iPhone SE (2022) combines best-in-class performance and outstanding photographs at a cheap price

The Special Edition iPhone, commonly known as the cheapest iPhone or the throwback model, has been updated and is now available for purchase. It’s a slight refresh of the same-named phone from 2020, with most of the changes coming from the new processor and its associated 5G modem.

Apple enjoys recycling. It takes pride in its environmentally friendly assembly line, recyclable materials, PVC-free packaging, thin retail boxes, and ever-reducing e-waste footprint. However, it is committed to design recycling, as the third-generation iPhone SE shares an exterior with the second-generation iPhone SE from 2020 and the iPhone 8 from 2017.

The iPhone SE (2022) retains the 4.7-inch Retina LCD screen with a 60Hz refresh rate from its predecessors. This means massive, thick bezels on the top and bottom, as well as a Home button and an integrated Touch ID fingerprint sensor. The iPhone SE (2022) has a new chipset, the Apple A15 Bionic, which is the same as the iPhone 13 flagship series. This likely makes the iPhone SE (2022) the most powerful smartphone in the world, given its small display with fewer pixels than any other high-end or mid-range smartphone. There is also more RAM, which has increased to 4GB from 3GB on the previous SE model.

The new chipset enables 5G connectivity, increased computational power for iOS, and Deep Fusion for the front and back cameras. It fell short of implementing night mode, maybe for reasons beyond its control. The iPhone SE (2022) also has a slightly larger battery – 2,018mAh instead of 1,821mAh. Wireless charging is possible, as previously, and because the battery capacity is so small, it charges quickly, even if the phone’s supported charging speeds are far from the fastest on the market.

The rest of the iPhone SE (2022) specifications are the same as the 2020 model, with a 12MP OIS camera at the rear and a 7MP camera at the front. You’ll also get dual speakers, Apple Pay functionality, and an IP67 dust and water resistance rating.

Apple promises 5 years of updates for the SE, just as it does for its premium iPhones, which could explain why it needed to employ the current best chipset.

Check iphone SE price at Amazon

iPhone SE KEY FEATURES

This is a 5G smartphone that doesn’t compromise on performance or connectivity. This is a timeless design. Even Touch ID seems like a long-lost friend returning home. Furthermore, none of it behaves or functions in the same way that previous technology did. The Touch ID remains an outstanding technological feat. This is not only Apple’s joint-thinnest phone; it weighs roughly the same as the iPhone 13 mini but without the sides. We enjoy holding this device.

The iPhone SE (2022) 4.7-inch display is reminiscent of bygone days, and not in a good way. It’s too little and struggles under direct sunshine. If you want something huge and bold, this is not for you. The photography here is good, but limited. No zoom, no ultra-wide, and no Portrait Mode photos of your dog.

IPHONE SE (2022) UNBOXING

The Apple iPhone SE (2022) comes in the same package as the flagship iPhones, which is thin, tiny, and lightweight, and it includes the iPhone and a USB-C-to-Lightning connector.

The iPhone SE (2022) supports 20W charging, thus if you currently own the 20W Apple Power charger or a similar USB-C PD charger, you should be good. And, while Apple has removed the majority of the box contents, you still receive one Apple sticker, which most people will discard immediately. Isn’t this not very environmentally friendly?

CAMERA

• The 12MP wide camera takes beautiful photos.
• The 7MP front camera is no slouch.
• Thank the A15 Bionic.

Nowadays, our phones are increasingly serving as cameras, and any smartphone that skimps on this feature is asking for trouble. Even though the iPhone SE (2022)only has two lenses, the same as the SE 2020, it manages to take visually appealing, color-accurate, and often gorgeous photographs.

The rear 12MP, f/1/8 wide lens is now powered by the A15 Bionic’s image processing, as well as Smart HDR 4 and Deep Fusion (launched with the A13 Bionic and included in the previous iPhone SE). I took the phone out to test the cameras, and I was impressed not only with the image quality but also with the speed. There’s optical image stabilization, which means I don’t always have to plant my feet and remain still to get a good shot (optical image stabilization also works with video).

In Portrait mode, you may modify the depth of field effect by adjusting the fake aperture setting, which throws more or less of the background behind your subject out of focus. I was a little disappointed, however, because iPhone SE Portrait Mode photography is still limited to people; you can’t snap bokeh images of dogs, plants, or anything else without a face.

The camera does support all of the other typical photo styles. Panorama and time-lapse are included, as well as Night Timelapse, which can be used with a tripod but does not support Apple’s Night Mode still photography.

The iPhone SE can shoot 4K video at 60 frames per second. The footage appears decent on the phone’s screen, while some resolution is lost in the 1334×750 display. The phone also shoots in 1080P at 240 fps slow motion. I chased birds and captured a wonderfully cinematic shot. Speaking of Cinematic, even with the A15 Bionic, there is no support for the Cinematic mode video found across the iPhone 13 lineup. Portrait Mode on both the front and back cameras is of higher resolution than on the iPhone SE (2020). It can now pick up minute details, such as wisps of hair, and separate them from the blurring background. I discovered almost no flaws – blurred elements that should have been sharp, and vice versa – that harmed the effect. Overall, the camera quality on this mid-range phone is comparable to devices that cost nearly twice as much.

DESIGN AND SCREEN

For me, picking up the iPhone SE (2022) is like going back in time. There is a Touch ID button instead of Face ID, and the display bezels are much larger than those of the iPhone 13 mini or Google Pixel 5a.

Then again, this phone was not built for me. It’s for folks who want compact phones and are likely upgrading from the iPhone 8, which has the same size display and virtually the same design.

And this is certainly a small device, weighing only 5.09 ounces and measuring 5.45 x 2.85 x 0.29 inches. It made my iPhone 13 Pro Max appear like a skyscraper, and I appreciated having a phone that I could easily sneak into my pocket without being noticed. I also liked how I could accomplish almost everything with one hand.

I tested the iPhone SE (2022)’s water resistance (IP67) by dropping it into a fountain. This handset is also more durable than the previous model, as it employs the same strong glass as the iPhone 13.

Apple sent us the iPhone SE (2022)’s Midnight color, which is a deep navy that lightens in the daylight. There’s also Starlight (a variation on off-white) and Product Red. The iPhone SE 3 was made with carbon-free aluminum, which was a first for Apple.

If you’re concerned about durability, the iPhone SE 3 has been put through drop testing and performed nearly as well as the iPhone 13. It passed two of three drop tests with barely slight scuffing. In those two tests, the new iPhone was dropped face down from 6 feet onto a sidewalk and then dropped on its side from the same height. The only drop test that harmed the iPhone SE (2022) was a back-down drop from 6 feet. Still, you should pick one of the best iPhone SE (2022) cases for your phone.

Let’s just say that watching shows and movies on the iPhone SE (2022) isn’t particularly immersive. This 4.7-inch LCD panel has a resolution of 1344 x 750 pixels, so it is not full HD and the thick bezels are impossible to ignore when watching movies and videos on this phone.

When I watched the Obi-Wan Kenobi video on YouTube, the iPhone SE (2022) did a good job depicting the warm hues of Tatooine and Ewan McGregor’s concerned craggy expression, but the black bars above and below the action were distracting. I intended to pinch-to-zoom to make the image larger.

One may argue that the Pixel 5a, with its 6.34-inch display, is aimed at a different audience, but you can’t deny the fact that you can buy a far larger full HD OLED screen for only $20 extra.

Nonetheless, the iPhone SE’s (2022) display fared admirably in our lab testing. The panel captured 114.7% of the sRGB color spectrum and 81.2% of the more demanding DCI-P3 color space. That’s good, but it falls short of the Pixel 5a’s 119.3% and 84.5% results. The new iPhone SE, on the other hand, continues to lead in color accuracy, with a Delta-E score of 0.21 (where 0 is perfect); the Pixel 5a scored 0.32.

HOW’S THE PERFORMANCE?

I shouldn’t be shocked by how fast the iPhone SE (2022) is, considering it uses the same A15 Bionic chip as the iPhone 13. That being said, its performance is still excellent. I had a great time playing the Marvel Revolution game as Captain America, fighting several adversaries with my shield and spectacular special strikes. Then I put on Red Skull, and his face was frighteningly detailed. The action was quite quick, and the graphics were fantastic.

On Geekbench 5, which evaluates overall performance, the iPhone SE (2022) achieved a single-core score of 1,718 and a multi-core score of 4,482. The iPhone 13 achieved comparable but slightly lower ratings of 1,684 and 4,129. The Google Pixel 5a, powered by a mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G CPU, achieved a single-core score of 569 and a multi-core score of 1,595.

On the 3DMark Wild Life Benchmark, the iPhone SE (2022) scored 8,352 with a frame rate of 50. The iPhone 13 was marginally faster at 55.9 fps, while the Pixel 5a was far behind with only 10 fps and a score of 450. The most significant performance difference between the iPhone SE (2022) and Pixel 5a was observed during our video encoding test, which involved transcoding a 4K movie to 1080p using the Adobe Premiere Rush software. The new iPhone SE took only 27 seconds, compared to nearly 2 minutes for the Pixel 5a.

So, how about 5G? It’s worth noting that the iPhone SE (2022) does not support mmWave technology, thus it can’t connect to Verizon’s high-speed Ultra Wideband network. However, you will be able to connect to all major carriers’ sub-6GHz 5G networks, as well as C-Band 5G as it becomes available. Using the Speedtest.net app on T-Mobile’s network, I received download speeds of more than 100 Mbps in New York City’s new Bryant Park and up to 86 Mbps in central New Jersey. That isn’t crazy fast, but it’s slightly faster than LTE.

Buy it if...

• Solid glass build, IP67-rated, and very compact body.
• Good brightness, a decent contrast screen, and excellent color accuracy.
• Loud stereo speakers with good audio quality.
• The screen’s battery life is quite okay.
• The most powerful chipset; does not throttle much.
• Reliable picture and video cameras.
• 5G and Touch ID.

Don't buy it if…

• There are very few upgrades over the iPhone SE (2020), but they are more expensive.
• No Night Mode.
• The display is too small for most tasks.
• 60Hz screen refresh and 60Hz touch sampling rate.
• There is no charger in the box.
• iOS (with its restrictions) is still a love-it-or-leave-it affair.

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