The rumours were true after all. Apple has finally launched the second-generation iPhone SE, and this one is simply called… iPhone SE. Not iPhone 9 or iPhone SE 2. Apple’s return to making a compact phone looks interesting, but what makes it even more compelling is the $399 price tag. Let’s see what it brings to the table:

Familiar design with a hidden surprise

Let’s start with the design. The new iPhone SE looks a lot like the iPhone 8, but we aren’t complaining. Yes, the thick bezels are not a modern touch, but Apple had to make room for the Touch ID sensor on this one and had to make the top and bottom bezels look uniform. 

The phone is made using aerospace-grade aluminum and glass, while the Touch ID sensor is covered with a layer of sapphire glass. And the best part – the iPhone SE is IP67 certified (water resistance up 1 meter for a duration of 30 minutes). Alas, there is no 3.5mm headphone jack on Apple’s latest offering. The phone comes in black, white and the customary (PRODUCT)RED shade. Sorry, no colorful options like the iPhone XR.

Wireless charging at a bargain

But the biggest upgrade is support for wireless charging. The iPhone SE is compatible with Qi-certified wireless chargers and also supports fast-charging courtesy of the 18W charger, which ensures that the battery can be juiced up halfway through in just 30 minutes. 

Apple’s second-gen iPhone SE packs a small-ish 4.7-inch Retina HD (1334-by-750) True Tone LCD display with a peak brightness of 625 nits. There is also an oleophobic coating on top. The display offers a 1400:1 contrast ratio, and there is thankfully no notch on this one. The true appeals of the iPhone SE, however, lies in its compact form factor and the reduction in screen size helped achieved that.

The Best Single-Camera System in an iPhone: Apple

Coming to the camera hardware, Apple has fitted its latest phone with a single 12MP (f/1.8) wide-angle camera that employs computational photography for image processing. Features such as Portrait mode, Portrait Lighting effects, Smart HDR and Depth Control are there for users. It can also click 4K videos at 60fps and slo-mo 1080p videos at up to 240fps. 

And in case you were wondering, there is OIS on board as well. On the front is a single 7MP (f/2.2) camera that can also click Portrait mode shots. No Face ID here, but authentication is handled by the returning Touch ID sensor that also doubles as the home button.

Faster silicon, updated software

Talking about the internals, iPhone SE employs the A13 Bionic chip that also powers the iPhone 11 series. That’s some serious firepower for a phone that costs as much. Furthermore, it comes in three storage options: 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB. Apple has not revealed the battery capacity but says the iPhone SE can last 13 hours of video playback.

On the software side, it boots iOS 13 and also offers Haptic Touch support for accessing contextual menus and Quick Actions such as animating Live Photos, previewing messages, and rearranging apps to name a few. Also, the iPhone SE is a dual-SIM phone that uses a physical Nano-SIM and an eSIM. 

It doesn’t cost a fortune

Talking about the pricing, iPhone SE’s base 64GB model costs $399, the 128GB variant will retail at $449, while the 256GB version will cost $549. It will be available to pre-order from Apple’s official online store and the Apple Store app starting April 17.

And starting April 24, it will be available from retail outlets, Apple Authorized Resellers and major carriers in over 40 countries. In India, the iPhone SE will be up for grabs starting at Rs. 42,500 via authorised resellers and retail outlets.

Source: Apple