Summary: Apple’s up to date entry-level iPhone mannequin is super-powerful, however comes with a display that’s beginning to really feel outdated. It has improved battery life, however can nonetheless run out in late afternoon for those who use it loads. Because it’s the one iPhone with a fingerprint reader, it’s a sensible choice for individuals who favored the texture of their iPhone 6, 7 or 8 fashions, or who desire a budget-friendly entry into iOS. It is much less prone to swimsuit somebody who wants good battery life or a extra conventionally-sized smartphone display.

Price: €529 (64GB), €579 (128GB), €699 (256GB).

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On one stage, the iPhone SE is a comparatively primary smartphone. It has the smallest, slowest display round. It makes use of the identical bodily cellphone design as iPhones from six years in the past. And it’s the solely smartphone on this worth class with only a single rear digital camera lens and a default storage stage of solely 64GB.

iPhone SE (2022) in midnight black

On the opposite hand, the iPhone SE can also be probably the most {powerful} smartphones in its class. Despite the ‘samey’ design, its engine blows virtually all similarly-priced opponents away: that issues for lag-free use and if you wish to maintain onto this for 4 or 5 years, as an alternative of simply two or three years. Its interface and operation are clean as butter, too. And though you’re caught with a single rear digital camera, it’s pretty excellent, particularly for video, compared to most telephones at that worth. And if fingerprint-unlocking is your factor, Touch ID continues to be the perfect, quickest, most dependable system in the marketplace.

Here’s what I discovered after just a few days’ continuous use.

1. Screen

If there’s one factor that makes the iPhone SE an ‘entry level’ smartphone, it’s the display. At 4.7 inches, this is likely one of the smallest smartphone shows now you can purchase, regardless of the general handset being bodily longer and wider than the 5.4-inch iPhone 13 mini. Unless you’ve been utilizing an iPhone 6, 7 or 8, or one other previous cellphone with a small display, it’s an adjustment to get used to a display this dimension, particularly when most unusual price range telephones’ shows nowadays begin at six inches, virtually twice the scale of this one.

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The iPhone SE (2022) is available in three completely different colors

The iPhone SE’s display can also be primary in different methods. It’s nonetheless 60Hz, which makes it one of many ‘slowest’ scrolling screens on a cellphone costing €500 or extra. If you’re switching to this from any iPhone sooner than an iPhone 13 (or 12 Pro), you received’t discover it, although.

And it’s nonetheless vibrant and vibrant (as much as 625 nits).

One bonus is that the iPhone SE’s display is barely more durable than most earlier iPhone fashions, utilizing hardier glass on the entrance (and again) to make it just a bit extra immune to being jostled or bumped. It’s additionally comparatively smudge-proof, due to an oleophobic coating, back and front.

2. Engine and energy

This is the place the iPhone SE genuinely surprises. Its A15 Bionic chip pushes it to a efficiency that’s at, or in some instances above, an iPhone 12 Pro. That’s regardless of Apple protecting the Ram reminiscence stage to a modest 4GB.

It was actually {powerful} sufficient to undergo something I threw at it. It zipped between apps, by no means stalling or lagging as soon as. Using issues like Maps was fully clean, even when swirling by means of streets utilizing the satellite tv for pc 3D mode. It’s actually beefy sufficient to deal with the overwhelming majority of first rate cellular video games, even when the display dimension isn’t ultimate for this goal.

In phrases of comparative uncooked energy, my on-line benchmarking assessments instructed that it performs beneath the extent of an iPhone 13, however at, or above, that of an iPhone 12 Pro. That is a really superior arsenal for a cellphone to have, when it’s speculated to the be the fleet’s ‘basic’ mannequin.

3. Camera

If you’re shopping for a cellphone for the perfect digital camera, the iPhone SE’s huge limitation is having only a single rear digital camera lens. This isn’t a shock, or perhaps a disappointment — that is Apple’s ‘basic’ iPhone; there are six different iPhone fashions (Apple nonetheless sells the 2019 iPhone 11 on its on-line Irish retailer), all of which have at the least two rear lenses.

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Rosie the labradoodle: a snap from the iPhone SE (2022). Photo: Adrian Weckler

That single rear digital camera is its normal 12-megapixel, wide-angle (or ‘1x’), f1.8 aperture lens system. From my testing of it, it’s a comparatively high-performing set-up that delivers fairly glorious outcomes, with one or two caveats.

Apple features a portrait mode right here, with all of its glorious modifying controls, each for selfies and from the rear digital camera.

Its regular on a regular basis snaps are additionally usually very good, with nice element and very good use of HDR to stability photographs out.

On the opposite hand, there’s no evening mode for normal photographs, which might be the largest ‘standard’ cellphone digital camera characteristic you may miss on this gadget.

This is a little bit of a disappointment, as Apple might in all probability have included it with no further effort or price. The evening mode is generally a software program characteristic powered by the cellphone’s engine; the iPhone SE has probably the most {powerful} chips in the marketplace. (There is an automated evening mode for Time Lapse photographs in low gentle.)

Video is a comparative spotlight. Apple has thrown in optical stabilisation, that means that handheld shaky movies prove way more easily than another telephones at this worth. Apple has additionally added 4K video at as much as 60 frames per second, which is greater than sufficient for any videography. You may also select 1080p at 60 frames per second (my default), 1080p at 30 frames per second, or 720p at 30 frames per second (if you wish to save house).

I shot a number of photographs and movies alongside my iPhone 13 Pro and there’s no query that the Pro mannequin does a noticeably higher job at video. For picture snaps, the distinction isn’t as instantly clear, till you shoot in low gentle.

All mentioned, if the digital camera isn’t a major buying motivation however you need to have an honest one for the events once you want it, the iPhone SE greater than suffices.

4. Design and really feel

This is the lightest and thinnest iPhone you should buy, regardless of being barely longer and wider than the iPhone 13 mini. That makes it very pocket-friendly. Apple has additionally toughened up the glass on the entrance and rear of the cellphone, utilizing the identical high-end materials as on the flagship iPhone 13 and 13 Pro fashions. It is available in a alternative of three colors: ‘midnight’ (shiny black), ‘starlight’ (white) or Product Red.

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iPhone SE (2022) in ‘midnight’ color. Photo: Adrian Weckler

5. Battery

Apple says that it has added round two hours of typical every day battery life (as much as round 10 hours of streaming video playback) per cost to the iPhone SE, due to a bodily bigger battery and the extra environment friendly A15 Bionic chip.

However, it’s nonetheless probably the most modest battery efficiency within the iPhone vary. In the three full days I’ve used it to date, it has wound right down to 20pc by round 5pm, signficantly sooner than I’d expertise from a flagship mannequin.

To be truthful, this isn’t designed to be Apple’s ‘power-user’ iPhone: if you need one thing that’s actually good for battery efficiency, the 13 or (particularly) the 13 Pro fashions are spectacular – these fashions put Apple on the high of the battery life league (for the primary time).

For the document, the largest battery drain causes I skilled utilizing the iPhone SE got here from the same old sources: the digital camera, extreme app-hopping and flitting out and in of social media apps. Using the display at near most brightness didn’t assist, both. On the opposite hand, issues like video streaming (YouTube or Netflix) didn’t sap it too badly.

As for charging, the iPhone SE does assist wi-fi charging (from any normal Qi charger). It can even cost utilizing Apple’s circula MagSafe charger, however doesn’t assist different MagSafe options. It’s able to charging at as much as 20 watts, which implies you’ll be able to recharge it in underneath an hour.

And as is now the norm, there isn’t any charger or earphones within the field. There is a cable, although – a ‘Lightning’ to USB-C wire (which implies you want a USB-C plug and never the older USB-A ones that most individuals have mendacity round their houses).

6. Other issues of be aware

The iPhone SE comes with 5G on board, though there aren’t but many obvious advantages from utilizing the know-how. Apple has just a few concepts right here, although, together with what it calls ‘Shareplay’. This is designed to allow you to watch TV exhibits in sync with mates utilizing FaceTime.

The cellphone can also be water and mud immune to an IP67 normal, which implies it will possibly survive being in water for as much as half-hour at a metere’s depth.

The iPhone SE’s audio system are very first rate, however clearly behind fashions such because the iPhone 13 or 13 Pro.

Finally, the cellphone ships with iOS 15.4, which has various new options and design tweaks, from alarms to AirTag security updates.

7. Who does the iPhone SE actually swimsuit?

To me, this cellphone fits two potential forms of purchaser. The first is somebody who has had an iPhone 6, 7 or 8 and likes that handset’s kind issue, particularly the bodily button. This particular person, who is okay with the display dimension, is getting an excellent deal within the iPhone SE. This is a technically up-to-date gadget that may final a number of years and can deal with any on-line service or app throughout that interval, due to its muscular engine. And they’re paying little greater than half what they might for an iPhone 13. It’s actually lower than their iPhone 6, 7 or 8 price once they purchased it.

The second potential purchaser is somebody who’s in search of a considerably budget-friendly entry into iPhones. At €529, the iPhone SE hits that mark. However, it’s value stating that the still-available iPhone 11 prices simply €80 extra, has a a lot greater display (despite the fact that the cellphone itself isn’t a lot greater), barely higher battery life and two rear cameras. Its solely actual downside is that its engine isn’t fairly as sturdy. Overall, it could nonetheless truly be a greater deal for somebody who’s used to bigger screens.

8. Conclusion

If you’re snug with the smaller display, and don’t want a cellphone for fixed energy use or images, it is a genuinely first rate purchase. Yes, you may get higher {hardware} specs (engine apart) from many telephones at this worth. But a giant chunk of what you’re paying for right here is the iPhone’s iOS working system, which is as a lot about entry to issues like FaceTime and iMessage (and possibly even ‘Find My’ and Apple Pay, too) as it’s to a sophisticated feature-set.

The iPhone SE’s largest plus is that Apple caught its A15 Bionic chip into this cellphone, that means it’ll work very well for years to return. Its largest minus is what seems like an outdated, small display.