Review / Apple iPhone SE, the new US$400 smartphone going head-to-head with the Samsung Galaxy A51 and Google Pixel 3a

May 13 , 2020

The UA$400 Apple iPhone SE stands out for its fast performance, compact design and effective camera. Photo: Ben Sin

Apple built its brand on world-leading innovation, but the budget iPhone SE marks a sudden strategy shift, targeting the everyday Android user with a lower-spec, entry-level option – but can it compete? Lisa Eadicicco weighs up the good, the bad and the ugly

The new iPhone SE is unlike any smartphone Apple has released in the past two years. In fact, it looks a lot more like the iPhone you probably remember from 2017 and earlier, back when iPhones still had home buttons and smaller-sized screens.

I switched from the US$1,000 iPhone 11 Pro to Apple's new iPhone SE recently, and overall I've found it to be a solid option for Apple users looking for a cheap, portable device. The smaller and lighter size is easy to manage and operate with one hand, and Touch ID brings some convenience that Face ID can lack.

But of course, since it's significantly cheaper than the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro, it's lacking in some areas. It does not have an ultra-wide-angle camera or lowlight photography capabilities, for example, even though similarly priced Android devices offer some of those features. After spending a couple of weeks with Apple's cheapest iPhone, here are my favourite – and least favourite – things about it.

The iPhone SE runs on Apple's latest iPhone processor, which makes it feel snappy and fast

The Apple iPhone SE’s camera can’t compete with similar-priced Android models. Photo: Apple via AP

The iPhone SE runs on Apple's A3 Bionic processor, the same chip that powers the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. As a result, the iPhone SE feels snappy and fast in daily use. I found this to be especially true when switching from my old iPhone 8 to the SE. In most cases, it was able to launch apps, render 4K video clips, and find surfaces more quickly in augmented reality than Apple's more-than-two-year-old iPhone 8.

That being said, the iPhone SE is pretty similar to the iPhone 8 in just about every other way, save for a few exceptions. It's best suited for those upgrading from an iPhone 7 or older. The A13 Bionic is the major advantage the iPhone SE has over similarly-priced Android phones, many of which may offer more sophisticated cameras but run on less powerful processors.

It's small and compact, which means it's easier to use with one hand and fit into pockets

A red iPhone – cool, or tacky? Photo: Ben Sin

The iPhone SE is the most compact iPhone Apple has released in years. It has a 4.7-inch (12cm) screen just like the iPhone 8, and weighs noticeably less than the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro. The iPhone SE weighs 5.22 ounces (148 grams), while the iPhone 11 weighs 6.84 ounces and the iPhone 11 Pro weighs 6.63 ounces.

It comes with a Touch ID home button