You might be saying to yourselves, "I read that wrong!" or maybe, "Writer has gone mad!" and you are supposed to feel that way. I mean, look at iPhone 11, it looks like flagship Apple product, it performs like one and it also has the same basic hardware; then why is he telling us not to buy an iPhone 11?

Well, the answer is simple and Apple made this clear by launching the new iPhone SE (2020).

And now you might be thinking, "This guy is messing with us. How can an older looking iPhone be better than the newer looking one?"

Let's find out the answer together! Shall we?

iPhone SE (2020) Specifications:

Let's start with the basic information we have at hand -

Technical Specfications
iPhone 11
iPhone SE (2020)
Physical Dimensions
5.94” * 2.98” * 0.33”
5.45” * 2.65” * 0.29”
Physical Weight
194 grams
148 grams
Capacity Available
64GB; 128GB; 256GB
64GB; 128GB; 256GB
Display
6.1” Retina HD IPS LCD Multi-Touch, True Tone with 1792*828 resolution at 326 ppi; Max Brightness: 625 nits; Haptic Touch; Oleophobic Coating; 1400:1 Contrast Ratio; Support for Dolby Vision and HDR10
4.7” Retina HD IPS LCD Multi-Touch, True Tone with 1334*750 resolution at 326 ppi; Max Brightness: 625 nits; Haptic Touch; Oleophobic Coating; 1400:1 Contrast Ratio; Display Zoom; Support for Dolby Vision and HDR10
Chipset
A13 Bionic with 3rd Gen Neural Engine
A13 Bionic with 3rd Gen Neural Engine
Weather Resistance
Rated IP68 (upto 2 metres for 30 minutes)
Rated IP67 (upto 1 metre for 30 minutes)
Cameras
12MP Ultra Wide (f/2.4, 120degrees, five-element lens) and Wide (f/1.8, six-element lens); Optical Zoom 2x, Digital Zoom upto 5x; True Tone flash with slow-sync; Night Mode, OIS and EIS; Smart HDR;

VIDEO RECORDING:
4k upto 60fps, 1080p upto 60fps, Quick Take Video, OIS on Wide, Stereo Recording, Audio Zoom, Playback Zoom; Slo-Mo at 1080p upto 240fps

FRONT CAMERA:
12MP TrueDepth(f/2.2) with Portrait Mode, Animoji, Memoji, 4K upto 60fps, 1080p upto 60fps, Slo-Mo at 1080p upto 120fps; EIS
12MP Wide (f/1.8, six-element lens); Digital Zoom upto 5x; True Tone flash with slow-sync; OIS and EIS; Smart HDR;

VIDEO RECORDING:
4k upto 60fps, 1080p upto 60fps, Quick Take Video, OIS, Stereo Recording, Playback Zoom; Slo-Mo at 1080p upto 240fps

FRONT CAMERA:
7MP camera(f/2.2) with Portrait Mode, 4K upto 60fps, 1080p upto 60fps, Slo-Mo at 1080p upto 120fps; EIS upto 1080p
Security
FaceID built into TrueDepth Camera
TouchID built into Home button
Cellular and Wireless
Support for al LTE Bands(FDD and TD) Gigabit-class, 2x2 MIMO, LAA; Wifi 6(802.11ax), 2x2 MIMO; Bluetooh 5.0; NFC with reader mode; Built-in GPS/GNSS, Digital Compass, iBeacon micro-location
Support for al LTE Bands(FDD and TD) Gigabit-class, 2x2 MIMO, LAA; Wifi 6(802.11ax), 2x2 MIMO; Bluetooh 5.0; NFC with reader mode; Built-in GPS/GNSS, Digital Compass, iBeacon micro-location
Calling
VoLTE, Vo-Wifi, FaceTime Audio and Video
VoLTE, Vo-Wifi, FaceTime Audio and Video
Power and Battery
upto 1 hour longer than iPhone Xr; video playback upto 17 hours, streaming upto 10 hours, audio upto 65 hours, 18W fast charge capable, Qi-compatible(Wireless charging)
about same as iPhone 8; video playback upto 13 hours, streaming upto 8 hours, audio upto 40 hours, 18W fast charge capable, Qi-compatible(Wireless charging)
Operating System
iOS 13 with built in apps and App Store
iOS 13 with built in apps and App Store
Sim Cards
Dual Sim (nano-SIM and eSIM)
Dual Sim (nano-SIM and eSIM)
Inside The Box
Handset, Lightning to USB cable with USB Power Adapter, Earpods with Lightning Connector, Documentation
Handset, Lightning to USB cable with USB Power Adapter, Earpods with Lightning Connector, Documentation

Image Courtesy: cnet.com
Detailed Review:

Physical Overview -

Image courtesy: apple.com


  iPhone SE is basically iPhone 8 when holding in hands, similar body, similar screen to body ratio, similar home button, it even looks like an iPhone 8 at most of the angles. But is that a bad thing?
If you ask me, no it isn't. The reason is iPhone 8's popularity. At that time, iPhone 8 was the most loved design and even by today's standard, a 4.7 inch Retina IPS LCD looks as gorgeous as before. You might say that the design is dated, and I agree but thinking from a common man's perspective, it's not bad. It is slimmer than iPhone 11, more single hand friendly and you won't see any video trimming you might see while using a notched display. Also, Apple bringing back TouchID via Home Button makes security much more reliable. iPhone' FaceID is not bad by any means but you might have grown a messy beard and bigger hair during lockdown, good luck unlocking FaceID in one go!
The aluminium frame on iPhone SE is as strong as iPhone 11 with same physical buttons and same glass sandwich design which feels premium to hold. Apple shifted the Apple logo on the back to match today's Apple device lineup and this makes iPhone SE different from iPhone 8.

Technical Overview -

 iPhone SE comes with A13 Bionic with iOS 13 and all the security features that latest apple firmware provides, it can handle anything and everything you can expect from an iPhone 11 and that I consider as a Pro. Yes, it doesn't have the addition Ultrawide camera or front facing 12MP TrueDepth camera from iPhone 11, but Apple didn't skimp on the main camera. It's the same shooter that you find in iPhone 11 or the 11 Pro versions and Apple cameras already provide a wider field of view than competing androids, Apple gets a +1 for that. Display is as bright as it's on the iPhone 11 with same color contrasts and same Pixels Per Inch(ppi) meaning, display is just smaller with bigger bezels overall but no compromise while viewing your favorite cat videos on Youtube! Apple has used front camera, speaker grill, physical dimensions same as iPhone 8 to save some cost on manufacturing cost and labour required, making iPhone SE more affordable while also letting users who prefer smaller devices to have a choice. Camera performance is as good as iPhone 11, general performance also remains same, user interface whether you browse for apps or using any app, remains same. Every sensor from iPhone 11 whether it be proximity, accelerometer or gyroscope, makes a comeback in iPhone SE.

Cellular Connectivity and Wireless -

  iPhone SE's cellular reception and wireless performance is same as expected from an iPhone 11 because Apple used the same hardware as found in iPhone 11. Apple didn't want the buyers of iPhone SE to feel that they are getting a cheap device and this is a good thing. Wifi 6 makes sure that wireless connectivity and speeds remain fastest while Bluetooth 5.0 makes sure your favorite Bluetooth headphones' quality doesn't degrade when iPhone is inside your pocket. Apple proprietary services like AirDrop and eSim technology, one which helps an iPhone owner use a Second SIM without inserting a second physical SIM card helps keep your personal and professional life separate without carrying two iPhones; take that, POCKET BULGE!

Security -

  Apple went old school on this one! Providing TouchID to today's customers might seem a let down, but if you already own an iPhone, you weren't waiting for iPhone SE! For everyone else, TouchID is really secure and makes online transactions a lot safer and quicker. You don't have to search for that perfect lighting to scan your face and everybody's fingerprints are unique. Also IP67 makes sure you can try to unlock iPhone SE after washing hands. It can be a hit or miss at that point but iPhone misses rarely. TouchID makes your transactions, saved cards and other personal information safe from intruders.

Image courtesy: apple.com

Final Verdict -

  iPhone SE does all what an iPhone 11 can with same storage options (64GB, 128GB, 256GB), a tried and tested color pallete (Black, White, Product RED) and with a staring price of $399 US or INR 42,500, you can't get wrong with this one.

Image courtesy: apple.com


Apple brought competition to Samsung's s10e, note 10 lite, s10 lite and also to buyers of OnePlus and Google Pixel 3a and 4a where Google and Samsung skimp on SOCs or camera arrays to keep the manufacturing costs low, Apple did different and skimped on design while providing users with flagship experience. Apple's iPhone SE gets a solid recommendation from us to new Apple buyers and if you are ready to take on the iOS experience, there is nothing better than this to start off.