The Apple iPhone SE (2020) Review: The affordable iPhone is here!
Apple has entered into the mid-range price segment by creating an iPhone for the masses and so the iPhone SE is back after its earlier version which was launched in 2016. This new iPhone is just called the SE and not SE 2.0 or 2nd edition with the term “SE” standing for Special Edition or I can say the Small Edition.
The return of the iPhone SE has proved to be a game-changer in the market with its pricing and we will find out if the cheapest iPhone is worth to buy or not. There are no new highlighting features for the iPhone SE 2020 as the message was clear from Apple this time, to produce an iPhone for the masses and they delivered.
Key Highlights
- The iPhone SE 2020 is equipped with Apple’s latest A13 Bionic Processor which is found in the current iPhone 11 series and runs on IOS 13
- It is the cheapest iPhone, starting at just 399$
- It comes in three colors — Black, White and Product Red.
- Its size dimensions are138.4mm x 67.3mm x 7.3mm and weighs at 148g
- It comes with a 4.7 — inch LCD display with big bezels and the design is similar to the earlier iPhone 8
- It has a single rear 12MP / f1.8 camera and a 7MP selfie camera and takes good quality images
- Battery life is not that good as it packs a small battery of 1,821mAh
- It has features such as Wireless Charging, IP67 certification of Splash, Water, and Dust Resistant and also it has the Home button with Touch ID support
Price, Release Date and Color Options
The iPhone SE 2020 was launched on April 24th and it was a quiet and sudden launch event this time. It will be available starting from this week. The iPhone SE 2020 is priced at at $399 / £419 / AU$749 / Rs 42,500 for the 64GB model. There also 128GB and 256GB models available at higher prices.
It is available in three color options — Black, White and Product Red (Proceeds go to Covid-19 Relief Fund)
Display and Design
The design for the iPhone SE 2020 is exactly the same as iPhone 8 in terms of its size and appearance and that is the reason Apple was able to launch the SE 2020 at this 399$ price segment by using the same manufacturing process. It is the result of iPhone 8’s design with iPhone 11 like internal specs.
It has a 4.7-inch screen with big bezels and gives that vintage look as to previous iPhones. This does not have the design as to how other phones are having in 2020 where the trend if to go all screen design without any bezels. The small phone is very compact and easier to use in day to day performance. The size dimensions are 138.4mm x 67.3mm x 7.3mm and weighs at 148g only which makes it very lightweight. It also brings back the Home button with Touch ID support.
The iPhone SE 2020 does not have the best display out there but it is still quite good compared to its price and still feels very premium. It has a 4.7-inch LCD Retina HD Display and 1334-by-750-pixel resolution at 326 ppi. Usually all other iPhones have OLED displays whereas this has a LCD display but still we cant complain given its price.
Camera Setup
Usually all the cheap phones does not have the best cameras so we need to see how well does the new iPhone SE 2020 performs. It comes with only one rear facing camera which is 12MP /f1.8 with digital zoom up to 5x and is similar to the camera setup of the iPhone 8. It also has the Portrait Lighting effects as seen on the higher end iPhones and video recording function for upto 4K 60FPS. It also has a 7MP selfie camera which takes decent good quality photos.
The camera quality is very good and is close to the iPhone 11 in terms of its camera performance as it uses machine learning capabilities from its latest chipset to capture brilliant shots with correct color accuracy and also to analyze depth of field and can confirm that its camera is far better than any other android phones at this price segment. The photos are as clear as the iPhone 11 series and we can’t complain more at the 399$ price range.
Software and Performance
The iPhone SE 2020 might look small in size but it is still a very powerful device. It is powered by the Apple’s latest A13 Bionic processor which is the same as found in the iPhone 11 series so there is no compromise in terms of performance even at this price range and the phone feels very fast and responsive to use. It also runs on the latest version of iOS 13 which is one of the best operating systems in the market in terms of its performance.
Battery Life and Other Features
Apple did not disclose the battery size for the iPhone SE 2020 but as it is based on the design of iPhone 8, we expect it to have a similar battery in the range of 1,821mAh which is very small compared to the current trend. The Battery life is not that great and just manages to last throughout the day and in certain cases a charger is required by night time but looking at the phone size it should not be an issue at most times.
There are also certain other features you get on the iPhone SE 2020 which you don’t see on other 399$ phones such as Wireless charging and IP67 certification for Splash, Water, and Dust Resistant. It also has Fingerprint Unlock and Touch ID support.
My Verdict
The iPhone SE is a very good and powerful device at the 400$ price range. This is the iPhone for the masses and now the dream to own an iPhone can become a reality for many people out there. This phone is for any Apple fan who does not care about the design and size and wants a new powerful device similar to the iPhone XR or the iPhone 11 and does not want to spend the extra buck.
It is also an option for all the current Android users who were looking to switch to Apple but could not afford the iPhone before as with the SE, they are getting a performance upgrade which is much better than any android phone at this price segment. Only Google’s Pixel 3a can give competition to the iPhone SE 2020 at this price range and performance level.
But overall, it’s a value for money device packed with powerful specs that can take on other competitor devices at this price range and only lacks little in the Camera, Display and Battery department but for 399$ it should not bother that much as the pros are more than the cons.
