In 2020, Apple did a classic ‘new wine, old bottle’ when it took, as I described it, the performance and the software of the iPhone 11 series, and squeezed it into the well-worn body of the iPhone 8 from 2017 to deliver the iPhone SE 2nd Generation. Now, that phone, it was something special - even though it didn’t look the part. It delivered a compact form factor and top-notch performance in an iPhone that surprise, surprise…didn’t blow a hole in your wallet. Fast forward two years to the present, and you have an iPhone SE (2022, 3rd Generation), a phone where the SE still stands for Special Edition…but it’s getting tougher to see what keeps things so special with this one. For sure, this is the most affordable way to buy a current generation iPhone, but is there more to the iPhone SE than just that low (for an iPhone) price? Who is this really meant for? Let’s dig into all this and more in my full review of the iPhone SE (2022).
The iPhone SE went on sale alongside the mid-cycle drop of the latest iPhone 13 in green, and the differences are as stark as a new Ferrari 488 parked right next to the Ferrari Monza SP2 - one a modern-day design packing all the horsepower you’d expect from a premium model, and the other an iconic and classic design…also packing in the same current-day horsepower spec. While the new Green iPhone 13 (starts Rs. 79,900 for 128GB) tacked on another color on the phone we saw launched six months ago, the iPhone SE launched in Midnight, Starlight and (Product) Red color variants at Rs. 43,900, Rs. 48,900 (128GB) and Rs. 58,900 (for the 256GB storage variant). For reference, the last of the non-Pro iPhones is the iPhone 13 mini, which starts at Rs. 69,900 (128GB).
As phones go, both the iPhone 13 and the new iPhone SE (2022) are a lot more alike and share a lot of their DNA – Apple’s flagship mobile chip and 4GB of memory - than their vastly different exteriors would indicate. The iPhone SE design is exactly the same as the 2020 version (save for a few minor color differences), down to the placement of the buttons and the quaint-by-2022-standards home button that does double duty as a Touch ID sensor. Considering that this is a design that we’ve first seen in the iPhone 8 from 2017, chunky bezels and all, the iPhone SE looks and feels dated, more so when you consider how modern the internal hardware inside is. The flip side of belonging quite literally to another era of overall smaller phones is that if you’re a fan of small and lightweight phones above all else, you won’t find a smaller (5.45 inches tall) or lighter (144g) phone than this. It’s the phone to recommend for people who haven’t warmed up to big phones with hard-to-reach navigation elements (one-handed, at least) and gesture-based user interfaces. Another remnant of that era - only 64GB of base storage. Of course, build quality is as good as you’d expect from Apple…and yes I know about economies of scale and production, but this is one of the better built phones in its price range. Not to mention, one of the rare models to pack in IP67 water/dust resistance. The hygiene elements are all taken care, even if this phone doesn’t look like something you’d expect to sell in 2022.
The diminutive form factor also means you get the same short 4.7-inch display that’s bright (with the DCI-P3 wide color gamut) but decidedly less crisp and vibrant than the competition – it’s still running the same sub-full HD resolution, 60Hz LCD (not OLED) display that’s clearly outclassed by its price segment peers. Content on the screen feels a bit cramped, whether you’re playing a game, using maps, typing out a WhatsApp reply or reading stuff on the web. It’s nice to be able to use the phone one-handed, and the Touch ID sensor is fast and reliable as ever in this time of masks, but you’ve got to wonder for how many this convenience and form factor will hold appeal.
While it looks samey on the surface, it’s inside where all the changes are, with Apple kitting the iPhone SE with the latest A15 Bionic chip. Using the latest chip on what is arguably Apple’s ‘budget’ phone yields blazing fast performance and zippy response time, like the rest of the iPhone 13 lineup. iOS 15 runs swimmingly fast, as to games like Asphalt and COD, and for the average folks at whom this is targeted, everyday tasks will run well, with the chip giving this phone the headroom that future iOS releases 3-5 years down the line will require. The new chip also upgrades the SE lineup to 5G, which is good given how long I expect this phone to last in people’s pockets. Battery life is somewhat improved with the more power-efficient A15 chip and the phone managed to last a day of use (where the older model would give up by early evening), but it’s also likely one picked up the phone a lot less for whiling away time due to the size of the display. This is no iPhone 13 in battery life, but it managed to crawl into the full day territory if you’re a moderate user. Well, at least you get wireless charging to drop it onto the charging pad when you’re at your desk.
The main area that the A15 benefits is the camera, with the bump in power delivering Deep Fusion “computational photography” (uses machine learning to stack multiple exposures to improve focus, colors and contrast), Smart HDR4 and Photographic Styles, despite there being no change to the hardware itself. You don’t get the iPhone 13 series’ Cinematic Mode or Night mode with the single 12MP (f/1.8) camera, and I often found myself missing an extra wide-angle shooter for some extra versatility. Once you reconcile yourself to the single 12MP shooter, the photos (and video quality in particular) are pretty good for the segment. Photos taken in daylight pack in good detail and exposure, with accurate colors. Since the phone lacks a dedicated night mode, low light shots are somewhat bright but details aren’t as great.
It's let down by its small screen, single camera and just-about-enough battery, but the iPhone SE redeems itself on class-leading performance, handy (if dated) design and modern conveniences like wireless charging and IP rating. It clearly targets long time users upgrading from say an iPhone 8, who don’t want to make the switch to the all-screen gesture-UI design of the newer iPhones. Or someone who has a primary phone and wants a budget iPhone to enjoy Apple’s services…what I call being part of the blue bubble club. Trouble is, at its price point in India, the iPhone SE is swimming in Android-infested waters, and unless you fit the niche at which this is targeted, an older iPhone 11, an iPhone 12 mini or an iPhone XR may appeal more to folks looking at a more modern looking iPhone.
Apple iPhone SE 2022
Pros: Powerful chip, lightweight, premium (but dated) design, promise of software updates, wireless charging and IP rating
Cons: Single camera with no night mode, small, low-resolution display, battery life not for heavy users
Rating: 8/10
Price: Rs. 43,900 onwards