APPLE IPHONE SE 2020:MY REVIEW AND THOUGHTS
Apple’s iPhone as we all know is not just a phone,it’s a symbol.For many years Apple’s iPhone lineup has been considered the benchmark for the smarthphone industry and though that Apple logo signifies excellence and a high status but it has always been a product for a few.We all know how much Apple devices weigh on our wallets,because of such high pricing Apple devices like the iPhone’s have never been considered as a product for the masses.But this year when the whole world is going through tough times(Covid-19 Panademic)and people are not ready to spend $1000( Approx. Rs 1,00,000) on a smartphone,Apple has come up with the cheapest iPhone that they have ever created starting at $399(Rs.42,500 in India).
So is it really worth it or it’s just a recycled iPhone 8,Lets See:
What do you look for in a new iPhone? The top of the list likely includes battery life and camera quality. There are a bunch of other specs and features you’d probably put down lower on the list like speed, screen quality, size, extra cameras, and so on.
But the most important thing for that list comes not from the specs, but from the fact that you’re looking for an iPhone-something with access to iMessage, FaceTime, a huge library of great apps, reliable software updates, and more. You could cross-shop with Android phones,but the switching cost is getting higher every year and beside this we all know that owning an iPhone is a great deal especially in a country like India.
As we all know that currently the whole world is going through a tough time because of the Covid-19 panademic and people are facing tough situations especially on the economic front.People now are not willing to spend thousands of dollars and lakhs of rupees on a smartphone and now more than ever people are willing to invest in good budget smartphones.Company like Apple have never really participated in the budget segment but now realising what people really desire now a days,they decided to capitalize on this situation and for the first time ever they have really come up with a good quality budget smartphone.
That’s the reason I am happy that Apple has listened to the people and have resurrected an old idea and released another iPhone SE. It starts at $399(Rs.42,500) for a model with 64GB of storage. For people who want an iPhone, it makes buying a brand-new phone for less than $700 (Rs 54,000 approx.)a whole lot easier. Before this week, you’d be choosing between refurbs or switching over to Android but now you can buy a new iPhone.
If you have ever held an iPhone 8,iPhone 7,iPhone 6S,or an iPhone 6,then you already know the basic shape of the 2020 iPhone SE.It has a 4.7-inch screen with big bezels above and below,a big circular home button on the bottom with a fingerprint sensor embedded in it(Touch ID),and nicely curved corners and edges.The same industrial design that Apple has used like forever.Tough this is a redundant design but it’s a same design that Apple has perfected over the years.
It is what you probably still think of as the canonical iPhone,even though the new ones have bigger screens,Face ID and those notches.Keeping that old industrial design is likely a big reason for the low cost. There’s no need for Apple to retool its factories to build it.
I get all of that, but I also get that this design looks old and redundant in 2020.There are many comparably priced Android phones that have managed to reduce their bezels. That’s not just an aesthetic consideration, either. Smaller bezels mean you can fit a bigger screen in a smaller phone body and that’s a big advantage that these budget Android phones have over the new iPhone.
The bezels are a bother,but the build quality is not. Apple’s long history with this phone design means that it’s rock-solid. There’s no flex,no gross seams, no gaps.The 4.7-inch LCD display is as good as ever, with True Tone to help color-match your surroundings.
As with the iPhone 7 and 8, the home button isn’t a physical button,but simply a spot on the bottom that gives you a tactile feedback when you press it.I’m happy to say that Apple hasn’t skimped on the haptics on this phone: they feel great unlike some trashy haptics and vibration motors of cheap Android phones.
It’s only IP67 water resistant,so it’s okay to get wet,but don’t leave it in water for too long. It’s glass on the back,too, it enable wireless charging.Both are relative rarities at this price point in a smartphone. The last hardware thing I’ll note is there is no headphone jack.It’s only worth pointing out because most inexpensive Android phones still do offer a headphone jack. Apple includes Lightning Ear Pods in the box but not an adapter. It also has Apple’s standard slow 5W charger,so while the iPhone SE supports fast-charging, the included charger doesn’t,fast charger is a seperate buy(Typical Apple….).
The 2 major changes which makes this year’s iPhone SE worth buying are the use of new A13 Bionic processor and the new camera’s.Let us see what difference these two upgrades have made:-
Let us talk about the processor first, it has the A13 Bionic which is impressive because it’s the same processor as the iPhone 11 Pro. There is no faster processor in a smartphone for any price.So yes,the iPhone SE is fast,but that’s not why the processor matters.The processor is important because it ensures that the iPhone SE will get OS updates for many years to come.
Most Android phones from the cheapest to the most expensive top out at two years of updates. Even the best,Google’s Pixel line,are only guaranteed updates for three years.That’s why iPhone’s are special.You would never get years of software support which Apple promises with any other brand and at this price point the iPhone SE outmatches any competition in terms of software support.
Speaking of longevity battery life on the iPhone SE is all right but not stellar.People are getting through a full day,averaging between four and five hours of screen-on time.I was hoping the A13 Bionic processor would unlock the longer battery life we got with the iPhone 11,but it seems that was mostly about battery size,and the SE has the same size battery as the iPhone 8,so the battery is inconsistent.
Now let’s talk about the new camera setup on iPhone SE 2020.The iPhone SE has just one 12-megapixel camera on the back and a 7-megapixel selfie camera on the front. For a budget phone the cameras are absolutely great and any complaints or gripes should be promptly dismissed given that price.They’re quite good but have some baffling shortcomings that Apple could have overcome, even at this price point.
Apple says that this iPhone SE is able to do more with the camera because of that A13 Bionic processor. It allows for portrait mode on both rear and front cameras. Apple has given this capability a very Apple-esque technical name: “monocular depth estimation.” But unlike the single-lens portrait mode on Pixel phones, the iPhone SE isn’t taking advantage of sub-pixel calculations. It’s using machine learning models to estimate depth of field.
In any sort of bright lighting conditions the iPhone SE takes absolutely lovely photos.They’re clean in the details,color-accurate and just the right amount of sharp. Dynamic range is also quite good.In fact in daylight conditions it can be hard to tell the difference between this budget phone and a flagship iPhone 11 Pro.Although I have not seen this camera personally in action but overall reviews and sample images suggest that iPhone SE has very impressive camera’s especially at this price point.
This is all great, but the disappointment comes with low-light photography. The iPhone SE simply doesn’t do as well there as it does in other situations. There’s no night mode, and in dim light, there’s just too much noise. It’s almost like the whole camera stack panics and overcorrects, especially on portraits.Sample shots in dim light and twilight conditions suggest that this is one corner that Apple has cut to make this phone cheap.But still at this price point you can’t complain about the camera’s,they are more that satisfactory for the price you are paying.
WHICH IS THE iPHONE TO GET ESPECIALLY IN INDIA
The iPhone SE 2020 has impressive hardware at a great price, the XR offers amazing battery life, while the iPhone 11 appears to offer the best of both worlds but at a higher price. I’m sure I’m not the only one wondering which of these three smartphones to pick.Let’s see according to my thought which phone I would recommend out of these 3:-
- iPhone SE 2020
First let’s talk about the iPhone SE (2020) since it’s the newest of the three smartphones.The three things I like the most about the iPhone SE (2020) are the processor,the price, and the weight. The A13 Bionic is an incredibly powerful chip and it’s a good deal if you’re getting that at Rs.42,500 onwards in India.This reminds me of last year’s iPad mini,which had launched with a really powerful processor at around Rs. 35,000 in India.
Many people have been complaining that the iPhone SE 2020 is too expensive in India when compared with its US price. While that’s fair, I think the SE’s price in India is great when you look at the competition. Apple’s most powerful chip paired with years of software updates make this a great deal. To be fair, the SE’s price could drop in a few months and it might offer even better value with a sub-Rs. 40,000 price point.Seeing the economic condition of the world during this tough times the price drop seems immient. Finally, at 148 grams, the iPhone SE 2020 is the lightest of the three smartphones we’re talking about today.
The 2 major downsides of iPhone SE 2020 are the inconsistent battery life and redundant design.That’s why now we look at our second option iPhone XR…
2. iPhone XR
There are three things going for the XR -modern design, battery life and price. I don’t need to elaborate too much about the design. It has a big screen with a notch,and I like this design a lot because I don’t have to scroll as much while reading and watching media is a delight though a still hate a notch especially that big.The battery lasts a lot longer than most other iPhones, so that’s a major plus.Finally the XR has often been available under Rs.50,000 for the 128GB variant in Inida which is great too. If you’re planning to buy an iPhone soon, the SE and XR are in the same price bracket and that makes the difference in design and battery life very important factors.
Having said that,the XR has a slightly older chip-the A12 Bionic and even though I don’t expect any performance issues anytime in the near future,I worry about potential slowdowns after two or three major OS updates and you would get more os updates and support on iPhone SE because of it’s newer chipset.That’s where our third and the strongest contender walks in the iPhone 11…
3.iPhone 11
Meet the iPhone 11.This is the ideal iPhone for me right now because it has the latest hardware,its camera supports modern features such as Apple’s excellent night mode and audio zoom, and its battery lasts even longer than the iPhone XR. You also get extras such as Dolby Atmos support and an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. The former is missing on the SE and XR,and those devices have an IP67 rating.
However, there’s just one problem here and you know it as well as I do.The 128GB variant of the iPhone 11 costs more than Rs.70,000 in India and even with a crazy discount, it’s probably not going to be anywhere near the price of the iPhone XR or SE and that’s the point which makes iPhone SE and XR a much valuable buy if you are on a budget and want to buy an iPhone…
At the end I would say that it all depends upon an individual requirements and budget. If you really want a best performer flagship device and can spend more then go for the iPhone 11 but if you are on a budget and still desires a long lasting iPhone you could go for the newest iPhone SE if you are okay with the old design or if you want a relatively newer design then u can spend a little more and can buy XR…
Conclusion:-More Than A Recycled iPhone 8
The iPhone SE shines a bright, clarifying light on the entire smartphone industry, putting even Apple’s own top-end phones in Question. What are you paying for when you spend $800 or $1,000(lakhs of rupees)or even more for a phone? The list turns out to be more about niceties than necessities.
Now a days phones with multi camera setup,high refresh rate screens and huge batteries are common but it makes us wonder that all of this are worth the price that we pay. Other than low-light photography,there’s virtually nothing that we do on these expensive flagship phones that we can’t do equally well on the iPhone SE. It is fast,capable,reliable and familiar. Surely it miss those advanced features and more expansive displays,but not as much as you might think.
Here my final rating of iPhone SE 2020 on the basis of the 5 pillars of an ideal smartphone:-
- Build Quality:-3.5/5
- Display:-3/5
- Camera:-3.5/5
- Performance:-5/5
- Battery Life:-3/5
iPhone SE 2020 is not a perfect smartphone but for the price it nails every point and gives you more than you can ask for in a cheap yet a solid good performing smartphone and thus I’ll recommend this smartphone….
This review is a mixture of my own thoughts and views of some other users who had tried this device and inputs from many other reviews and shared experiences.If you liked what you read pls clap as many times as you want,your appreciation inspires me write more. Feel free to follow me on Twitter and Facebook.Also you can read my other Articles as well Here. I’ll try to continue to write and give you relevant and good content.
Thanks a lot everyone that’s it for now i’ll come back with a new story.Stay Home And Stay Safe,Peace……..
