
Matthew Smith / Digital Trends
Matthew Smith / Digital Trends
The new SE takes appealing photos outdoors. I wouldn't call it neutral, but the iPhone SE is less prone to dramatic, vivid shots than most Android phones. This can make the iPhone SE look flat, but the iPhone largely avoids excessive color saturation. Photos look realistic and balanced.
I have to praise the new SE's ability to handle bright light. This is a place where Android phones in the middle range are often neglected. It's not perfect, but the blue sky is less likely to overwhelm a photo's background, and the new SE usually sets the right white balance without the need for tricky adjustments.
Indoor picture quality
Matthew Smith / Digital Trends
Matthew Smith / Digital Trends
Matthew Smith / Digital Trends
The interior quality of the new SE didn't inspire me so much. The phone is still setting the correct white balance. However, due to the tendency towards neutral, realistic shots, some photos may look flat.
This is a different problem than the noisy, grainy images you see on a below-average smartphone camera. I think the photos look very sharp. You just lack the wow factor that you can see from a flagship smartphone.
However, I still think that the new SE does well in its category and you can take great indoor shots. I don't like taking test photos and I haven't done anything to improve the lighting. Simply turning on a lamp will significantly improve your results.
Image quality in low light conditions
Matthew Smith / Digital Trends
Matthew Smith / Digital Trends
I can't fault the performance of the iPhone SE in low light. Color saturation and contrast are missing, but I'm a little surprised at how clear and sharp these photos have become. You can see grain in the photo, but it's not that bad that the photo looks ugly – which is certainly the case with some medium-range phones.
However, please note that the iPhone SE does not have a night mode (or similar). If you try to take a photo outdoors at night, you won't see a lot of anything.
Enlarge image quality
Matthew Smith / Digital Trends
As a single-lens shooter, the iPhone SE lacks a zoom lens that can be used to take distant subjects. It only supports digital zoom up to 5x. However, I'm not sure if this is a big disadvantage.
Adding an optical zoom lens felt like a big deal the first time you spoke on the phone, but reception of the idea has cooled off over time, especially when the lens is only a 2, 3, or 5x zoom . I found it difficult to use and largely ignored it when I wasn't testing its quality.
I think the zoom performance of the new SE is fine for a midrange phone, even solid. If you zoom in all the way, you will see a drop in quality, but the photo is still sharp enough to use. This is better than some inexpensive phones that I have tried.
Image quality of the front-facing camera
The iPhone SE has a 7 megapixel front camera and did not impress me. It fights indoors and often delivers grainy, flat photos. Take it outdoors and it struggles with white balance and contrast. It is a functional shooter that can take good photos in ideal situations, but is not well suited for quick selfies. The salvation is the fact that all phones in this price range have similar problems.
Image quality of the portrait
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Portrait mode on the front-facing camera
The portrait mode remains breathtaking.
Suddenly, photos from the front-facing camera are raised from disappointing to not bad. The main camera, meanwhile, can take fantastic portrait photos. Remember, I am not staging the associated photos. I don't use special lighting or turn on lights in a room to take photos better. Nevertheless, I would like to share the photos I took in portrait format with friends.
It is not perfect. Portrait mode is handled entirely in software and can cause errors. Take a close look at my curly locks and you will see that sometimes they are out of focus when they shouldn't be. This is a common problem on phones with a lens that try a depth of field.
On the positive side, you can edit the pictures after taking them in different ways. You can change lighting and aperture, or omit the background entirely. It all happens with surprising speed and is a lot of fun to play with.
Photo quality: iPhone SE vs. Google Pixel 3a
The Google Pixel 3a, like the iPhone SE, costs $ 400 and is often considered the master of mid-range cell phone photography. Fortunately, I have a Google Pixel 3a XL so I can compare it directly.
iPhone SE (left) and Google Pixel 3a XL (right)
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iPhone SE (2020) - 2nd
Google Pixel 3a XL - 3rd
iPhone SE (2020) - 4th
Google Pixel 3a XL - 5.
iPhone SE (2020) - 6.
Google Pixel 3a XL - 7.
iPhone SE (2020) - 8th.
Google Pixel 3a XL
I prefer the new SE, but it's not a blowout. I think Apple's phone does a better job with white balance. This can be seen most clearly in the photo of the pizza logo against a partly cloudy sky. The iPhone delivers an accurate photo much better, while the color temperature of the Pixel 3a XL becomes too cool.
The new SE also takes the lead in portrait format. I think the image quality is comparable – but have a look at mine! The Pixel 3a XL's algorithm is significantly less aggressive. While the iPhone blurs some unpredictable locks, the Pixel 3a gives me a strange halo.
However, Apple doesn't win every photo. I prefer the photo of the Pixel 3a XL from the lush garden sidewalk. It is more alive and still looks natural. You can almost smell the fresh spring air. The photo of the iPhone SE is too flat and cannot capture my memory of the scene.
Photo quality: New iPhone SE compared to the original iPhone SE
You may be wondering what 4 years of progress you will bring. What is the answer after versions 2016 and 2020 of iPhone SE are pitted against each other? A lot of.
iPhone SE 2nd generation (left) and iPhone SE 1st generation (right)
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iPhone SE (2020) - 2nd
iPhone SE (2016) - 3rd
iPhone SE (2020) - 4th
iPhone SE (2016) - 5.
iPhone SE (2020) - 6.
iPhone SE (2016) - 7.
iPhone SE (2020) - 8th.
iPhone SE (2016) - 9.
iPhone SE (2020) - 10th
iPhone SE (2016)
The most striking thing is the enormous improvement in the white balance and color temperature of the new SE. The original iPhone SE suffers in many outdoor situations. It can't even deal with a cloudy sky. This results in excessively bright images that lack color, contrast, depth, and other features that you would associate with a good photo.
The inside photo of a hearty piece of coffee cake shows less difference in lighting and color, and you can briefly confuse the photos of each SE. However, if you take a closer look, the photo of the new iPhone SE is obviously much sharper.
Portrait mode isn't available on the original iPhone SE, of course, and that makes a big difference. Portraits of the new iPhone SE look sharper, with better contrast and far better focus on the subject.
IPhone SE camera quality summary
The new iPhone SE has a great smartphone camera. I think it outperforms the Google Pixel 3a, which is generally considered the benchmark in this category. It works well in most situations and can deliver some really great shots.
I miss something the lack of an additional camera, such as. B. an Ultrawide to improve versatility. You can find that on some competing phones. However, these phones cannot keep up with the main camera of the iPhone SE.
What the new SE lacks in versatility makes up for it by making solid recordings with little preparation.
Video quality
You can record 4K videos at up to 60 frames per second on iPhone SE or videos with extended dynamic range at up to 30 frames per second. Optical image stabilization ensures even shots, and the digital zoom works up to three times. The phone also supports slow motion 1080p videos up to 240 fps.
I don't shoot videos on cellphones often – or not at all – so I admit that I'm not the best quality assessor. I think it looks great, especially at 4K. I can imagine that most casual users will do the same. Professionals and enthusiasts can have a different opinion.
What struck the most was not quality, but speed. The new SE is a snappy performer, even when shooting 4K 60 fps. There is no delay to start recording and no delay during recording. This definitely does not apply to medium-range phones, some of which cannot record 4K at 60 fps.
performance
Apple's decision, P.A. The half-year 2008 is easily one of the most important in the company's history. Outstanding performance is a key feature of Apple phones and tablets in all price ranges.
The iPhone SE is proof of that. Although it starts at $ 400 and is significantly smaller than other newer iPhones, the SE has the same A13 Bionic processor that you find in the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. This is paired with 3 GB of RAM.
- Geekbench 5 single core: 1,324
- Geekbench 5 multi-core: 3,192
- Antutu: 484.479
- 3DMark Sling Shot: 4,024
The iPhone SE is a mid-range phone, but its performance corresponds to a flagship. The new SE's single-core Geekbench 5 score of 1,324 is almost four times faster than that of a Google Pixel 3a, and the multi-core score is almost two and a half times better. The CPU of the iPhone SE easily defeats the more expensive Google Pixel 4 XL. With the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and the OnePlus 8 Pro it goes from head to toe, wins in single-core and almost in multi-core.
All of this performance is achieved on a 4.7-inch screen with a resolution well below 1080p. The iPhone SE doesn't just fly. It screeches through apps and games like a supersonic jet. The performance is almost perfect as I have never seen it before. It's not just great. It sets new standards for mid-range phones, which I doubt Android competitors will be affected by in the next few years.
The iPhone SE doesn't just fly. It screeches through apps and games like a supersonic jet.
This is the part where I would normally try digging deeper and highlighting a few nitpicks that affect the experience. Not here. I have nothing to add. It's perfect.
warehouse
The iPhone SE for $ 400 has 64 GB of storage space. You can upgrade to 128 GB for $ 450 or choose 256 GB of storage for $ 550. You have to choose the right amount from the start, because like with other iPhones, you won't be able to add more storage later.
In contrast to some earlier entry-level iPhones, the basic storage of the new SE is sufficient. My iPhone 7 Plus has 256 GB of storage, but I only use half of it, and more than half of my use is old podcast episodes and unnecessary photos. I think a lot of people can get by with the 64GB model.
Matthew Smith / Digital Trends
Still, it's not a bad idea to spend an additional $ 50 on the 128GB model. Memory is something you don't really care about until you run out, but doing so can be annoying. The 128GB model lets you create podcasts, photos, and apps without constantly deleting old files.
I do not recommend the 256 GB model. Anyone who uses so much storage space is a serious smartphone enthusiast, and the iPhone SE's small screen doesn't take this into account for most heavy users. I know there are a handful of die-hard small phone lovers who want the 256GB model, but for most, it's overkill.
Wireless connection
The iPhone SE is not a 5G phone. Apple has been slow to adopt 5G, and the technology hasn't yet been filtered down to that price. This makes little difference for me and most buyers as 5G availability is limited. As far as I know, I would have to travel more than 250 miles to get a 5G signal.
This is a dual SIM device that can be useful for travelers and is somewhat surprising given the price of the phone. The iPhone SE supports Bluetooth 5.0 and the Wi-Fi 6 standard.
Battery life
A 1,821 mAH battery supplies the iPhone SE with power. Apple claims a battery life of up to 8 hours when streaming videos or 13 hours when playing videos from the phone's local storage. The phone supports fast charging with an 18-watt adapter (unfortunately not included in the scope of delivery) and wireless charging via Qi chargers.
Like all iPhones, the new SE draws very little juice in standby mode. I suspect it could take a week, though I didn't have it long enough to test it.
At heart, I'm not a heavy smartphone user. My personal iPhone tells me that I switched on the display between one hour and one and a half hours every day. It's been years since I last tested a phone that can't hold all day, and many can hold two. The iPhone SE is no exception.
Matthew Smith / Digital Trends
I suspect heavy users would have more problems. A half-hour benchmarking of the phone, for example, cost 12 percent of the full charge. If you want to play demanding 3D games or use the phone to watch streaming movies, it may be necessary to charge a lunchtime fee.
As already mentioned, the iPhone SE is not aimed at these owners, since the small screen size is not suitable for games or films. If you want this, buy a bigger phone.
But let's face it: Android phones can affect the battery life of the iPhone SE, just as the iPhone SE can affect the performance of Android. The Moto G Power that I recently tested has a 5,000 mAh battery. In my hands it could take two to three days. The iPhone SE can certainly not keep up.
However, battery life is not a problem for me. The iPhone SE can hold in my hands all day, and I can't get anything from a phone that lasts longer.
software
On the iPhone SE, of course, runs iOS 13. It is the killer function of the phone. Since I bought my first "real" smartphone, the HTC Thunderbolt, in 2011, I've been switching back and forth between iOS and Android phones. I always found iOS to be preferable.
Apple's iOS is faster, safer and more attractive. I despise the bloatware and the flood of senseless notifications that attack most Android phones. Yes, it is possible to configure Android to (mostly) fix the problem, but I prefer not to.
I'm not going to cover every aspect of iOS 13 here, but there are a few key features to keep in mind.
On the iPhone SE, of course, runs iOS 13. It is the killer function of the phone.
Switching from another iPhone is a breeze. Place the new and old phones side by side and use the new phone to take a photo of a pattern that appears on the screen of the old phone. This will start the transfer. This can take minutes if an iCloud backup is available. Your apps and files are making the leap, and although you'll need to sign in to some accounts again, this isn't always the case. I had the iPhone SE ready for use in 20 minutes with all my previous data.
Since the face ID is missing and the home button is present, the new SE does not use the new touch gesture navigation of the iPhone X and newer models. Wenn Sie ein alterndes iPhone wie mich besitzen, wird es Ihnen nichts ausmachen. Wenn Sie ein neues Modell besitzen und verkleinern möchten, seien Sie jedoch vorsichtig. Sie müssen alles verlernen, was Sie über das Navigieren in neuen iPhone-Modellen gelernt haben. Das könnte eine frustrierende Erfahrung sein.
Dem iPhone SE fehlt auch die Gesichtserkennung. Ich mag Gesichtsanmeldungen, wenn sie schnell und sicher sind, wie es auf dem iPhone der Fall ist, aber es ist purer Luxus. Touch ID ist schnell, flüssig und sicher. Auch hier richtet sich das iPhone SE an Personen, die ältere Telefone besitzen. Wenn Sie Face ID noch nie verwendet haben, werden Sie es nicht verpassen.
Garantie
Apple liefert das iPhone SE mit einer einjährigen Garantie. Das ist der Industriestandard.
Sie können zusätzlichen Schutz über AppleCare + erwerben, wodurch die Garantie verlängert und einige Unfälle abgedeckt werden. AppleCare + kostet 80 US-Dollar für eine Versicherungsdauer von 24 Monaten, oder Sie können von Monat zu Monat 4 US-Dollar bezahlen. AppleCare + mit Diebstahlschutz kostet 150 US-Dollar oder 8 US-Dollar monatlich.
Ich empfehle AppleCare für dieses Telefon nicht. Dies ist ein kostengünstiges Telefon und ein kleines Telefon, das (theoretisch) weniger wahrscheinlich fallen gelassen wird. Schlagen Sie einfach einen Fall darauf und nennen Sie es gut. Das Brechen eines Telefons ist zum Kotzen, aber in diesem Fall ist es nicht wahrscheinlich, sodass Sie wahrscheinlich keinen AppleCare-Dienst benötigen.
Es sei daran erinnert, dass Apple im Gegensatz zu den meisten Marken über ein großes Netzwerk von physischen Geschäften verfügt, die Service anbieten können. Ich hatte mehr Glück beim Lösen von Problemen bei einem Besuch in einem Apple Store als beim telefonischen Support anderer Marken.
Unsere Stellungnahme
Matthew Smith / Digitale Trends
Das iPhone SE ist ein gutes Telefon und einen Wert von 400 US-Dollar. Es ist nicht jedermanns Sache, aber für viele großartig, und ich würde es ernsthaft in Betracht ziehen, wenn ich jetzt ein neues Telefon kaufen müsste.
Gibt es eine bessere Alternative?
Googles Pixel 3a ist der klare Konkurrent. Es ist ein großartiges Android-Handy zu einem niedrigen Preis. Das iPhone SE ist schneller und hat eine bessere Kamera, aber das Pixel 3a hat ein größeres Display, und Sie können sich für das Pixel 3a XL für ein etwas größeres entscheiden. Derzeit kostet das Pixel 3a XL bei Amazon nur 420 US-Dollar. Ich bevorzuge iOS, daher würde ich das iPhone SE kaufen, aber Sie könnten sich für das Pixel 3a entscheiden, wenn Sie ein Fan von Android sind.
Der Platzhalter ist Googles Pixel 4a, der erwartet, aber noch nicht angekündigt wird. Dies wird wahrscheinlich zu Verbesserungen der Kamera und einer noch besseren Anzeige führen. Die Leistung wird jedoch immer noch zurückbleiben, da derzeit niemandes Silizium den A13 Bionic von Apple übertreffen kann.
Sie könnten auch das Samsung Galaxy A51 oder den Moto G Stylus in Betracht ziehen. Diese Android-Handys der Mittelklasse bieten Ihnen mehr Funktionen, von denen einige sehr schön sind. Das Galaxy A51 hat ein schönes OLED-Display und der Moto G Stylus hat einen Stylus. Es handelt sich um größere Telefone mit großen Bildschirmen, die trotz günstiger Preise für starke Benutzer geeignet sind. Sie sind solide Telefone, aber das iPhone SE bietet ein zusammenhängenderes, intuitiveres Gerät mit einem Prozessor, der beide umkreist.
Einige Käufer werden das iPhone 11 in Betracht ziehen. Es ist deutlich teurer, hat aber einen viel größeren Bildschirm und eine Ultrawide-Kamera. Machen Sie keinen Fehler, das iPhone 11 ist ein besseres Telefon. Die 300-Dollar-Lücke zwischen dem iPhone SE und dem iPhone 11 ist jedoch beträchtlich, und nicht jeder wird feststellen, dass die Vorteile des größeren Telefons den Preisanstieg wert sind.
Wie lange wird es dauern?
Das iPhone SE ist ein Fünfjahres-Telefon. Die Leistung ist ausgezeichnet und Apple liefert im Gegensatz zu den meisten Android-Marken jahrelang Betriebssystem-Updates, nachdem ein Telefon veröffentlicht wurde. Das einzige zu beachtende Problem ist die Akkulaufzeit. Es ist nur in Ordnung und nach fünf Jahren Abnutzung müssen Sie sich wahrscheinlich mit dem Aufladen am Mittag befassen.
Solltest du es kaufen?
Yes. Das iPhone SE ist ein solides iPhone für Einsteiger. Sie können ein besseres Gerät kaufen, benötigen jedoch kein besseres Gerät. Wenn Sie, wie ich, ein Smartphone als eines von vielen Geräten betrachten, für die Sie Geld ausgeben könnten, kann die Entscheidung für die 400-Dollar-SE sehr sinnvoll sein.
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