Meet the new iPhone SE - Apple's best value phone ever

Apple just announced a new iPhone, but it might look a little familiar. The iPhone SE (2020) has the same processor as the company’s flagship iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro models but comes in the familiar 4.7-inch body size that debuted all the way back in 2014 with the iPhone 6. It also has an upgraded camera compared to the previous iPhone SE model, which was released in 2016. It looks to offer strong value too, with the new iPhone retailing at £419. This is one of the most fascinating iPhone releases in recent memory, so let’s take a closer look at what sets this model apart from its peers.

First of all, we’ve got to talk about the specs. This Apple phone sports the A13 Bionic processor, which debuted with the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro last September, so the phone should be considerably faster than both the original iPhone SE (which had an A9 processor) and the previous cheapest iPhone, the iPhone 8 (which comes with an A11 Bionic CPU). This is backed with 3GB of RAM, a modest amount that still outdoes the original iPhone SE by 50 per cent. You should notice the difference in speed right out of the gate, but it’ll become even more important in a few years, when newer apps with higher system requirements are even more prevalent.

Storage is important too, and here we’ve got three options: the entry-level model comes with 64GB of internal memory and costs £419. That’s a great price for a new iPhone, but you may find that level of storage a little constricting so most people should probably opt for the 128GB model at £469. There’s also a 256GB model for £569, but here you’re approaching the territory of the higher-grade iPhone models.

In terms of design, as we mentioned in the introduction, the SE (2020) looks like the iPhone did before the introduction of the iPhone X in September 2017. That means bezels above and below the display, a Touch ID fingerprint sensor built into the home button - and no notch. IP67 water resistance is also included. For the screen, it’s a 4.7-inch Retina HD IPS display with True Tone, meaning it can adjust its colour temperature based on the light around you, and it supports both DolbyVision and HDR10 content. If you liked the look of the iPhone or prefer the home button to Face ID, then this is the iPhone for you.

There are some changes on the back of the phone, where a 12-megapixel f/1.8 camera still resides - the same as the iPhone 8 - but new PDAF (phase detection auto focus) capabilities should make taking great photos more consistent. The A13 Bionic chip also unlocks the ability to take Portrait mode or Smart HDR photos, so even though you only have the one camera you should be able to get a lot out of it.

The iPhone SE (2020) is available to pre-order from Apple and other retailers now, with a release date of April 24th. As we mentioned above, the entry-level price is £419 for the 64GB model, and Apple are also offering a reduced price when you trade in an older iPhone. There are three colours available: white, black and red.

It’ll be interesting to see the first iPhone SE (2020) reviews once the phone launches later this week. It looks like an incredibly potent combination of specs and features for the price, so there’s plenty of potential for greatness here.

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Title image credit: Apple