iPhone SE: Affordable model offers great camera features and 5G capabilities

iPhone SE €529

Last week saw the launch of a new version of the iPhone SE, Apple’s more affordable iPhone, at the tech giant’s first event of the year.

There was plenty to be excited about. Although the iPhone SE doesn't look much different from its 2020 version, keeping the iPhone 8 aesthetic and its 4.7-inch screen, there are some important changes that Apple has made on the inside, updates that make it more powerful and a better long-term bet for consumers.

The first is the inclusion of 5G. The iPhone 12, which went on sale in October 2020, was the first of Apple’s smartphones to include support for the next-generation mobile network technology, but the SE launched in April of that year – mid pandemic, without the usual fanfare – and with its slightly longer update cycle, hadn’t been updated since.

The 2022 version of the iPhone SE now supports the new networks, which future-proofs your phone for a few years, and given Apple’s long support cycle for its phones in terms of software updates – the six-year-old iPhone 6s was still getting software updates as of iOS 15 – that’s to be welcomed.

The new SE also has the A15 Bionic chip inside, a six-core chipset and the same chip that powers the iPhone 13. That means faster processing power for the phone and a longer lifespan and support for future versions of Apple’s software.

It also helps with the camera functions. While the camera spec may seem the same on paper, at 12 megapixels for the rear and 7 megapixels for the front camera, there have been some changes. You still only get the single camera, so no telephoto or ultrawide lenses, but there are more advanced computational photography features.That includes Smart HDR 4, which improves contrast and skin tones in your photos; “Deep Fusion”, which reduces noise and improves detail and textures in your shots; and photographic styles, which allows you to apply a look to your images in the camera as you take them. With this in mind, the loss of the ultrawide lens on the iPhone SE doesn’t seem as important.

There is also no night mode, which may be a dealbreaker for some. However, it also means the camera doesn’t automatically break into the long exposure that can be ruined by an inopportune movement, so there are some benefits to its exclusion.

For biometrics, Apple has stuck with Touch ID, relying on your fingerprint, rather than your face, to unlock your phone. That could be a cost issue, but likewise there are some people who just don’t fancy the idea of facial recognition of any form, even for their own personal devices. And given the last couple of years, there are times when a facial scan just isn’t as convenient as you might think.

The SE also gets improved battery life, adding a couple of hours of talk time over the 2020 version. It comfortably lasted the day during initial tests, although the more you load on to the phone, the more battery life will come under pressure.

The good:

If you aren’t a fan of Face ID or simply prefer the look of the iPhone 8, you’re in luck; while the 13 Mini offers a larger screen in a smaller handset, the iPhone SE is thinner and lighter.

A better chip, 5G and more advanced photography features meanwhile make the iPhone SE a solid entry into the iPhone ecosystem.

The price is the winning factor here; Apple may have increased it by €30 over the 2020 version, but it’s still reasonable and the upgraded chip and 5G capabilities make it worth paying the extra.

The not so good:

Opting for the more affordable iPhone means you do miss out on a few extras, particularly on the camera. The single lens works great, but you might miss the dual camera setup of the more expensive iPhones.

The SE also lacks night mode, which means low-light photos won’t be as good as you’d get with the iPhone 13 Mini, although the Deep Fusion technology will help in poor lighting.

You could opt for the iPhone 11, which is only €80 more and has the dual camera and ultra-wideband that makes it possible to get turn-by-turn directions for items such as your AirTags, but the lack of 5G support could ultimately limit the phone’s usefulness in the future.

The rest:

The iPhone SE 2022 is available in three colours: midnight, starlight and product red (black, white and red, to the rest of us). The iPhone SE also supports wireless charging, but doesn’t tie in as well with the MagSafe accessories; you can use the charger but it doesn’t have the magnetic attachment built in.

The verdict:

A solid iPhone that won’t break the bank.

[ apple.com ]