iPhone SE First Impressions
Apple announced the iPhone SE on April 15, 2020.
I have a bit of a soft spot for the iPhone SE (both the 2020 and the outgoing 2016 model). I can't explain to you what it is, except to say that I know it's not rational, some sort of reality distortion field washes over me when I use this device. Nevertheless, this is hardly a review, just some impressions that stood out after using the phone for a week.
Punches Above Its Weight Class: The industry-leading A13 processor, 4K video recording at 60 fps, 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6, all starting at $399? Okay! And then there's water-resistance, wireless charging, TrueTone, & optical image stabilization. We can dump on the dated body all day, but the iPhone SE matches or outclasses many of the top smartphones currently on the market.
TouchID: The preferred biometric authentication of this COVID-19 pandemic and when trying to unlock your iPhone when I'm bleary-eyed in the morning.
Dat Backside Tho: Say what you want about the iPhone SE's Neanderthal forehead and chin, its backside is one of Apple's most striking & minimal designs. The glossy glass backplate stuns and features a centred Apple Logo & small camera module. That's it! No iPhone branding, no serial number, no regulatory information, & no antenna bands.
Spicy Orange Encore: That striking pure glass backplate I just wrote about? Yeah, I'm going to put a case on it. Fortunately, the iPhone has nearly identical measurements to phones going as far back as the iPhone 6s released back in 2015, which means that cases released in the last five years will work with this device. Personally, that means scouring eBay & gobbling up some of my favourite Apple silicone colours (I'm a sucker for that Cosmos Blue) before they disappear.
9-5 Camera: The iPhone SE's camera combines the iPhone 8 sensor with iPhone 11 brains. Results from reviewers demonstrate that it's a reliable camera during the daytime, but it turns into a real potato camera in low light. No night-mode, & no sweater mode, unfortunately.
Passable Battery: The iPhone SE has a 1,821 mAh battery, the same as the iPhone 8. It's passable. People weren't bragging about the iPhone 8 battery life when it was released, and they're not bragging about the iPhone SE's battery now. You'll get through a day if your not a fiend. The real usability of these phones will be tested in 2-3 years when the capacity begins to degrade.
My Recommendation:
I’m always going to be biased in favour of getting as much storage as you can afford, and would recommend spending the additional 50$ to double the storage from 64 to 128GB.
