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This goes out to the small army of people who have always wanted an iPhone, but haven’t loved the price tag.
Read More...Please note: Every care is taken in compiling product details and reviews, but they are provided for broad guidance only. On occasion they may relate to older or more recent models than those offered on Mozillion at any one time.
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Mozillion Apple iPhone SE review
The cheapest iPhone you can buy new
Strong performance
A genuinely compact phone
Not convinced? Try one of these alternatives to an Apple iPhone SE:
iPhone 12 mini - smaller, newer, much better
Motorola Razr - a different approach to small
Google Pixel 4a - bigger, but newer and even cheaper
The iPhone SE is a smaller, more affordable smartphone for people who want the iPhone experience, but don’t need all the bells and whistles. This phone, launched in April 2020, is the second time Apple has used the SE moniker. You’ll usually see the new iPhone SE referred to as iPhone SE 2020 or iPhone SE 2nd generation - we generally use iPhone SE 2020.
The iPhone SE is a little bigger and heavier than the iPhone 12 mini, but it is smaller and lighter than the iPhone 11. It shares the same processor as the latter, so it’s usefully quick, but it misses out on the high-end camera features you get with the iPhone 11 family. It is cheap, though, making it a great alternative if you fancy something with a little more class than a typical mid-range Android device.
The iPhone SE 2020 is physically almost identical to the iPhone 8. It’s the last iPhone built without the ‘bezel-less’ design, so there are borders both above and below its screen. You may notice there’s only a single rear camera, and that there’s a front fingerprint sensor used for Touch ID.
Despite all this, the iPhone SE is a step up from the humdrum design typical of other mid-range phones. It has all the hallmarks of the classic iPhone: glass front and back, a sleek metal chassis, and the iconic colour choice of black, white or red. In short, it still feels special, even if things have moved on.
The iPhone SE has a single 12 megapixel camera at the rear, and a 7MP camera at the front. It isn’t as versatile as iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 models, for example relying on digital rather than optical zoom. There’s also no Night Mode, but the iPhone SE deals very well with portrait shots. Overall, while it’s not market leading, the iPhone SE is likely to take photos that are more than good enough for most users.
While missing out on optical zoom, the iPhone SE 2020 still has most of the video features you’d find in an iPhone 11. The front camera can’t record 4K, but the rear camera can at up to 60fps. In practice, that means the iPhone SE deals brilliantly with everyday videos, and is even up for more exacting creative work.
The iPhone SE display is probably the most obvious difference between it and the iPhone 11. The iPhone SE’s 4.7” screen is much smaller than the 6.1” display on the iPhone 11. And while both have the same 326 pixels per inch sharpness, the iPhone SE’s 1,334x750 overall resolution is quite a bit lower.
A small screen does allow for a small phone, but the iPhone SE is slightly bigger and heavier than the iPhone 12 mini, even though that has a significantly larger and better 5.4” OLED display.
The iPhone SE 2020 uses the same A13 Bionic chip as you’ll find in iPhone 11 models. It’s not as fast as the latest generation A14 Bionic, but the iPhone SE is still relatively powerful for a mid-range phone. There’s certainly plenty of grunt, meaning the iPhone SE deals happily with games, multimedia and creativity.
Apple says the iPhone SE will play videos for up to 13 hours on a charge. That sounds like a lot, but the iPhone 12 mini will last 15 hours, and the iPhone 11 should manage it for 17 hours. All the same, in everyday use a new iPhone SE should comfortably last for more than a day, and with Qi wireless charging, it’s easy to top it up.
The iPhone SE 2nd generation comes in only three colours: white, black or red. The base model has 64GB of storage, but you can buy a new iPhone SE with 128GB, or a generous 256GB - although that pushes the price up. If you want to pay less, look for a certified refurbished Apple iPhone SE 2020.
The iPhone SE doesn’t support MagSafe cases and mounts designed for the iPhone 12. However, with a huge choice of official and third-party cases, holders, wallets and the like, you can still find an accessory for almost any need!
That’s 5.45x2.65x0.29 inches.
Yes. Apple says the iPhone SE can survive water up to a metre deep for 30 minutes. While we wouldn’t shower with one, it should shrug off everyday spills - or the dreaded toilet drop.
To turn off an iPhone SE, press and hold the side button until the power off slider appears. When it does, drag it across and wait 30 seconds for the phone to fully shut down.
To video what’s on your screen, you first need to add Screen Record to the Control Centre. Tap Settings, Tap Control Centre, scroll to Screen Recording and tap the green cross next to it. With this done, swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen to open Control Centre and tap the Screen Record icon. If you want to narrate the recording, hold down the icon and switch the microphone on. Recording begins after three seconds.
