| NETWORK | Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE |
|---|
| LAUNCH | Announced | 2016, March |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Available. Released 2016, March |
| BODY | Dimensions | 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm (4.87 x 2.31 x 0.30 in) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 113 g (3.99 oz) | |
| SIM | Nano-SIM | |
| - Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) |
| DISPLAY | Type | LED-backlit IPS LCD, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 4.0 inches (~60.8% screen-to-body ratio) | |
| Resolution | 640 x 1136 pixels (~326 ppi pixel density) | |
| Multitouch | Yes |
| PLATFORM | OS | iOS 9.3.2, planned upgrade to iOS 10 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Apple A9 | |
| CPU | Dual-core 1.84 GHz Twister | |
| GPU | PowerVR GT7600 (six-core graphics) |
| MEMORY | Card slot | No |
|---|---|---|
| Internal | 16/64 GB, 2 GB RAM |
| CAMERA | Primary | 12 MP, f/2.2, 29mm, phase detection autofocus, dual-LED (dual tone) flash, check quality |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 1/3" sensor size, 1.22 µm pixel size, geo-tagging, simultaneous 4K video and 8MP image recording, touch focus, face/smile detection, HDR (photo/panorama) | |
| Video | 2160p@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 1080p@120fps, 720p@240fps, check quality | |
| Secondary | 1.2 MP, f/2.4, 31mm, 720p@30fps, face detection, HDR, FaceTime over Wi-Fi or Cellular |
| SOUND | Alert types | Vibration, proprietary ringtones |
|---|---|---|
| Loudspeaker | Yes | |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | |
| - 16-bit/44.1kHz audio - Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic |
| COMMS | WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, hotspot |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | v4.2, A2DP, LE | |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS | |
| NFC | Yes (Apple Pay only) | |
| Radio | No | |
| USB | v2.0, reversible connector |
| FEATURES | Sensors | Fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
|---|---|---|
| Messaging | iMessage, SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email | |
| Browser | HTML5 (Safari) | |
| Java | No | |
| - Siri natural language commands and dictation - iCloud cloud service - MP3/WAV/AAX+/AIFF/Apple Lossless player - MP4/H.264 player - Audio/video/photo editor - Document editor |
| BATTERY | Non-removable Li-Po 1624 mAh battery (6.21 Wh) | |
|---|---|---|
| Stand-by | Up to 240 h (2G) / Up to 240 h (3G) | |
| Talk time | Up to 14 h (3G) | |
| Music play | Up to 50 h |
| MISC | Colors | Space Gray, Silver, Gold, Rose Gold |
|---|---|---|
| SAR US | 1.17 W/kg (head) 1.19 W/kg (body) | |
| SAR EU | 0.97 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) | |
| Price group | 8/10 |
Introduction
Apple didn't come up with a new design for the smaller iPhone SE. Instead, they've reused the old iPhone 5s with new internals. It's an odd move, which we witness for the first time - it's like reusing the same looks of a phone model third generation in a row. And that from the company, that practically invented the two-year phone redesign cycle
One way to interpret this move is to conclude Apple is taking the easy road and is merely recycling an existing chassis design to produce a lower-cost iPhone without hurting margins. Another possible interpretation is that they are reviving the iconic iPhone 5/5s design in an attempt to cater to a group of users who not only want a cheaper iPhone but would also prefer the smaller form factor. After all, a third of Apple users are still using older 4-inch smartphones.
The jury is still out on which one of these two might be the reasoning for this model, but whichever it is, we're not here to judge. This task would be up to Apple customers. Our job is only to evaluate how good the latest iPhone is and we intend to do just that.
But first thing's first - here's a refresher on the specs. The iPhone SE has the 4" Retina display of the iPhone 5s, its first-gen Touch ID sensor, an identical chassis, but on the inside, it comes with the new Apple A9 chip with 2GB of RAM, the new 12MP main snapper, and a slightly bigger battery.
Apple's restrictions have been around for years, so they shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone - you can't have expandable memory, fast or wireless charging, FM radio, swappable batteries, among others. The new 3D Touch tech isn't present either for obvious reasons though you can still capture Live Photos.
The iPhone SE has this nice nostalgic feeling of the good old iPhones when they were always shaking the market, and its compact size and powerful hardware will be appreciated by many. It will hardly attract any new users to Apple's platform, but will allow those who are stuck in the past to level up.
Main disadvantages
1-No 3D Touch
2-No microSD slot
3-Lacks optical image stabilization
4-NFC functionality limited to Apple Pay
5-No wireless charging, an infrared port, or FM radio
6-No enhanced resistance to liquids or dust
7-No user-replaceable battery
