Apple just launched its newest, most affordable iPhone — and although it might not look new to you, it’s what’s on the inside that counts.
The iPhone SE is the cheapest, most powerful iPhone you can buy. It packs Apple’s latest A15 Bionic chipset and supports 5G. Plus, it has a more durable build quality and better battery life than its predecessors.
I’ve been testing the iPhone SE for just under a week, and although it has a dated design with bigger bezels and a smaller 4.7-inch screen than the rest of Apple’s iPhone lineup, it’s still a decent device that’s a great choice for many people who are in the market for a new smartphone.
KEY SPECS
• 4.7-inch 1,334 x 750 Retina HD display with 326 pixels per inch, True Tone
• A15 Bionic chip with neural engine
• Up to 256GB of storage
• 12MP camera with optical image stabilization
• 7MP front-facing camera
• Touch ID fingerprint sensor
• Built-in stereo speakers
• Fast wired charging, up to 7.5-watt wireless charging
• IP67 water-resistant
• Wi-Fi 6, Sub-6 5G, Bluetooth 5.0
Technically, the iPhone SE is $30 more expensive than the second-generation iPhone SE that came before it. It starts at $429 and sports a similar build as the iPhone 8. It comes in black, white, and red.
The iPhone SE proves that you don’t need to drop serious bank to receive a quality smartphone experience. Here’s a breakdown of its design, hardware, and performance.
DESIGN
The iPhone SE has a bit of a divisive design. Given its form factor, it’s practically identical to the iPhone 8 from 2017. Just like the legacy device, it has curved edges, a 4.7-inch screen, a home button, and a Touch ID fingerprint sensor.
I wish the iPhone SE had slimmer bezels and an edge-to-edge display like the budget-friendly iPhone XR that came out in 2018. On the other hand, I’m sure there are loads of people out there who love Touch ID and their iPhone’s home button. These folks likely don’t want or need a nearly bezel-less display that only supports gestures and unlocks with Face ID. Trust me: I can relate because I was really bummed when Apple removed the headphone jack!
The good news is that the iPhone SE features a durable aluminum and glass design that provides four times better drop protection than previous iPhones. Case in point: It accidentally fell off my desk face down — about 3 feet — on my hardwoods, and it didn’t even have a scratch, let alone a cracked display.
Additionally, the iPhone SE has an IP67 rating, meaning it will survive splashes and accidental spills. It can withstand being submerged in up to 3 feet of water for 30 minutes.
If you have smaller-sized hands, you’ll appreciate the iPhone SE’s more compact and narrow design, which makes it easier to extend your thumb across its display. A case alleviates the iPhone SE's slipperiness, and fortunately, if you’re upgrading, your existing iPhone SE (2020) or iPhone 8 case will still fit.
DISPLAY
The iPhone SE is equipped with a 4.7-inch Retina HD LCD display with a 1334 x 750 resolution. Although I’ve tested a handful of devices that have more vivid and higher-resolution displays, the iPhone SE is plenty sharp. It’s also equipped with Apple’s signature True Tone tech, which reduces eye strain by automatically adjusting the white balance to match the ambient lighting around you.
The display reaches up to 625 nits of brightness, supports P3 wide color, and has an oleophobic coating on the glass to prevent smudges and fingerprints. It also supports Haptic Touch, which provides physical feedback for button presses.
Given the existence of the iPhone 13 mini, which caters to folks who prefer small smartphones, I wish Apple had made the iPhone SE with a larger display to cater toward budget shoppers who prefer bigger screens. Its screen just feels cramped, and doesn’t show as much content as present-day smartphones do.
CAMERAS
Technically, the latest iPhone SE has the same camera system as its predecessor. Despite the identical lenses and sensors, the new A15 chip does make a difference when it comes to camera quality. The iPhone SE supports Apple’s stellar neural image-processing tech (what Apple calls “Deep Fusion”) to ensure you get a crisp, highly detailed photo every time.
Would I have liked for the iPhone SE to have an additional ultra wide lens, like the newer iPhones? Absolutely! But that inclusion would likely have made the iPhone SE more expensive.
The 12 MP main wide camera is still plenty capable. Despite not featuring Night mode, I found that the iPhone SE produced good-enough colorful photos, even in low-light conditions. I also appreciate the inclusion of Portrait Mode, which especially comes in handy for taking selfies with the 7MP front camera.
As for recording video, the iPhone SE captures UHD content at up to 60 frames per second, with impressive video stabilization to boot. Without an ounce of doubt, it’s the best video camera you’ll find on a phone in its price range.
One more thing worth mentioning is that given the iPhone SE’s more compact size, it’s easier to open the camera app one-handed. So, you can multitask and snap quick photos before a moment has passed.
PERFORMANCE
The onboard A15 processor for the iPhone SE is the fastest processor in a phone. What does this mean for you? Increased longevity so you won’t have to upgrade your phone for years to come, zippier performance, better battery life, and improved visuals.
The iPhone SE has 2.2 times faster GPU performance than the iPhone 8, so it’s better suited for mobile gaming, too. No matter how many apps I had running, the iPhone didn’t bat an eye. In fact, it performed on par with devices like the Galaxy 22+, which costs twice as much.
As for battery life, Apple says you can expect up to 15 hours of video playback, up to 10 hours of streaming video playback, and up to 50 hours of audio playback. In comparison to the previous iPhone SE, the latest model has a bigger battery, so you can expect a couple of additional hours of use.
If you’re coming from a second-generation iPhone SE, iPhone 8, iPhone 7, or iPhone 6, I promise that you’ll be impressed with the battery life of the iPhone SE. I switched from my iPhone 12 mini and found I didn’t have to top off my battery as frequently, even on lazy days at home when I was glued to my device.
In comparison to the iPhone 13 series, you’ll get a little less battery life, and the base model iPhone SE includes 64GB of storage capacity (half the space of the iPhone 13 series). Additionally, iPhone SE does not support MagSafe — meaning it only supports up to 7.5-watt wireless charging, which isn’t as fast.
Fortunately, it still supports fast charging, so a 20-watt USB adapter will give you a 50% charge in just half an hour. I can’t recommend opting for a fast charger enough for this device, especially if you plan to game on the iPhone SE — that will drain the battery at a faster rate.
WHO THE iPHONE SE IS FOR
Given its moniker, it may be hard to decipher where exactly the iPhone SE falls in Apple’s iPhone lineup and who it’s made for. Speaking as someone who has been covering mobile phones for a decade, I think the iPhone SE is a fine choice for the following people:
- Existing iPhone SE, iPhone 6, iPhone 6S, iPhone 7, iPhone 8 users looking to upgrade
- Grandparents who want an easy-to-use and reliable device
- Shoppers on a budget looking to spend around $400
- Parents looking to buy their child their first smartphone
- People who prefer unlocking their device with their fingerprint, rather than their face
- People who prefer having a physical home button to gesture-based navigation
- People who want a more affordable backup iPhone that they won’t worry about damaging or losing as much as their primary device
- Corporations that want a secure, yet affordable device for their employees
If you’re a die-hard Android fan, for just 20 bucks extra, consider opting for the Google Pixel 5A, which offers more storage space, a larger 6.3-inch OLED display, a headphone jack, and improved camera performance. But the Pixel has a lesser processor, doesn’t have as durable of a build quality, and lacks wireless charging.
WRAP-UP
Lack of a refreshed design aside, the iPhone SE is a solid Apple device that’s totally fine for your average consumer.
It might sound a bit odd, but I’d compare the iPhone SE to vanilla ice cream. Smartphone and tech enthusiasts will likely scoff at it for not having as many sprinkles and toppings as a more expensive device — or to continue the analogy — “an ice cream sundae” would have.
The iPhone SE may have thicker bezels, a smaller-sized screen, and lesser storage space, but I don’t think the iPhone SE was made for the tech-obsessed “sundae lovers.”
It’s made for people who could care less about tech or what processor a device has. The iPhone SE is a smartphone for someone who doesn’t want to upgrade every year, but rather every four years. It’s the smartphone to buy if you don’t want to spend a lot of money, but still need something that’s reliable, durable, and will get software updates for many years to come. It's a superb smartphone with a good-enough battery life, loud speakers, and a decent camera.
I say there’s nothing wrong with vanilla ice cream. And while it may be a little boring, it’s dependable — just like the iPhone SE.
