iPhone SE (2020) review: The ideal budget iPhone with flagship power

Still, it’s not for everyone.

April 29, 2020

iPhone SE (2020) review: The ideal budget iPhone with flagship power

The original iPhone SE was Apple's first budget phone. Not only was it affordable, but it was also compact — two things that iPhones, and smartphones in general, seemed to be quickly moving away from at the time.

But that was four years ago. Up until now, Apple had yet to release a newer model that was anywhere near as budget-friendly, easy to use, or small enough to comfortably hold one-handed.

At US$399, the iPhone SE (2020) is finally here to give the company's budget option a refresh. It also replaces the iPhone 8, which was the closest option to an updated SE that customers had since its launch in 2017. Although with a starting price of US$699, the iPhone 8 wasn't necessarily a true low-cost phone.

With a single rear camera, Touch ID, and a 4.7-inch display, the new SE packs almost all of the same features as the iPhone 8, allowing Apple to discontinue that model completely. Which, in a way, essentially makes the new iPhone SE the unofficial "iPhone 9."

Of course, the new SE's US$399 price is just for the 64GB base model. If you're looking for more storage, the 128GB version will cost you US$449 while the 256GB configuration goes for US$549.

But based solely on its specs, it's clear this new iPhone SE isn't for those who want the latest and greatest. It's a great option for someone who is finally willing to let go of their dated flip phone, but who also doesn't want to pay a high cost or feel overwhelmed by confusing new features.

It's also a step up for a large group of Apple loyalists who have been neglected for a while now: those clinging to the iPhone 6S and the original iPhone SE from 2016.

Given that Apple has yet to nix either model from the list of compatible phones for its updated operating systems, there's been no forced reason to ditch these older models.

What's more, the only available iPhone upgrade alternatives, which include the iPhone XS (the 'X' series being the first iPhones to ditch Touch ID completely) and up, require growing accustomed to Face ID, gesture navigation, and a much larger handset build. There's also the fact that each of these phones comes with a relatively higher price tag.

The new iPhone SE, on the other hand, is the perfect choice for those who are content with the basic features of their current iPhones, but are desperately in need of an upgrade. Whether it's because their phone is starting to slow down or they just want something a little more updated, the new iPhone SE is a solid replacement.

A past design with a premium feel

The iPhone 11 Pro next to the iPhone SE.

While the new iPhone SE is the smallest handset Apple currently offers, it's not as small as its predecessor. In fact, it's actually identical to the iPhone 8 in both size and design.

As far as dimensions go, the iPhone SE (2016) measured 4.87 inches long by 2.31 inches wide. Meanwhile, the second-generation version is slightly larger at 5.45 inches long by 2.65 inches wide. So, there's quite a difference there.

Unlike the original iPhone SE which featured an aluminum body, the new model is made of glass on both the front and back. Only its sides are coated in aluminum. It does look and feel high-end for what's considered a budget phone, though. My model came in the (Product) Red version, which I think adds to the sleek aesthetic, but it's also available in black or white.

It's also worth noting that, if you're upgrading from the original iPhone SE, the 2020 version is a bit heavier. In comparison to the 2016 version which weighed in at 3.99 ounces, this model is 5.22 ounces. Having come from the iPhone 11 Pro (which weighs almost 6.63 ounces), the new SE felt super lightweight and small in my hands. But for those of you with the older models, it might feel like a bit of an adjustment at first.

I admit, it initially felt a little foreign to cradle the new SE in both my hands. My fingers were awkwardly crammed together as they rested on the back of the diminutively sized phone. Regardless, at 4.7-inches, it's still the perfect size for someone with tiny hands like mine. It's also ideal to use with one hand without feeling like you're going to drop it.

Of all the colors, red is definitely my favorite.

As for its hardware layout, the new iPhone SE has a lightning port flanked by dual speakers on the bottom. On its left side are the volume rocker and Ring/Silent switch, while the right is where you'll find the side button to wake the phone or put it to sleep.

Below the display, you'll find the Home/Touch ID sensor (originally introduced on the iPhone 5S), which is an upgrade from the physical Home button found on the 2016 iPhone SE. It essentially uses haptic feedback to mimic the feel of pressing down on a button.

After you register your fingerprint, you can use this sensor to unlock your phone, authorize passwords or in-app purchases, and make payments using Apple Pay.

Welcome back, Touch ID. I really missed you.

As far as performance, Touch ID on the new SE was super responsive and worked quickly. It was also nice to have a break from Face ID, which tends to become frustrating during moments where it has trouble recognizing my features.

The new iPhone SE is also fairly durable. With an IP67 rating, it's both dust- and water-resistant, which means you can submerge it in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes. But, like I said before, it's made of all glass. So, I do recommend putting a case on it if you're as clumsy as I am. While it survived one or two falls off of my bed and onto the hardwood floor, I'm certain that one more drop could cause it to shatter.

A bit of a cramped display

The new iPhone SE features a 4.7-inch Retina HD LCD display with 1,334 by 750 pixel resolution. Colors appear vivid on this screen and content remains easily visible while using the handset outside in bright conditions.

It was tough to get used to the thick bezels on the top and bottom, though.

The new iPhone SE also makes use of Apple's True Tone technology, which uses sensors to monitor ambient lighting conditions and adjust the brightness of the display accordingly.

But regardless of its clarity, it's still a small display — a fact made worse by the very thick bezels above and below it. I'm particularly critical of this cramped screen because I'm the type of person who constantly uses their phone to stream shows on Netflix or to watch YouTube videos. So, while I really enjoyed the overall tiny size of the phone, I found myself wanting to switch back to my 11 Pro's 5.8-inch display whenever I wanted to watch video.

Of course, it didn't bother me as much while in quarantine since I have my TV at my disposable at all hours of the day. But, I typically use my phone to catch up on shows while commuting on the subway, so I can only imagine that I'd grow tired of such a small screen after some time.

There is one very big bright spot to the new iPhone SE's display and that would be its lack of a notch. Thanks to that design choice you don't have to get used to the updated iOS gestures that were first introduced on the iPhone X. You know, gestures like having to swipe down on the right or left shoulder of the phone to access specific menus.

The new SE functions much the same as past iPhones did: Swipe down on the top of the display for notifications and swipe up for the shortcuts menu. Admittedly, it took some getting used to, but after a while the simplicity was quite refreshing.

I'm also happy that the battery percentage indicator is now displayed onscreen at all times. It's a refreshing change from having to swipe down on the display to monitor battery life the way I do on the iPhone 11 Pro. Sure, it's a minor feature, but still very much appreciated.

The new SE is also compatible with Haptic Touch, which allows you to long press on app icons or web pages to trigger a menu for additional options and actions. However, long pressing on notifications isn't supported as per this report on MacRumors.

Navigating the phone is a lot more simple on the SE than on any iPhone with a notch.

The publication points out that while you can trigger this additional menu to appear for app icons on the home screen, long pressing doesn't work when you're on the lock screen or in the Notification Center. So, that means you can't do things like quick reply to a text message or email.

After testing it out myself, I can confirm this is unfortunately true.

Even though I don't normally make use of this feature, I do find it to be most handy on the notifications screen. It makes quick replying to text messages a breeze. Hopefully, with enough complaints, Apple will decide to include it in a future software update.

As powerful as it can get

If there's really any one reason to buy the new iPhone SE, it's for the A13 Bionic chip, which was introduced just last year with the iPhone 11 lineup.

In addition to powering Apple's current flagship phones, the chip's also used in the latest iPad Pro. So, you can expect the new iPhone SE to support software updates for years to come, especially any feature-heavy versions of iOS that Apple plans on releasing in the future.

I didn't have any issues with performance while using the phone. Apps loaded quickly and scrolling through menus and emails felt smooth and responsive.

That A13 Bionic chip will keep this phone running for years.

I also ran benchmarks using Geekbench 5 on both the new iPhone SE and the iPhone 11 Pro.

The new iPhone SE scored 1,330 for single-core performance and 3,391 for multi-core. In comparison, the iPhone 11 Pro scored 1,331 and 3,420, respectively. That's super impressive considering the iPhone 11 Pro starts at US$999, which is US$600 more than the new iPhone SE — a pretty significant price difference.

As for its battery life, the new SE packs a 1,821mAh battery, which lasted about 11 to 12 hours per day. It's also on par with the 12 hours we got on the iPhone 8, which has the exact same size battery.

Additionally, the new iPhone SE supports wireless charging and fast charge with an adapter up to 18W. Unfortunately, it comes with a 5W charger out of the box, so you'll have to purchase the heftier charger separately.

A highly capable camera

A single rear camera that takes excellent shots.

The iPhone SE keeps it simple in terms of its camera module, with a single 12-megapixel wide-angle rear sensor (f/1.8 aperture) with an LED flash. On its front is a 7-megapixel selfie camera.

But even with a single-lens setup, Apple still managed to include Portrait mode on both the rear and front cameras. On a phone like the iPhone 11 Pro, Portrait mode relies on its built-in sensors (i.e., the wide-angle and telephoto lens) to help capture depth, whereas the new SE uses machine learning to produce these shots.

To do this, the new SE's wide-angle lens works in tandem with the A13 chip's neural engine, which has been trained to identify a person in the scene so it knows when to isolate the subject and blur the background. You also have all six Portrait lighting effects to choose from and the ability to manually control the depth in each photo.

But Portrait mode does come with one caveat: It can only recognize people, so you can't use it to take photos of other things like food, flowers, or ... your pets (which I'm very sad about).

I tested the new iPhone SE's camera by taking the same shots with the iPhone 11 Pro to see how the two compare.

Let's start with Portrait mode:

Between these two photos, I actually prefer the shot taken with the new iPhone SE. It looks a lot more natural in color and does a better job at sharpening the actual subject.

You can immediately tell there's a yellowish tint on the image above, which is very common with photos taken with iPhone 11 Pro. The Bokeh is also a little inconsistent; the left side of my brother's head and his right shoulder both blur with the background.

Meanwhile, here's an example of what photos look like on the front-facing camera using standard and Portrait mode.

Standard selfie mode with the iPhone SE.

I'll admit that I've taken a lot of selfies with this phone and I can say that I'm very pleased. Both images look super bright and sharp.

They're also fairly true to color in terms of my skin tone and all of the colors around me.

For shots taken outdoors, I kept Smart HDR on (which blends separate exposures into a single photo using the best parts).

Both photos look fairly similar in quality. The only difference being that the walkway and beige colors look a bit brighter on the iPhone SE than with the 11 Pro.

Here's an example with a bit more color:

There's barely a difference in these images, as well. Although, as with the images above, the bricks do look a little brighter in color with the iPhone SE.

You can also see how the color of the stairs looks more washed out on the SE than in the photo taken with the 11 Pro.

Regardless, it's clear the new iPhone SE is just as capable of producing high-quality images as the more expensive iPhone. Even if you're not planning to take tons of photos with this phone, you can rest assured that, when you do, they'll come out looking really nice. But it's important to note that without an ultra-wide angle lens, you're sort of limited in terms of your ability to capture more content in one photo at once.

Unfortunately, the iPhone SE doesn't have a Night mode option. So, you're also not able to take clear photos in low-light environments.

A very worthy upgrade you won't regret

Many will be quick to point out that the new iPhone SE is just a revamped iPhone 8 and ... they're not wrong. But the difference here is the new iPhone SE packs processing power, in the form of the A13 Bionic chip, that the iPhone 8 can't match. Add to that a great camera, all-day battery life, Touch ID, plus basic navigation, and you've got yourself the ideal budget iPhone.

At $399, you're truly getting your money's worth with all it has to offer. And, given that Apple will support it for years to come, you also won't have to worry about upgrading to another phone for a very long time.

It doesn't come with 5G though, so those of you looking for something that's more future-proof in terms of network connectivity might want to look elsewhere. But if that's not of importance, then it's a great option.

As I mentioned earlier, those of you upgrading from anything below an iPhone X won't regret the switch. Unless, of course, you favor the Plus models, in which case, you'll have to make sure you're content with its smaller size. But if you have an iPhone X and up, then you're better off waiting for Apple's upcoming iPhone 12 lineup in the fall. If you're looking to upgrade sooner, but still want to keep it as basic as possible, the iPhone 11 (starting at US$699) is your best alternative.

As for those of you holding onto that first-generation iPhone SE for dear life: It's okay to finally let go. In fact, now is the perfect time to move on to a budget iPhone that's a bit bigger and definitely a whole lot better.