Name: Apple iPhone SE (2020) Review
Item: iPhone SE 64GB
Rating: 85
Author: Alex Choros

85/100

By Alex Choros

Last updated 30 April 2020

Apple iPhone SE (2020) Review: The Verdict

The iPhone SE is one of the most sensible smartphones you can buy. Despite the more affordable price, it's powered by Apple's fastest processor, which ensures years of support. Lowlight photography and battery could both be a little better, but for the money, the iPhone SE is an excellent buy, and easy to recommend to anyone looking to upgrade an older iPhone without breaking the bank.

What we love

Excellent value
Top tier performance
Good camera
Will get years of software updates

What could be improved

Lowlight photography isn't great
Average battery life
Screen is a little too small at time

The essentials

Performance: Top tier, up there with the very best.
Battery: Average. You'll only get a full day per charge for the most part.
Screen: Lovely. No complaints.
Camera: Very good for the most part, but struggles in lowlight. Excellent video, however.

85/100

See iPhone SE plans

The iPhone SE is a straight up anachronism, rocking a phone design that's been ripped right out of 2014. The sizeable bezel, the small screen, and the home button are one hell of a time warp when contrasted against the supersized "all screen" smartphones that have ostensibly become the norm.

While plenty have moved on to the modern wave of sci-fi pipedream smartphones - devices like the iPhone 11 family, the Galaxy S20 range, OPPO's handsets with pop-up cameras - the iPhone SE isn't really meant for them. It's not a device designed for someone who's looking to upgrade from an iPhone X, for example. Starting at $749 outright, the new iPhone SE is instead a shockingly affordable handset pitched at anyone with an iPhone 8 or older.

It's an affordable option for anyone still using a "vintage" iPhone. It has all new internals in a familiar package. And in challenging times, it's easy to take comfort in familiarity.

Maybe that's why so many of us are texting exes.

Personally, I've moved on. I relish the giant display on the iPhone 11 Pro Max and it's equally sizeable battery life. It's a phone that works for me. But while I might not be lusting over past loves, I still have fond memories of older iPhones, and spending time with the new iPhone SE is a pleasant reminder why.

Old Flame

For all intents and purposes, the iPhone SE is an iPhone 8 with the brains of an iPhone 11. Same looks, but smarter; kind of like an old high school boyfriend or girlfriend after they finished uni.

If you're using anything between an iPhone 6 and an iPhone 8, you know exactly what to expect. A 4.7-inch screen flanked by bezel, a home button on the front, and a slim profile. If you're on an iPhone 6 or an iPhone 6s, there are a few small changes that will be a little bit more noticeable. The iPhone SE doesn't have a headphone jack, the back is now glass rather than aluminium, and the home button will feel a little different. Same package, just a little more refined.

These refinements also extend to things that aren't visible. The new iPhone SE is water-resistant, which was functionality first introduced with the iPhone 7, and it supports wireless charging, which was first introduced with the iPhone 8. While not essential, both are a nice bonus. Notably, these tend to be features that are rarely included on Android devices in the same kind of price range as the iPhone SE.

If you're not coming from an older iPhone, the iPhone SE is downright tiny. It makes all the phones I've tested recent recently - the iPhone 11 Pro Max, the Galaxy S20 Ultra, the Huawei P40 Pro, to name a few - feel gargantuan. While the iPhone SE clearly isn't for someone using one of these devices, there are plenty of midrange Android smartphones with 6-inch screens or larger.

Making the move from a larger device was an adjustment, but quickly reminded me what I loved about my former iPhones. The iPhone SE is hard to beat when it comes to one-handed usage; there's rarely a need to adjust your grip or use a second hand. That's unheard of these days. In a similar vein, you can actually reach the entire keyboard with just one hand, but it doesn't feel cramped if you want to use two to bang out a message faster.

The smaller physical footprint is also nice. It's far more pocketable than most modern devices, and I'm less worried about the phone taking a dive when I'm out for a jog. And there's a certain nostalgia to it. The iPhone SE is a relic from a simpler time where manufacturers weren't arguing about the size of their notch. It's an adequately sized-display in a perfectly reasonable form-factor. It encapsulates the fundamentals of what a phone needs to be without being a show off about it. There's something charming about that.

But as pleasant as it is to reminisce, the iPhone SE doesn't hold a candle to my current boo, at least when it comes to certain tasks. I tend to use my iPhone 11 Pro Max for reading novels and long form articles, but it's nowhere near as comfortable to do so on the iPhone SE. It makes me want to reach for an iPad instead. It's the same with video; the iPhone SE is perfectly fine for the odd YouTube clip, but the longer the video, the more I pined for a larger display.

It's swings and roundabouts. If you're using your phone predominantly as a communication device, for iPhone SE is perfect. If you're using it as a consumption device, you may find yourself wanting more.

Rekindled

Looks are one thing, but the iPhone SE's brain is the most important part of the equation here. Despite being the cheapest iPhone, it's powered by the same processor you'll find in the most expensive iPhone: Apple's inhouse A13. It's the fastest silicon around; the most affordable iPhone is faster than the priciest Android device. That's a hell of a pitch in itself. It means the "budget" iPhone never feels budget. Apps open instantly. It's snappy in a picking-up-where-you-left-off kind of way. In my testing, I never encountered a performance hitch or experienced a moment of slowdown.

The iPhone SE's A13 chipset is responsible for more than just speed - it also elevates photo quality. Based on teardowns, we know the new iPhone SE has the same camera sensor as the iPhone 8. Despite this, it takes notable better photos. All the best smartphone cameras rely on software to get better results. This is often referred to as computational photography. Thanks to a faster processor, the iPhone SE software is able to make quicker calculations when it comes to your final photo, and in turn, get you a better result.

If you've got enough light, the picture quality is almost indistinguishable from the iPhone 11.

However, the iPhone SE doesn't perform anywhere near as well in lowlight. You can still get a decent shot, but images are darker and grainier. This is partially thanks to the iPhone 11's night mode, a feature that's absent on the iPhone SE.

However, even when you switch night mode off on the iPhone 11, it still takes better photos in dark environments.

The $649 Google's Pixel 3a is Android's closest analogue to the iPhone SE, but where Apple focused on bringing down a high-end processor to an affordable price point, Google did so for the camera. The Pixel 3a camera is able to take photos that are essentially identical to that $1,000+ (at the time) Pixel 3 was able to capture. And despite being almost a year old, the Pixel 3a runs rings around the iPhone SE in terms of lowlight performance thanks to a dedicated night mode. We're expecting to see the Pixel 4a arrive in May, and it wouldn't be surprising to see that further the lead. It's a shame the iPhone SE isn't just a little bit better after dark.

Of course, the iPhone SE can't quite measure up to the lofty camera count expectations set by other phones. It only has one camera lens compared to the two you'll find on an iPhone 11, three on an iPhone 11 Pro, or four-plus you'll find on almost any Android device no matter what the price point. Despite the lack of extra lenses, you still get a portrait mode, albeit one that only works on people, rather than pets and inanimate objects.

More lenses are always merrier, and I really enjoy having access to a telephoto and ultra-wide lens on high-end devices. I love taking photos, so anything that allows more photographic possibilities is a good thing in my book. At the same time, it's understandable the iPhone SE only has one, given its more affordable nature. And while Android devices in the same kind of price-range may have as many as four rear-facing cameras, anything other than the primary lens is rarely worth using.

It is however worth noting the iPhone SE is in a league of its own when it comes to capturing video. Thanks to incredible optical stabilisation, you're going to smoother, clearer video than on any other phone in this price bracket.

A long-term commitment

The A13 processor also guarantees the iPhone SE will be supported for quite some time, which is great if you're a serial monogamist. The iPhone 6s, which launched in 2015, was still updated to iOS 13 when it launched in September last year. That's four years of major operating system updates, and a minimum of five years of security and stability updates (assuming the iPhone 6s doesn't get iOS 14 later this year). By that math, it's likely Apple will keep supporting the iPhone SE until 2024 at a minimum. That's a pretty solid relationship.

At their very best, Android smartphones get three major operating system updates max, and the only phones that guarantee that are Pixel devices. Other flagship devices might end up with two years if they're lucky, and budget phones - outside of the Android One program - can be lucky to even receive a single operating system upgrade.

This kind of extended support means you can hold onto your iPhone SE for longer; there's less of a rush to upgrade if you're constantly receiving new features and security updates. And the longer you hold onto your iPhone SE, the better value it is. If you keep using it for four years, the effective cost is less than $200 per year.

It's also hard to overstate the value of the Apple ecosystem; owning an iPhone gets you access to services like iMessage and FaceTime. And Apple products just tend to work together. The AirPods Pro are hard to beat when it comes to wire-free earbuds, and while they're compatible with Android phones, you miss out on a few features unless you've got an iPhone. The Apple Watch is easily the best smartwatch around, and it only works with an iPhone.

You shouldn't buy an iPhone SE just so you can buy more glass-and-metal gadgets, but the iPhone SE is the cheapest entry point into the Apple's realm we've seen in quite some time. That could be quite compelling if you're an Android turncoat after an elusive blue bubble.

Would have killed each other

No matter the thrill of reacquainting yourself with an old flame, the reason you broke up in the first place eventually returns to light. For the longest time, 4.7-inch iPhones had a reputation for less than stellar battery life that could struggle to last a day in some cases. Battery life was the reason I preferred devices like the iPhone 8 Plus to the smaller model. Battery life is still the iPhone SE's biggest flaw.

While the iPhone 11 series all have batteries that will last over a day, sadly that's not the case here. I was hoping the A13 processor would give the iPhone SE a little more longevity, but alas. Unless you're scarce is your usage, you won't get more than a single day per charge. I've typically found myself in the less-than-5% danger zone after 11pm on a regular day, but I'd say I hammer my phone more than most. If that's you, you might even find yourself in need of a top-up in the early evening. I imagine I'd be doing the same if life were a bit more normal right now, and involved activities like commuting, going out to bars, or hitting the gym.

At the least, if you're upgrading from an iPhone 8 or older, the battery will be better than what you've currently got. Even if you're using an iPhone 8, which Apple says the iPhone SE is comparable to, the battery will have degraded in time you've owned it - especially if you picked it up in 2017 when it first came out. It's settling, but it's still an improvement.

If you're coming from an Android device, the battery situation may be more surprising. Most Android smartphones in the $500 to $800 price range have little trouble hitting a day-and-half per charge, if not two. In the worst case scenario, you'll have a comfortable buffer at the end of the day, rather than anxiety over when your phone will cark it.

iPhone SE - Final Thoughts

At $749, the iPhone SE is hard to fault. It's not as flashy as some devices, but it doesn't need to be. It's the old faithful of the phone world, a warm reminder of simpler times. You get a fast processor, a good camera, water-resistance, wireless charging, and more. The battery could be better, but it's a hell of a lot of phone for the money. And a 128GB model only set you back $80 more, which I'd definitely recommend, lest you be bombarded by "storage almost full" notifications.

The iPhone SE is easy to recommend if you're upgrading from an iPhone 8 or older, especially if you'd prefer to stick with something familiar rather than switching to the full screen display, facial recognition world offered by the iPhone 11 family. Or if you just don't want to spend over $1,000 on a smartphone. It's quite possibly the best value handset on the market.

This is partially due to its longevity. Four-to-five years of software support is a really big deal, and it's important. Opting for an affordable phone shouldn't mean you don't get the same kind of support as a flagship device. Software and security updates shouldn't be treated as a premium feature or a value add.

If you're tossing up between an iPhone SE or an iPhone 11, it becomes a little bit trickier. The iPhone SE is the more sensible buy, but spending more definitely gets you more when it comes to the iPhone 11. While the Pixel 3a ostensibly made buying the Pixel 3 proper redundant thanks to an identical camera and better battery life, the iPhone SE has more noticeable compromises compared to Apple's upper echelon.

Battery life is the most significant. If it's a concern, it's worth spending extra to get an iPhone 11 or last year's iPhone XR. It would have also be nice to see better lowlight camera performance. It's hardly bad, but it's a shame Apple didn't add a night mode to make the iPhone SE feel a little more on par with its pricier peers.

Personally, the iPhone SE isn't going to have me switching away from my iPhone 11 Pro Max, but again, I'm not who this device is for. I could live with - enjoy, even - the smaller form-factor, but I'd need Apple to push battery life and camera quality a little further to tempt me away from the world of flagship devices. While the iPhone SE just isn't my type, it's been a fun fling, and there are plenty of people I'd love to set it up with.