The global situation is clearly not conducive to large presentations in the first half of 2022. So Apple presented the new device to the public without unnecessary fanfare, using the official website. The company followed the same policy this year regarding its other products. The new Apple smartphone did not surprise with its name, having received the already used name iPhone SE. Thus, the company gave the product a second wind. This is by no means a flagship smartphone, but it will certainly find its fans.
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Positioning of the 2022 iPhone SE
The iPhone SE 2 occupies a fairly clear niche. This is a fairly compact smartphone that will surely appeal to those who like to control the screen with one hand. At the same time, the iPhone SE received some of the capabilities of older, flagship models. Compact lovers will love the opportunity to join the Apple ecosystem with this convenient and powerful device. The company’s calculation is simple and obvious – this is what allowed the first generation iPhone SE, released in 2016, to gain popularity.
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Communications and wireless connections
In terms of connectivity between the smartphones, there are two differences and both are in favor of the new iPhone SE.
- iPhone SE (2020) supports Gigabit LTE and Wi‑Fi 6 standard.
- The iPhone XR only supports 4G LTE Advanced and Wi-Fi 5 (up to 37% slower than Wi-Fi 6).
The remaining characteristics of the smartphones are identical: support for two SIM cards (physical nano-SIM and digital eSIM), Bluetooth 5.0, NFC with reading support, support for express cards with power backup and Wi-Fi calling.
What's better? The 2nd generation iPhone SE is slightly ahead due to its support for more modern LTE and Wi-Fi connection standards.
2022 iPhone SE Design
The company did not offer a new design for this model. It is difficult to keep up with fashion with bangs, drops and eyes - the classics are always in demand. In fact, the iPhone SE looks identical to the iPhone 8, released back in 2022. There are the same large frames on top, bottom and sides. But the body retains a premium feel - the front and back panels are covered with glass, between which there is an aluminum frame.
On the side faces there are buttons for volume control and mute (left) and power (right). Stereo speakers and a microphone are located both above the screen and on the bottom edge. At the back there is one camera lens and a flash. In fact, the external difference compared to the iPhone 8 is only that the apple icon on the iPhone SE 2 has been shifted lower - now it is located strictly in the center.
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Design. Finding differences
Well, let's get acquainted?
Stop though. These are painfully “familiar people.”
If you've ever held an iPhone 8, iPhone 7, iPhone 6s, or even an iPhone 6, then the new iPhone SE (2020) will be very familiar to you. Too familiar.
The 2nd generation iPhone SE has a traditional body shape with rounded corners and edges, large display frames, one of which houses a round Home button. The front and back surfaces are covered with protective glass - it is glossy .
Before the release of the 2nd generation iPhone SE, there were rumors that the model would differ from the G8 in having a matte back glass. Just like the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro . Alas, it didn’t work out. The back surface of the smartphone is glossy - it collects fingerprints and tactilely reminds you that it is the same glass as in the iPhone 8.
It's really a shame that the rear glass isn't frosted. The appearance of the smartphone would be transformed. But the main thing is that a completely different tactile sensation would appear.
The arrangement of the elements on the body has not changed in any way. And it would be illogical to expect this. The top is empty, the bottom is the Lightning connector and the speaker and microphone grilles, on the left side is the volume control unit, on the right is the power button and SIM card tray. Just for show: the smartphone does not have a 3.5 mm audio output .
What happens, nothing has changed at all? Let me reassure you, there are still some new details.
1. The Apple logo on the cover of the smartphone is shifted to the center, as in the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro . If you wear the new iPhone SE without a case, you will be able to show the whole world that you have a new product, and not just an “eight” (or “seven”, you can’t even tell in the case).
The logo was lowered simply to make the model consistent with current and future flagships. There was no other reason for this.
In the iPhone 11/11 Pro, the logo was shifted due to the fact that in its original place it would have been close to the enlarged camera block. The 2nd generation iPhone SE has a classic single camera - it does not interfere with the logo.
However, they lowered the logo and lowered it. Let it be in the center - thus making the new iPhone SE stand out from the crowd.
One last point about the logo, I promise. If you had an iPhone 7 or iPhone 8 case with a round apple cutout, it won't fit on the 2nd generation iPhone SE. The cover itself will fit, but the coveted apple will not be visible.
Or maybe it was to make money on new cases that all these movements were started?
2. The second change in the design is the colors of the case . iPhone SE 2nd generation came in three colors: black, white and red. With the iPhone 8, the new smartphone has only one color in common - red, the rest are different.
The black and white colors of the smartphone’s body look cool, there’s nothing to complain about. Apple made a bet on the classics and was definitely right.
Interesting point . The new iPhone SE 2nd generation in all colors has a black front panel. Even the model in white. On the one hand, this is an advantageous contrast. On the other hand, it will seem to some (and it already seems - I saw the reviews) that this is a discrepancy.
Here everyone decides for himself. Personally, I liked all the colors of the smartphone and the black fronts with a bang.
Frames are black on all models
Why does the new iPhone SE have such an old design? The first reason is that Apple definitely had components from the iPhone 8 lying around, which were put into use to assemble the new smartphone.
The second reason is that the company wanted to release a budget smartphone by its standards. This condition did not allow him to obtain a modern design.
The last thing I want to notice about the design is the dimensions and weight. First of all, looking at them, it becomes clear that this is, in fact, a clone of the iPhone 8. Yes, the dimensions of the smartphones are identical - 138.4 × 67.3 × 7.3 mm .
I won’t find fault with the identical dimensions; I’d rather note that the new iPhone SE is a contender for the title of best compact smartphone of 2022 . Exactly. There are simply no smartphones of this size on the market, especially new ones. You can see for yourself, for example, by searching on the “Market” by dimensions. Spoiler: you won't find anything.
Of course, the new 4.7-inch iPhone SE is no match for the compactness of the original 4-inch iPhone SE. But it has every right to be considered compact in our time. Simply because smartphones with 6- and even 7-inch displays are coming at us, which are sometimes difficult to hold even with two hands.
Compared to them, the 4.7-inch iPhone SE 2nd generation is tiny.
To complete the picture, the weight of the smartphone is 148 g (you won’t be surprised, but the iPhone 8 weighs the same). For the target audience of the device, iPhone 5s/6/6s users, its weight will not be a revelation.
But if you pick up the new iPhone SE after using an iPhone X or any newer iPhone for a long time, the difference is immediate. The latest iPhone models have noticeably gained weight, which is best demonstrated by direct comparison.
Dimensions and weight of the 2022 iPhone SE
The new smartphone is 138.4 mm long and 67.3 mm wide. Its thickness is 7.3 mm and it weighs 148 g. For all these indicators there is an exact match with the iPhone 8. The first generation iPhone SE was, of course, even more compact (123.8 × 58.6 × 7.6) , but screen size requirements have clearly increased since then.
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Why compare with iPhone 11 and not Xr?
Everything is simple here. It is enough to weigh all the main pros and cons.
New SE:
- powerful
- very compact
- one but top camera
- outdated design
- less autonomy
iPhone 11:
- powerful
- frameless screen
- two top cameras
- more autonomy
- bigger and heavier
- expensive
The advantages of both devices outweigh - there is something to think about.
iPhone Xr against SE background:
- frameless screen
- more autonomy
- weaker
- bigger and heavier
- one camera is a little worse
- more expensive than SE
Even if you don’t take into account the Xr camera, which is worse than SE 2 only in theory, there are still more shortcomings. This means that the main competitor of the new product is the iPhone 11.
We also don’t take Touch ID and Face ID into account as a separate argument. Both unlocking methods are convenient and reliable, it’s just that the latter is due to the presence of a frameless display, and we have already considered it as an advantage of the 11th.
2022 iPhone SE Colors
Like the first generation iPhone SE, the 2022 model has three color options. This time it's classic black, white and bright red. Part of the proceeds from the sale of the latest version will go to the AIDS Foundation.
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Cellular networks. Data transfer. It's the most important
So we got to the main innovations in the 2nd version of SE.
- This is support for a gigabit LTE network. For Russia this is extremely important, since the speed reaches 900 Mb/s. They are not going to bring 5G to the Russian Federation for a long time, and support for a 1 GB cellular network is great news.
- Sixth generation WI-FI support (802.11ax). In numbers, this means a data transfer speed of 35% compared to WI-FI 5. Good routers with WiFi 6 are already being sold today and provide a truly high-speed wireless network.
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Great news again, this is the cheapest dual-SIM iPhone. Operators with eSim support are already beginning to appear in Russia - Tele2 and Tinkoff-mobile.
Water and dust protection in the 2022 iPhone SE
The smartphone received protection of the IP67 standard (in detail), which allows you to immerse the device in water to a depth of 1 meter for no more than half an hour.
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2022 iPhone SE screen
The smartphone has a screen that is compact compared to most models on the market, with a diagonal of only 4.7 inches. The wide-format multi-touch display is made using IPS technology and has a resolution of 1334 by 750 pixels, the density is 326 pixels per inch. The standard contrast ratio is 1400:1, and brightness is up to 625 nits. When displaying images, True Tone technology is used to adjust to lighting conditions, and there is a wide P3 color gamut. Oleophobic coating will prevent fingerprints on the screen.
And again, we can say that the first generation iPhone SE had a lower screen resolution, just like itself. But with the iPhone 8, the new product has almost the same screen characteristics.
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5G not supported
Supports fourth generation mobile networks (4G), which will gradually be replaced by 5G, but the process will take time, so a network connection is important. iPhone 12 supports 5G. Both models are capable of operating in legacy networks of the third (3G) and second (2G) generations.
I don’t recommend purchasing a flagship without 5G support at the end of 2022. On the other hand, there is a “growth” option, so I consider its absence in a mid-price segment model to be normal. And it’s too early to purchase a device solely for 5G.
2022 iPhone SE processor
The improved G8 received an A13 Bionic processor with a third-generation Neural Engine system for processing complex algorithms. The exact same processor is found inside the flagship iPhone 11 Pro. Apple's latest innovation ensures games, apps, and augmented reality run as smoothly as possible. The chip is capable of performing a trillion operations per second! The RAM capacity of the 2022 iPhone SE was 3 GB, which is slightly less than the flagship figures, but one and a half times more than the iPhone 8.
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Let's talk about the good stuff. Processor - power
The main thing that the 2nd generation iPhone SE has is the flagship powerful A13 Bionic processor .
The six-core chip includes four energy-efficient Thunder clocked at 1.8 GHz and two high-performance Lightning clocked at 2.65 GHz. The number of transistors is off the charts - 8.5 billion .
3rd generation Neural Engine machine learning system . She is responsible for all artificial intelligence on the smartphone, including the department that processes and improves pictures. And this, you see, is more important than the “Siri Suggestions” function, which is also real thanks to the Neural Engine.
The key point is that the A13 Bionic processor is virtually unchanged from the same chip used in the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro.
What does "practically" mean? See for yourself.
In the Geekbench 5 benchmark, the new 2nd generation iPhone SE scored 1330 points in single-threaded mode and 3125 points in multi-threaded mode.
The iPhone 11 Pro did better: 1328 and 3414 points, respectively. In multi-threaded mode, the difference in performance was significant.
And it seems that this is not a jamb of the benchmark, which in theory could not be adapted for the new iPhone SE. Simply because the AnTuTu benchmark has a similar situation. The iPhone SE scored 492,166 points, while the iPhone 11 Pro scored 521,010 points.
This gives every reason to believe that Apple deliberately reduced the clock speed of the A13 Bionic processor in the new iPhone SE . For what? There may be several reasons. The two main ones lie on the surface.
- Apple has seen in practice that a smartphone with its small 4.7-inch screen does not need all the power of the A13 processor. To be fair, this power in the iPhone 11 Pro sometimes seems excessive, since even the most demanding applications and games load instantly.
- The second reason is more important. Apple could have underclocked the processor in the 2nd generation iPhone SE to improve its battery life. Limiting peak performance would definitely allow for optimal autonomy if the company was faced with such a task.
But don't worry about the "intentionally slow" iPhone SE. He's doing really well. iPhone SE 2nd generation is faster than most Android smartphones, including flagship ones . If we take into account only the Geekbench 5 indicators, which I personally trust more, then the iPhone SE is completely faster than all Android flagships. Including the latest smartphones from the Samsung Galaxy S20 line, which scored a maximum of 836 and 3101 points in Geekbench 5 tests.
But enough about parrots. What about the real speed of work? The results of the “live” test were as expected; after all, we have the most powerful mobile chip here.
iPhone SE 2nd generation instantly launches any application in any quantity. No matter how much I switched between applications, they did not close in the background and changing them took a split second.
The smartphone did not disappoint in games either. I tested the device in my favorite Oceanhorn 2 from Apple Arcade and the popular World of Tanks Blitz and Call of Duty: Mobile. Everywhere I turned the settings to maximum, without regret. And in all three cases I got what I expected - stable 60 frames per second , fast loading and no slowdowns. Even when the action in tanks and CoD began on the screen, there were no noticeable subsidences.
Playing games on the 4.7-inch screen of the new iPhone SE was quite normal. I didn’t experience any major inconveniences and thoroughly enjoyed the gameplay. However, from time to time the thought crept in that if the screen were larger and the frames were narrower, the quality of the gameplay would reach a new level.
I am sure that it is not for nothing that Apple separately advertises the Apple Arcade service on the page of the new iPhone SE on its website. These two are not exactly “made for each other,” but playing the best games on a smartphone will be comfortable – the performance is plenty .
I mentioned above that no matter how many applications I launched, they did not reload in the background. This is because the smartphone is equipped with 3 GB of RAM . This is another nice change from the iPhone 8, which only has 2GB of RAM.
Three gigabytes of RAM is enough for a smartphone, one might say. Applications remain stable in the background, photos and videos are processed instantly after shooting. However, one could not expect anything different in terms of photography. After all, the smartphone has only one camera.
Another important point related to performance. iPhone SE 2nd is a really powerful smartphone . And this means that it will be updated for a long time. Users have the right to expect updates for 6-7 years, no less. Otherwise, there will be claims against Apple.
In addition, this is a huge advantage of the new iPhone SE compared to Android smartphones, which often stop updating after a year or two.
Oh yes, the amount of internal memory on the iPhone SE is the usual - 64, 128 or 256 GB, depending on the configuration.
2022 iPhone SE battery life and battery
According to the manufacturer, this smartphone will be able to play video for up to 13 hours, and audio for up to 40 hours. You can watch streams on iPhone SE for up to 8 hours without recharging. Apple claims that the autonomy of the new product will be comparable to the iPhone 8. It is already known with high probability that the battery capacity is 1821 mAh (like the iPhone 8). This is not much, but an energy-efficient processor and a small screen will help maintain the declared autonomy. There is fast charging - the smartphone can restore up to half the battery capacity in just 30 minutes using a proprietary 18 W adapter. Wireless charging is carried out according to the Qi standard.
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Battery: the worst thing in a smartphone
It became a disappointment immediately after the device was announced. Capacity - 1821 mAh, which is catastrophically small. The iPhone 7 and 8 have the same number, autonomy is their worst side. At the same time, the A13 Bionic requires much more charge than the chips of its SE predecessors. That is, the operating time without recharging will be even shorter.
In practice, the smartphone works until 17:00, if you take it off the charger at 09:00 and use it with moderate load (social networks, instant messengers, music). At the same time, competitors have learned to live for a day and a half or more. SE's competitor is OPPO Reno3 Pro. From personal experience, with the same load, 25% of the charge remains at the end of the day, and the next day it will work until about 13:00 with the same tasks. Apple is good at non-conformism, but you shouldn’t ignore the trend towards increasing autonomy.
Another disadvantage of the device is charging. Included is an ancient 5 Watt adapter. It charges a 1821 mAh battery in 2.5 hours, in the first 20 minutes by 15%, and in half an hour by 28%. Fast charging doesn't help. With an 18 W power supply, the smartphone will charge 55% in half an hour, and up to 100% in two hours. That is, there is almost no difference. This is a mediocre indicator - competitors have learned to fully charge in less than an hour.
Replenishing energy in the first minutes is even more important than the overall time. The most common scenario is that you need to go outside and your phone is dead. realme X2 Pro spoiled in this regard - 10 minutes, and the smartphone was charged by 50%, you can use it all day. After six months of using it as your main smartphone, you understand how important charging speed is. SE will replenish energy by a maximum of 10% over the same period of time, so only the power bank will save you. In general, the SE's autonomy is a failure for Apple.
iPhone SE 2 2022 camera
The main camera module received only one lens with a resolution of 12 MP, f/1/8 aperture and True Tone LED flash. On the one hand, this is not much, because even cheap Android devices, and even their older brothers, have long boasted two or three or more lenses. The front camera has a resolution of 7 MP, f/2.2 and a Retina Flash. But Apple traditionally supports its solution with software tools. Using the A13 Bionic processor, you can make portrait photos blur the background, including selfies. Moreover, it is possible to adjust the degree of blur. This feature is called “Depth” and is implemented by simply moving the slider across the screen.
The main camera with a six-element lens has optical image stabilization and five times digital zoom.
It can shoot panoramas with a resolution of up to 63 MP, has autofocus and the SmartHDR function. Shooting results can be saved in HEIF and JPEG.
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iPhone 7 test in AnTuTu Benchmark
When tested in AnTuTu Benchmark, the iPhone 7 smartphone scored 191,701 points:
- In the CPU test we managed to score 87,829 points.
- In the GPU test we managed to score 43,301 points.
- In the memory test we managed to score 25,703 points.
- It managed to score 34,868 points in the usability (UX) test.
Testing was carried out on iOS 14.2, AnTuTu Benchmark version – V8.3.6. You can draw your own conclusions by viewing similar tests of other smartphones and comparing the results. For example, the iPhone 11 managed to score 447,428 points.
If the features are important, not the brand, then just spend a few hours studying the technical characteristics of mid-range Android phones to find the right option for you.
I looked in detail at the results of Apple’s presentation, during which iOS 14 was presented to the public. Don’t look at the external similarity of SE (2020) with older models, the iPhone 11 is based on hardware.
Which mid-priced phone do you consider the best purchase before the New Year 2022? Share your opinion in the comments.
Video Capabilities
The main camera can record video with a resolution of up to 4K and a frequency of 24/30/60 frames per second with extended dynamic range. At the same time, optical stabilization and autofocus work. In 1080p resolution, you can shoot slow-motion video at 120 and 240 frames per second. The front camera shoots FullHD video at 30 frames per second.
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Front-camera
If in terms of the main camera there is still a slight advantage over the 2nd generation iPhone SE, then in terms of shooting capabilities with the front camera the iPhone XR with its TrueDepth front camera system is ahead.
- iPhone SE (2020) features a 7-megapixel front-facing FaceTime HD camera with f/2.2 aperture, HDR support, and Portrait mode with six lighting options.
- iPhone XR features a 7-megapixel front-facing TrueDepth camera with f/2.2 aperture, Smart HDR support, Portrait mode with six lighting options, extended dynamic range when shooting video, and cinematic stabilization for videos.
Simply put, there is a draw between smartphones in terms of photo quality. But when it comes to video shooting, the iPhone XR is noticeably ahead of its opponent.
What's better? Selfies on smartphones will turn out the same, but videos taken on the front camera will be better on the iPhone XR.
Interfaces and sensors
As a biometric security feature, the iPhone SE received a Home button with a built-in fingerprint-based identification sensor (Touch ID). Facial recognition technology is not implemented in the smartphone. Charging and synchronization are carried out through the Lightning port, standard for the latest generations of iPhone. But the classic 3.5 mm headphone jack is not here.
iPhone SE has a GPS/GLONASS module, barometer, three-axis gyroscope, accelerometer, proximity and light sensors. The smartphone supports work with two SIM cards, but always in nano-SIM and eSIM formats.
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Hardware: A13 Bionic - the best processor in the world
The smartphone runs on one of the most powerful processors on the mobile market. The A13 Bionic was the leader in this regard when it was released in September 2022, but now it competes on equal terms with the Snapdragon 865 and Kirin 980.
With it, the iPhone SE looks solid in the price category of 35-45 thousand rubles. Android devices here receive pre-flagship chips of the Snapdragon 700 series, they work without restrictions, but their power reserve is much lower than that of an Apple smartphone.
A13 Bionic is a release for the future. This is perhaps the best processor in terms of working with augmented reality. There are a lot of applications in the App Store to try out these features. But this is important for users, first of all, because the chip will remain relevant for a long time - it will definitely work without restrictions for at least three years. This is the iPhone's greatest strength. People change them every three years.
Sound is also a plus of a smartphone. There are two speakers here - one at the bottom end, the second at the top of the front panel next to the earpiece. They are loud, you definitely won't sleep through the alarm. In addition, the smartphone can be used as a speaker, turning on the music at maximum volume and going to another room, the sound will be clear and voluminous.
What's included in the 2022 iPhone SE
The package includes a 5W charging adapter, a USB-C to Lightning cable, and EarPods with a Lightning connector. Unfortunately, you will have to purchase an adapter for fast charging separately.
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