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iPhone SE Reviews: High-End Performance With Budget-Friendly Price

currentinterest said:
I read a few of the reviews and the do not mention what I consider a major feature, the availability of two SIMS, one eSIM, on physical. That is an added plus for this $399 phone.
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Exactly. This was the feature that would make my decision in buying it. Some of us really needed dualSIM capability at the lower price point.
 
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hybrid_x said:
The previous SE was at least a generation behind the current flagship. The fact that this one is the same speed as the current flagship is really, really impressive.

I'm surprised by the recommendation to buy the higher-capacity one. With iCloud now able to offload photos and apps I'm not using, I see little reason to have a phone with massive capacity. I would buy the 64 GB version and it would do just fine.

Incidentally, I had my old SE replaced in December, and as part of the troubleshooting with my old phone, I set up the new one manually, instead of automatically porting all my apps over. The resulting digital minimalism has been amazing. I only load up stuff on my phone that I really need. I went from four screens packed full of apps to fewer than two.
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iPhone SE original was released 6 months after iPhone 6s. At least one generation behind? Don’t think so.
 
FlyingDutch said:
What about the camera ? Is it the iPhone 8 or the iPhone XR single lens camera ?
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That seems to be a point that is still in question. But whichever camera it is, it gets the image processing of the A13 chip, so consensus in reviews seems to be it stacks up decently against the XR.
 
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Here’s a good review at Tomsguide with a few side by side photos to compare the SE camera vs the Pixel 3a, which most of the linked reviews were pretty lacking in. The SE camera took generally nicer looking photos with warmer colors, and seemed to do a better job at blurring out the background compared to the Pixel 3a. In extremely low light the Pixel won handily thanks to the lack of Night Mode in the iPhone SE.

Tomsguide also confirmed via benchmarks and 4K video transcoding that the SE is faster than the $999 Samsung Galaxy S20.

www.tomsguide.com

iPhone SE (2020) review

The iPhone SE 2020 is an outstanding phone for under $400, delivering fast performance and very good cameras in a compact design.
www.tomsguide.com www.tomsguide.com
 
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mattopotamus said:
It is a combo of the 8/XR/11 (software from the 11). Reviews seem to say day light pics are pretty close to current 11 standards, but low light is still a struggle (all iPhones without nightmode have this issues).
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I don't think it's going to fundamentally change my camera usage: if I want really good photos, I'm going to use my DSLR. I may not take any MORE photos with my phone, but those photos will be better.
 
My 70 year old mother uses two separate iPhone 6 phones (US & Canadian #). She refused to update to any of the larger screen devices and is stuck on iOS 12. This is a great upgrade for her. She can consolidate her two phones into one given the dual sim feature. Wonder how many parents this phone will go to.
 
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lkalliance said:
I don't think it's going to fundamentally change my camera usage: if I want really good photos, I'm going to use my DSLR. I may not take any MORE photos with my phone, but those photos will be better.
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likewise. I also have an iPhone X, and I mainly want a faster shutter speed. I feel like I get way too many blurry photos.
 
It appears the SE got the same Back Camera image sensor as the 2018 iPhones, & which is the same image sensor used in the Front Camera for the 2019 iPhones.

The 2019 iPhones have an upgraded Back Wide image sensor ... that one is the best one that Apple currently offers.
 
nylon said:
My 70 year old mother uses two separate iPhone 6 phones (US & Canadian #). She refused to update to any of the larger screen devices and is stuck on iOS 12. This is a great upgrade for her. She can consolidate her two phones into one given the dual sim feature. Wonder how many parents this phone will go to.
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I literally just moved my dad into an 8 (great deal on woot) after waiting since last spring for the SE.

The SE really is the “my dad needs to replace his old phone” iPhone. Great value comparably as well.
 
lkalliance said:
I don't think it's going to fundamentally change my camera usage: if I want really good photos, I'm going to use my DSLR. I may not take any MORE photos with my phone, but those photos will be better.
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I feel similarly. I’m definitely not always going to lug along my FF mirrorless camera, so the iPhone is the camera I’ve always got with me.

Due to the machine learning powered HDR abilities of iPhones, and their excellent color science, it’s pretty tough to beat a new iPhone for pleasing looking snapshots in harsh sunlight. With my FF camera I’d shoot in raw, underexposing to avoid blown highlights, then I import the photo to my computer. I pull the shadows pretty hard, adjust the levels and colors, then I AirDrop the photo from my computer to my iPhone to double check, then I post it. I could have just taken the picture on my iPhone and posted it in seconds, and it probably would look just as good in instagram or Facebook.
 
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hybrid_x said:
The previous SE was at least a generation behind the current flagship. The fact that this one is the same speed as the current flagship is really, really impressive.

I'm surprised by the recommendation to buy the higher-capacity one. With iCloud now able to offload photos and apps I'm not using, I see little reason to have a phone with massive capacity. I would buy the 64 GB version and it would do just fine.

Incidentally, I had my old SE replaced in December, and as part of the troubleshooting with my old phone, I set up the new one manually, instead of automatically porting all my apps over. The resulting digital minimalism has been amazing. I only load up stuff on my phone that I really need. I went from four screens packed full of apps to fewer than two.
Click to expand...

Considering the price difference it's a no-brainer to go for the higher capacity. It's nice to have more content on your device and not be constantly waiting for iCloud, which can often be slow even if the local network is good.
 
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Spectrum said:
This is what I want to see
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It will blow the 8 camera away, due to the vastly better machine learning support the A13 brings. Better exposure choices, better color choices, better noise reduction, far better HDR, portrait mode... I’m expecting the SE to be nearly identical to the iPhone 11 in decent light.
 
hybrid_x said:
The previous SE was at least a generation behind the current flagship. The fact that this one is the same speed as the current flagship is really, really impressive.

I'm surprised by the recommendation to buy the higher-capacity one. With iCloud now able to offload photos and apps I'm not using, I see little reason to have a phone with massive capacity. I would buy the 64 GB version and it would do just fine.
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As others have pointed out, the original SE had both the same processor and the same camera as the 6s, which was the flagship at that time.

As for storage, I would go for the 128 GB. I *could* do with 64 GB, but I've had 128 in my 7 (3 years old now), and it's nicer to have everything on-board than to rely on the cloud. At $50 more, it's an easy call IMO.
NT1440 said:
The SE really is the “my dad needs to replace his old phone” iPhone. Great value comparably as well.
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I wouldn't limit it to older folks. It's a great choice for lots of people. It very capably does everything people need a smartphone to do at a very good price; that's appealing to people of all ages.
 
The quote about getting the 128gb so it lasts 3-5 years is amusing to me. I’ve had a 64gb iPhone of some kind since the iPhone 5, 7-8 years ago, and if anything my need for storage has gone down over that time.

Reasons for that are iCloud Photo Library optimisation, other optimisations Apple have made around app sizes and iOS update sizes, the trend towards streaming instead of downloaded, and also just less excitement over getting all the latest apps and games.

I got the 64gb SE 🙂
 
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NickName99 said:
I feel similarly. I’m definitely not always going to lug along my FF mirrorless camera, so the iPhone is the camera I’ve always got with me.

Due to the machine learning powered HDR abilities of iPhones, and their excellent color science, it’s pretty tough to beat a new iPhone for pleasing looking snapshots in harsh sunlight. With my FF camera I’d shoot in raw, underexposing to avoid blown highlights, then I import the photo to my computer. I pull the shadows pretty hard, adjust the levels and colors, then I AirDrop the photo from my computer to my iPhone to double check, then I post it. I could have just taken the picture on my iPhone and posted it in seconds, and it probably would look just as good in instagram or Facebook.
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Funny, I go the other way. Trying to catch birds in flight, I have the ISO pretty high and OVERexpose: I get the fastest shutter speed I can and in lighter frames ISO noise is less noticeable. Then I darken.

Either way, when you're doing capital-p Photography, you're PROBABLY going to post-process anyway.

What I wish my phone did better was get longer shots a little more sharply. I know that's unlikely to improve unless I get a Pro level phone with the telephoto lens. I still use it for video all the time, though.
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GreyOS said:
The quote about getting the 128gb so it lasts 3-5 years is amusing to me. I’ve had a 64gb iPhone of some kind since the iPhone 5, 7-8 years ago, and if anything my need for storage has gone down over that time.

Reasons for that are iCloud Photo Library optimisation, other optimisations Apple have made around app sizes and iOS update sizes, the trend towards streaming instead of downloaded, and also just less excitement over getting all the latest apps and games.

I got the 64gb SE 🙂
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I've been using 64GB since I got the original SE four years ago. iCloud Photo Library is a godsend in that respect. I sprung for the 128GB this time; it was a good upgrade for $50, and I don't know what the next few years will bring. If it turns out I need the extra space for something I don't know about yet, I can't put it in later.
 
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lkalliance said:
Funny, I go the other way. Trying to catch birds in flight, I have the ISO pretty high and OVERexpose: I get the fastest shutter speed I can and in lighter frames ISO noise is less noticeable. Then I darken.

Either way, when you're doing capital-p Photography, you're PROBABLY going to post-process anyway.

What I wish my phone did better was get longer shots a little more sharply. I know that's unlikely to improve unless I get a Pro level phone with the telephoto lens. I still use it for video all the time, though.
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I've been using 64GB since I got the original SE four years ago. iCloud Photo Library is a godsend in that respect. I sprung for the 128GB this time; it was a good upgrade for $50, and I don't know what the next few years will bring. If it turns out I need the extra space for something I don't know about yet, I can't put it in later.
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Yeah, the upgrade price seems to be particularly good on this model, definitely no harm if you can afford it. In my particular case I had to do a lot to justify getting it at all so stuck with the base. But I do think it’s very likely to be fine for me. Currently only using around half! 🙂
 
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Meanwhile, Unboxed Therapy is reviewing masks.

Recently he decided to write a letter begging asking Apple to send him review units. I just find it funny that he repeatedly states he doesn't care if Apple responds to his email or whether they send him devices for review. Yet he made a video on YouTube about it and even pinned it on his channel. I guess he feels left out that people are reviewing the iPad Pro, the Magic Keyboard and now the iPhone SE... and he has to go buy them and wait for delivery.

Anyways, the iPhone SE seems like a great device and sets a new bar for phones under $400. This is an easy phone to recommend to anyone who doesn't need the latest and is on a budget.
 
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Man this is a laundry list of cool toys. I worry about Apple's ability to deliver all the things Gurman is promising for them. Oddly, the one I'm most interested in is a new Apple TV.
 
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QCassidy352 said:
I wouldn't limit it to older folks. It's a great choice for lots of people. It very capably does everything people need a smartphone to do at a very good price; that's appealing to people of all ages.
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I didn’t mean older people in particular, just those who don’t give much thought to their smartphone when purchasing (4+ years after the last time) other than considering Android vs. iOS. It’s a much more non-techy casual demographic. That’s not a knock in any way, some people are interested in tech in general and tons of people don’t swim in that pond.

I myself am actively considering selling my 11 pro (I wanted the smallest phone possible for 4+ years coming from a 6s) and replacing it with an SE.
 
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