As every year, when the technology giant Apple announces the new iPhones, there is a lot of interest among fans and competitors – to see what Apple is hiding inside the sleeve. About a month ago, Apple launched the third generation of the iPhone SE device that first came into our lives 8 years ago.
The bottom line is clear: the device brings with it significant lines for processor performance and camera quality, alongside an ornate look with a not-so-cheap price tag.
Even before we talk about the specifications of the device itself, we need to understand that this is an unusual device in the landscape. We are usually used to the fact that the starting price of an Apple product is about NIS 3,000. We accept the fact that when we purchase a dark product we pay a considerable amount for the coveted brand. In addition, we know we can get a cheaper device with no less good specifications. This perception, Apple is interested in changing with the current device. The starting price of the iPhone SE is NIS 1,899 (dynamics prices). Unlike previous editions of this device, this is now an exceptional event where Apple is interested in giving you an ‘applicative’ experience, even if not complete, mainly thanks to various upgrades and a price tag accordingly.
If you will, this is a device designed for particularly basic consumers or even for children who insist in front of their parents to get an iPhone. If you are looking for the devices with the best camera or experience of using a colorful and exciting OLED screen, you will not find it here. This device is mainly for those who are interested in an Apple device and insist on it, and need a small device and without too much sophistication. And that’s exactly what Apple did.
The design of the new SE is taken from an iPhone 8 launched in 2017. The new device has massive black borders at the top and bottom, which means that the 4.7-inch LCD screen is not spread over the entire screen but only on its part – and it looks just plain bad. We have become accustomed in recent years to the fact that most devices have a screen that extends over the entire front surface of the device and leaves no margins, certainly not huge margins. The current design of the iPhone SE in my opinion should go out of the world, is outdated and not inviting at all. Every time I turned on the screen, I felt like it was an unnecessary and tiring design decision, and in my humble opinion it was time to say goodbye to this design.
Even more nuts and I will say that in the overall experience the device felt like a non-innovative toy at all. Apple coated the device with extra-strong glass in order to provide an impressive grip. But for me it felt like compensation and not particularly convincing. The device weighs 144 grams, which did not add to its ornate impression. My friends, who were looking for a particularly small device were thrilled that it went into their little pockets and that it was not excessive, but beyond that – I did not share the overall enthusiasm.
Alongside this, the screen itself as mentioned LCD, provides good colors and has True Tone to adjust the temperature of the screen color to the lighting conditions. The device supports 60 Hz and has 600 rivets at peak brightness, which is a spin, though it was more possible. Of course if you go for the iPhone 13 Mini, you will get an impressive OLED screen and it will look much better.
For those of you who do not like the Face ID, it means the face recognition through which the device is unlocked, in the iPhone SE you return to the fingerprint sensor (Touch ID). The sensor placed on the home button was abandoned a few generations ago in the flagship devices. That is, until Apple released the update that allows the device to be opened even when wearing a mask, many users hoped that they would have the option for this feature.
I have to admit, to me it felt a little detached. As mentioned, I was already used to interacting with the device without a home button, which is a use that was a bit lacking. However, of course, users who have not yet been infected with the habit bacterium can find solace in the home button. For sure, maybe the stage has come to put the fingerprint sensor under the screen and maybe it will help these huge margins.
Extremely advanced processor
We will continue to the particularly significant news in this device, of course the company’s advanced A15 Bionic processor. This is a very advanced processor, for comparison, it is the processor that is found in the various iPhone 13 devices. There is no doubt that the processor gives a significant boost in use here, the experience is much faster and the device knows how to run even when it is particularly busy. The running memory of the device stands at 4GB of RAM and the basic storage space in the device starts from 64GB – however I must admit that in my eyes it is not enough and it can be filled too easily.
A significant derivative of this gospel – is the use of the camera. On the face of it, the specs are similar to the previous generation from 2020, there is a 12 megapixel sensor on the back with a wide angle, and on the front there is a 7 megapixel sensor. But the combination of Apple’s new A15 processor, provides much better images – because it has smart processing features and a combination of additional technologies. Now, after integrating the new processor, the device supports HDR4 and it is possible to shoot 4K videos at 60 frames per second and this is really impressive for a device of this type. A noticeable disadvantage in the photo set is in the night mode. On the iPhone SE you will not be able to get quality photos at night due to the lack of night mode. It sucks that it’s impossible and it might be missing you, but whoever buys this device is not really looking to take pictures on a level, but a device that if something needs to be photographed, then there will be the option.
One last point is the battery life. The battery capacity stands at 2,018 mAh, and here too, thanks to the processor, there is an improvement from the previous generation. The device goes through a working day on a single charge, which means reaching the end of the day with 20% remaining in the battery. The device has a fast charge of 18W, so you can charge your battery in more or less an hour. Of course you can get better value on other devices, but again, this is who wants Apple and Apple’s operating system.
Many have asked me what the difference is between the new SE and the Mini that Apple released a few months ago. For the Mini device you will pay NIS 1,000 more but you will still get a bigger screen, Face ID support, two rear cameras. In short, much more advanced design. But, honestly, pay about NIS 2,000 and get a discounted iPhone? In my opinion, this is a good value for the price. In fact, we see that Apple has made accurate calculations here in terms of the concessions that can be made to offer a device that will provide improved performance, and yet, still offer value to the customer. In conclusion, alongside the good news like the most advanced processor and the camera that provides good images, there is a sense of a toy here with an old design that needs to go out of the world.
*** Full disclosure: Dynamics Network, an official importer of Apple products in Israel, provided us with the device for review