For many looking to buy a new and powerful smartphone, the price would definitely put it out of reach. The current economic climate due to the COVID-19 pandemic has really affected consumer purchasing power. Apple really timed its announcement to the new version of the iPhone SE (2020).
It is the most affordable iPhone on the market, giving it better performance compared to other smartphones in the same pricing segment. First released in 2016 (with only storage refreshes in 2017), this is a piece of welcome news for those contemplating a purchase.
Take the look and size of the iPhone 8, and marries it with the internal specs of the iPhone 11/iPhone 11 Pro. That is the end result for this updated model.
Reengineered inside out
You’ll notice that the iPhone SE features a 4.7-inch Retina HD display with True Tone. This is slightly larger than the previous model and adds support for Dolby Vision and HDR10 playback. Yet, it still keeps a compact profile for people to use it with one hand paired. The iPhone SE retains the familiar Home button with Touch ID.
The new iPhone SE is powered by the Apple-designed A13 Bionic, the very same custom SoC that powers the high-end flagship iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. With that much power, the built-in RAM has also increased to 3GB (50% more than the previous model). Expect this model to last for many years in the future with compatible iOS updates.
The same chip also enables great battery life for iPhone SE, and supports wireless-charging with Qi-certified chargers and fast-charging. Combine this with the battery capacity of the iPhone 8, this will definitely give it more longevity in your pocket during medium-to-heavy usage.
Wireless connectivity gets a big upgrade as well to bring it to the forefront, supporting both Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0. Cellular connectivity is there with Gigabit-class LTE supporting a spectrum of bands that should make it a near-universal phone for existing 4G networks.
Dual SIM makes its debut on this entry-level iPhone, so you can use both a physical nano-SIM and an eSIM to have two separate phone numbers on a single device.
Optic leap in single-camera system
The single-camera system is powered by a 12 MP f/1.8 aperture Wide camera lens. Using the image signal processor and Neural Engine of the A13 Bionic to powering its computational photography prowess, you’ll gain access to Portrait mode (with all six Portrait Lighting effects) and Depth Control. Using machine learning and monocular depth estimation, iPhone SE also takes stunning Portraits with the front camera. Next-generation Smart HDR comes to iPhone SE, intelligently re-lighting recognized subjects in a frame for more natural-looking images with stunning highlight and shadow details.
Videos are even more immersive with stereo audio recording and cinematic video stabilization on the front and rear cameras. The rear camera supports high-quality video recording at 4K up to 60fps, slow-motion 1080p at 120fps and 240fps, and extended dynamic range comes to iPhone SE for more highlight details up to 30fps.
How can I get one?
The all-new iPhone SE (2020) comes with three colour options: black, white and (PRODUCT)RED. It will be available pre-order beginning Friday April 17 starting at just AED/QAR/SAR 1,699 (64GB).
If you’re feeling noble and planning to buy the (PRODUCT)RED one, note that a portion of proceeds will go directly to Global Fund’s newly established COVID-19 Response Fund (providing funding to countries in need of PPE, diagnostics treatment, lab equipment, public safety communications, supply chain support and more).
This is in addition to the existing HIV/AIDS grants that provide testing, counseling, treatment and prevention programs with a specific focus on eliminating transmission of the virus from mothers to their babies.
Every new purchase gives you a FREE one-year subscription to Apple TV+ (you’ll need to redeem it within 3 months after activating it). Pre-orders for the Middle East region should begin soon via your local mobile carrier.
- Qatar: Vodafone Qatar
- UAE: du
- Saudi Arabia: TBC
- Oman: Omantel
- Kuwait: TBC
- Bahrain: TBC