2022 iPhone SE review: Revving up a classic hot rod

The iPhone SE is the basic iPhone, the OG iPhone, the Mazda Miata of smartphones. It performs effectively, and its design is iconic and acquainted—even comforting—regardless of being dated and devoid of contemporary frills and comforts. However the SE remains to be one among Apple’s greatest merchandise.

Whereas the flagship iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Professional go all in on display actual property and high quality, battery life, and monster cameras, the iPhone SE focuses on simplicity, consolation in your hand, and sure, retaining prices down.

Most individuals do not want the iPhone 13’s wonderful OLED display, although you possibly can argue that extra would at the least need its improved cameras. However for some customers, the smartphone is an as-needed workhorse and nothing extra. They need one thing reasonably priced and dependable—one thing that can final them a number of years, so they do not have to consider the smartphone rat race in any respect.

The iPhone SE is good for these customers, even when its basic design is getting noticeably lengthy within the tooth. As a result of, for longevity, the within is what issues.

Specs

The design, display, dimensions, digital camera {hardware}, and storage capability choices have not modified right here. Which means the 2022 SE nonetheless basically has the iPhone 8 chassis, and it nonetheless has a 4.7-inch LCD display and residential button. You will get the brand new SE in 64GB ($429), 128GB ($479), or 256GB ($579) configurations.

The iPhone SE’s system-on-a-chip jumped forward two generations with this replace, from the A13 to the A15.

The A15 is similar chip discovered within the iPhone 13 lineup, so that you’re getting cutting-edge efficiency in an inexpensive telephone. This is likely one of the most outstanding issues in regards to the iPhone SE: no different telephones at this worth level provide something near this sort of efficiency. (We’ll get into benchmarks a bit additional down.)

Apple claims barely totally different battery life figures for the 2022 iPhone SE in comparison with the 2020 mannequin. Specifically, the 2022 claims 15 hours of offline video playback to 2020’s 13, 10 hours of streaming video playback to 2020’s 8, and 50 hours of audio playback to 2020’s 40. That is doubtless because of the elevated effectivity of the A15 over the A13.

The opposite main new function right here is 5G assist. 5G could make a noticeable distinction in obtain speeds and latency in case you reside in a spot with nice protection. However most locations across the globe haven’t got the protection but, so be sure to test to see what your provider gives in your location earlier than springing for this telephone on that foundation alone.

Cameras

The 2022 SE has a 12MP rear digital camera and a 7MP entrance digital camera, and it may document 4K video at 60 fps—similar to its predecessor. However because of the A15, it helps some new computational pictures options.

The brand new telephone gives Deep Fusion and Photographic Kinds. With the Deep Fusion function, the iPhone SE takes a number of pictures in fast succession, then composites the very best parts of every picture to enhance the general final result in a single picture. We have written about it at size in previous iPhone critiques, and it does its job effectively.

Photographic Kinds are computational pictures presets that lead to heightened pictures just like what a few of the iPhone’s rivals provide (consider the Samsung Galaxy, with its unrealistically vivid however attention-grabbing pictures).

Some folks will like Kinds, and a few will not. Happily, you may select which mode fits you greatest. Simply know that, not like another computational pictures options on the iPhone, you may’t change the Photographic Fashion preset for a person photograph after the photograph has been taken—solely earlier than.

Design

There’s nothing in any respect new in regards to the iPhone SE’s design, however we nonetheless prefer it. It is telling that this design—which regardless of a number of tweaks over time dates all the best way again to 2014’s iPhone 6—has stayed within the lineup so lengthy. It is probably the most iconic iPhone design.

With rumors swirling that Apple might discontinue the iPhone mini when the iPhone 14 hits later this 12 months, the 2022 SE is likely to be the final iPhone appropriate for one-handed use. So if that is your high precedence, this is likely to be the one iPhone for you except you nab an iPhone 13 mini earlier than this fall.

After all, loads of folks need big telephone screens. In case you’re searching for to immerse your self in motion pictures or video video games, greatest look to the iPhone 13 as a substitute.

This telephone nonetheless has Contact ID though the remainder of the fashionable iPhones use Face ID. However Contact ID nonetheless works nice more often than not. Seeing an iPhone with such big bezels in 2022 is unusual, however that can trouble some folks greater than others. You in all probability know simply by trying on the pictures whether or not bezel dimension actually issues to you.

Apple says the 2022 iPhone SE makes use of a sturdier glass for its back and front than the 2020 mannequin did. Actually, the SE makes use of the identical glass because the again of the iPhone 13. We did not topic our SE to any sturdiness checks to confirm this, although.