First impressions of the third-generation iPhone SE have now been shared by select media outlets and YouTubers, providing a closer look at Apple’s latest entry-level iPhone. Reviewers praised the device’s advanced specifications, but were disappointed by its aging design and lack of night mode.
The new model adds the A15 Bionic chip from the iPhone 13, 5G connectivity, more advanced computational photography capabilities, improved battery life and an upgraded rear camera with stronger glass. The third generation iPhone SE will start arriving to customers and will be available in stores from this Friday, while delivery times are now moving towards the end of March.
Design, display, and durability
the edgeIts Alison Johnson criticized the new iPhone SE’s design and display, commenting that “it’s a tired design straight from 2017 that makes the already-small screen feel smaller than it is.”
Unfortunately, that sophisticated performance is hampered by the small screen. It’s not a bad display – it’s a 4.7-inch 750 x 1334 pixel LCD that’s plenty bright for outdoor use. But you don’t get a faster refresh rate, which makes scrolling a little smoother, you don’t get the same pop and punchiness of OLED, and it’s certainly one of the smaller screens sold on a new smartphone today. The text looks smaller in the default setting and you can make it bigger, but that means more scrolling.
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But phone design has moved on in the past two years and the SE remains firmly in the past. Given how many times a day most of us look at and interact with our phone screens, I think it’s fair to demand a little more from your mobile device’s screen than what the SE is offering.
EngadgetIts Cheryl Low praises the device’s more durable front and back glass, as well as the familiarity and reliability of the Touch ID fingerprint scanner:
More importantly, Apple says the iPhone SE is covered in the same tempered glass used on the iPhone 13. While I have yet to drop my review unit, knowing that it will be more scratch resistant gives me peace of mind. I don’t use a case with the iPhone 13, and it’s still pristine despite being thrown in a bag with keys and other sharp objects. Although it picks up fingerprints and smudges very easily. It’s also nice that the iPhone SE is rated IP67 for dust and water resistance — something the Galaxy A52 5G and Pixel 5a also offer.
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Unlocking the phone was a breeze, and if you’re familiar with the sensor on the last iPhone SE, you’ll get used to it, especially since the hardware is exactly the same. In fact, if you’ve never known life without a button at the bottom of the screen and don’t want to give it up, this is the only modern phone with it.
A15 bionic and 5G connectivity
Johnson praised the performance of the A15 Bionic chip in the iPhone SE, the exact same chip from the iPhone 13 lineup:
The iPhone 8 chassis that the SE uses may be vintage, but underneath is Apple’s most recent mobile processor, the A15 Bionic. It’s the same one you’ll find on the top-of-the-line 13 Pro Max. Again, the SE costs less than $500, and the 13 Pro Max costs more than twice that. That’s just plain cool. And in everyday use, the SE behaves like a phone with a top-tier processor. Apps open quickly, and even the graphics-intensive Zenshin Impact runs smoothly. There’s not much the SE can’t do that a $1000-plus phone can.
Similarly, ZDNetIts Jason Cipriani notes the iPhone SE’s similarity in responsiveness to the high-end iPhone 13 Pro Max:
My personal experience confirms that the iPhone SE is just as fast as the iPhone 13 Pro Max (which is my main phone). This is not only noticeable in how quickly apps open or when multitasking, but also when switching between camera modes, for example.
Regarding 5G connectivity, Johnson said that support for it is “a good future-proofing feature, even if it’s not incredibly useful yet.
Battery life
Johnson says the iPhone SE benefits from a noticeable battery life improvement, especially compared to previous-generation models:
The 2020 SE’s weakest point was its sub-par battery life, so one feature that’s gotten a boost this year is stamina. The 2022 SE has a larger battery and improved power management with the A15 chip. This results in an additional two hours of charge for most users, according to Apple, which checks out in my experience. I got a day and a half of moderate use, and a full day of heavy use with some video recording, gaming, and the screen turned up a lot with the brightness turned up.
Rear camera
Cipriani highlights that most of the iPhone SE’s camera improvements are calculated and subtle:
The 12-megapixel single camera is no slouch. While Apple itself hasn’t upgraded the hardware, the camera benefits from the A15 Bionic processor and its Image Signal Processor. The end result is a camera that takes clean and crisp photos without any fiddling with settings.
Johnson emphasized the benefits of Deep Fusion on the ‘iPhone SE’, but criticized the device’s low-light performance and lack of night mode:
The new processor offers some software-based improvements for this generation, adding Apple’s Deep Fusion technology to enhance detail in medium and dim light. It’s a feature that automatically engages under certain conditions, and there’s no way to tell in the image metadata when to use it, but I can say that photos of static subjects in unstable indoor lighting show plenty of detail.
However, in very low light, SEO doesn’t do as well. That’s because there’s no Night Mode, a feature available on many other midrange phones sold in 2022 such as the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G, Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G, and of course, the Google Pixel 5A. As a result, low-light images are too dark and colors look random. Night mode on any smartphone has its limitations and is generally not very useful for moving subjects. But it’s a great tool when conditions are dark and flash isn’t an option, and it’s a shame it wasn’t included here.
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The A15 chip also enables some advanced processing for low-light video, which does a good job at removing noise, although clips look fairly soft. Still, mobile video is a strength for Apple, and overall video quality on the SE is excellent considering the price bracket.
Low noted the similarity of photos taken with the iPhone 13 mini to those taken with the iPhone SE, but said the lack of night mode was still disappointing:
I was surprised how similar the iPhone SE images were to the iPhone 13 mini. From landscapes to portraits of my colleagues, there was barely any difference in the shots taken by the two phones.
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Our main complaint about the last iPhone SE’s camera was that there was no night mode. This year’s model still doesn’t offer one, and although some photos I took of buildings surrounded by fog one night came out muddy, others came out bright and sharp.
More reviews
- The New York Times
- TechCrunch
- Pocket-lint
- Tom’s Guide
- Mashable
- CNET
- input
