Hard times are calling for a new kind of technology, and certainly with great luck not predicting the future, this spring Apple just entered the iPhone model the world was looking for.
With the iPhone SE (2020), one has to stick with the old design, but the new processor; old camera setup, but with new photo features. And all of this at a price of € 489. Given the current market, nothing could suggest that it will end up failing.
Chances are it will end up being the best seller, but is it worth it? For us to review in the depth of the iPhone SE (sample copy obtained by MobileFun), performed a test of speed, battery and camera, evaluated its features and analyzed its design to help you determine if it is a cell phone for you.
If you need general help, don't miss it IPhone Shopping Guide. For our tips on how to find the best conversations, you should read our selection the best deals on the iPhone.
Design and production quality
Some of the owners of the 2016 iPhone SE would have preferred that Apple took that device and introduced new features inside. Its 4 ”screen and thin body have been a very attractive SE feature and should be designed that we no longer see on iOS or Android. Those who have smaller hands and want to buy a smaller device have something more complicated.
The new SE is not a copy of the old SE, but a revised version. Re-use the new iPhone design, IPhone 8, which went on sale in 2017 and is now on sale. So, we still have the home button and the bezels are tightly packed, but this time we have a 4.7 ”mirror and a 148 g body (the original SE weighs 113 g).
Although you can't keep it in your pocket as carefully as the previous one, it's still a simple cell phone that won't cost you one hand. Curved edges appear to be easier to hold in this critter than the square Pro squares found in the original SE and are sure to re-reach IPhone 12.
The new SE also shares its compatibility with wireless charging as well as its water and dust resistance IP67 and iPhone 8. That's somehow under the waterproof opposition of the iPhone XS and the latest, measured models to measure IP68. You can still soak for 30 minutes deep. (The original SE had no IP rating, and Apple did not say it had water.)
So, at standard prices, a review, or at least in terms of design, and we don't like it. We have already mentioned that the iPhone 8, when SE is copying its design, appeared in 2017. It is fair to say that, again, the iPhone 8 was also a copy (with minor changes) of IPhone 6 which came out in 2014.
The new fashionable SE is thought to be the last iPhone to hit the market. This shouldn't be a problem, but it's worth mentioning to those who want a self-contained tool.
Show
Let's move on to its 4.7-inch screen, a screen that first-time SE owners will see as big, but actually smaller compared to all the other Apple rooms with bezel-low panels.
The iPhone SE comes with Apple's standard Retina HD LCD display. That means the pixel size is 326 dpi (resolution is 1334 x 750), the brightness is 625 nits, the contrast ratio is 1400: 1, and it has True Tone.
You will find the highest pixel count and many other Android mobiles. The Sony Xperia XZ Premium currently holds a record at 807 dpi, but the lower 400 dpi is more or less than that on budget models. The more expensive iPhones have a 458 dpi Super Retina display.
A few years ago, Apple said that the human eye could only launch a 326 dpi screen at smartphone, but recent advances (in fact the fact that the company itself has produced cell phones by many pixels) have proved otherwise.
However, all of this is not to say that the SE panel is not sharp, bright and full of colors, but the opposite. Very good screen, but not the best on the market.
Also, it is not an OLED panel. It was easy to predict that would be the case, since Apple wasn't even included with the OLED screen on its iPhone 11, which costs from € 809. OLED displays offer more blacks, contrast, and bright colors than LCDs, while using less power. . But they are currently limited, or at least in a category Smartphones Apple, in models the premium.
A quick check
We've talked a lot about what Apple has reworked. Now let's understand the issues, starting with the processor.
The new SE comes with the A13 chip. It's nothing new, new, as we saw earlier with iPhones 11 arriving in the fall of 2019, but at the time of writing this to review, It's a very powerful mobile processor from Apple and the fastest chip to be the cheapest mobile. On paper, or Many expensive android phones can beat it.
Before you get too excited, note that this A13 chip comes with just 3GB RAM. (Apple doesn't publicly disclose its RAM capacity, but we found out after it was compiled.) All other iPhones with an A13 chip have 4GB RAM.
We tested SE using i bench Geekbench 5 and has been shown to be on the road before IPhone XR (still available and very expensive) and all the other X-Series iPhones. It is rather slower than the iPhone 11. This extra RAM RAM makes all the difference.
When using the bench The latest (and most sought after) Geekbench 4, we can compare the results with other models and see how effective the iPhone 8 is for the iPhone 8:
Partners Macworld of the US They have also introduced the iPhone SE to 3DMark graphics test and it has been shown that SE is very close to the most active phones in the market.
SE capabilities will allow you to use on-demand apps and games, meaning it will be able to support iOS updates and new features in the future. Basically, you will know that it is a light and fast mobile phone.
But the A13 & # 39; s Neural Engine touches on other things: basically images.
Cameras and photos
The iPhone SE has a single 12 MP (f / 1.8) camera at the back that can record 4K video, while it has a 7 MP (f / 2.2) lens on the front. These indicators are similar to the iPhone 8, which can disappoint you. Considering the value consumers are offering to the camera, this probably explains why its price is so low.
But cameras are so much more than specs, or often those specs you might not expect to matter. The A13 chip and its Neural Engine make the new SE capable of supporting processes that require guessing with the iPhone 8.
Image mode
First out, the new iPhone SE has Portrait mode, a term Apple uses to refer to the result bokeh (where the subject of the image is focused, while the background is blurry), and that this often depends on the use of multiple lenses.
Like the iPhone XR (also with a single rear lens), this version is supported software Image mode is limited to human subjects only, so be aware that you will not be able to take such artistic images with flower shutters, unknown clips, and pets in the background.
After our tests, we found that it was less clear than when the result was made using lenses. In the two pictures below we see the kids focused and the background is shorter than that. In the photo done with the iPhone SE, the hair section and the eyelid handbar have been blurred and inappropriate. The iPhone 11 Pro itself got it right.
The drawback to not getting the effect with lenses is that you have to get really close when using Portrait Mode on the iPhone SE, certainly because it doesn't have a phone lens. This is annoying, because it costs something extra to take art pictures and you have to move on to show that you are going to take a picture using Portrait Mode.
It should be added, however, that the iPhone SE Portrait Mode, in general, is very accurate. Surprisingly, the effect is even better when you take a picture than when you took it. The rendering Live animation does not affect the edges of the blurred part, but this improves after the image is discussed.
Photo mode on selfies
Portrait mode used on camera selfie not that impressive. The front camera does fine hair, but not the front camera. Not a complete disaster, but it is obvious. It looks absolutely ridiculous, as if it was achieved using special effects. And in fact, it has always been.
In this sense, however, SE is able to pull off the stakes of competitors. No iPhone has two lenses on the front camera (at the time of writing this!), So they all use them software to create a result bokeh.
In hindsight, I prefer the route IPhone 11 Pro get selfies about it bokeh, but they are very close. The blurring effect is less sharp in the SE; 11 Pro seems to be able to better distinguish this story from the back and cut.
The images below were sold, making the lack of sharpness more noticeable:
Smart HDR
The A13 & # 39; s Neural Engine enables what Apple calls "the next generation of Smart HDR," a much more sophisticated technology for digital imagery than the iPhone 8 & # 39; s Automatic HDR and original HDR for -standard. It is designed to treat complex situations such as complex or variable light conditions. They do this by photographing and finding the best settings for each location.
We did our best to try to confuse the Smart HDR by taking pictures against the light or when there was a lot of light and shadows, but the fact was that he was able to handle everything we put in it.
Take a look at this photo, for example, where we were able to critically analyze all the details of the leaves separated by the sun and the area of the illuminated background. Our only complaint would be that the bouquet is too bright for one part of the picture.
Unfortunately, the current climate has made it impossible to check the SE camera in bright light, this is where the Smart HDR should come in. But our experience with this feature with the iPhone 11 Pro (which uses the same processor but with more RAM) suggests that it too can deliver excellent results.
Battery performance
The iPhone SE battery has a capacity of 1821 mAh, the same as the iPhone 8. This compares to other models as follows:
- IPhone SE (2016): 1624 mAh
- IPhone 8: 1821 mAh
- IPhone 8 Plus: 2691 mAh
- IPhone SE (2020): 1821 mAh
- IPhone XR: 2942 mAh
- IPhone 11: 3110 mAh
Apple claims that the SE battery stores the same as the iPhone 8. In a battery test conducted by Macworld US for Geben 4, the performance of the iPhone SE was better than the iPhone 8, which is exactly what we expected. taking into account details, value and size. However, don't expect much difference.
Price and availability
IPhone SE (2020) has a price starting at € 489. You can check out all of the prices below:
- 64GB iPhone SE (2020): € 489
- 128GB iPhone SE (2020): € 539
- 256GB iPhone SE (2020): € 659
You can buy it at an apple website, but also available Amazon, Fnac, El Corte Inglés, Machinery, K-Tuin y MediaMarkt at the same price or slightly less.
It will take you some time to get SE at a very low cost, but we recommend that you follow our article to buy iPhone SE.
The decision
The iPhone SE (2020) comes at a price that, in the Apple universe, is considered a bargain. To be honest, if Android promises this functionality for € 489 we can say it's a very good value for money.
Processor performance and graphics are so close to industry leaders, it's not surprising to look at the quality of SE & # 39; s A13 Bionic chip. Only iPhones 11, which integrates the A13 with 33% more RAM, performs better.
On paper, the cameras do not attract attention, they have one front and rear lenses as well as mysterious megapixels. But the A13 also works well here and gives the result bokeh It's of good quality (though smaller than Portrait mode on iPhones 11) and handles light conditions well.
Battery performance is disappointing in some ways, but Apple is loyal to the thing as it makes sure you get the same iPhone 8 battery (more or less). In our test it lasts about 20 minutes. All right
So, you have to get rid of this iPhone design. It's as if Apple has been doing the same for centuries smartphone, although in fact it has been doing so since 2014.
I can tell you that the old design (of course) and that the mobile is beautiful and feels good (and true), but the fact is that we can't deny that it's an old tradition. The bezels are thick, the time is spent up and down the screen, the 16: 9 ratio is old, and the screen-to-body ratio is sad at smartphone 2020.
If you don't intend to say goodbye to the first point, then, it will look perfect to you.
Original article published on Macworld UK.
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