Verdict
The iPhone SE 2022 is both a howl success and a missed opportunity . Internally , this dinky headphone create a warm proffer with top - drawer performance and days of computer software updates ahead of it . It ’s just a pity the same tired design and tiny display are hard to get frantic about .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The iPhone SE 2022 is Apple ’s most affordable 5 G twist , model below the iPhone 14 range .
This is a sound aimed at multitude who are still using a previous generationiPhone SE , or anything older than an iPhone 8 , and it offers noted upgrades on those age devices in multiple areas .
With anA15 Bionicchipset similar to the one you ’ll get in theiPhone 14 , an regalia of excellent camera feature and ready to hand spear carrier often miss at this price like wireless charging and water resistance , the iPhone SE 2022 could be go out as a bargain .
But does an former design and cramped display hamper the experience ? permit ’s have a deep look and see how it perform during our lab and real - man tests .
Design and Screen
Let ’s get the elephant in the room out of the way first . The display is the new iPhone SE ’s most dissatisfactory feature film . measure 4.7 inches , it ’s small and I find it very cramped when using the on - screen keyboard . I make out some people like smaller telephone set , but for me , this is just one footprint too far .
It ’s also just a fairly mundane dialog box . There ’s noOLEDtech for best - in - class blacks , no fast refresh rate for smooth scrolling and a chunky bezel giving the telephone a retro look and feel .
Watching videos on it is n’t a great experience and while it gets bright enough to combat a sunny day , it ’s not a standout performer when it comes to immersiveness or line . Other phones in this price range have OLED panels for deep and rich colours , many also have 90 or 120Hz technical school . This is a cool feature film that realise them smoother to utilize by increase the turn of images per secondly the screen render . All - in - all the blind is the crowing surface area where the iPhone SE 2022 could have been so much more .
The iPhone SE 2022 ’s pattern needs little account to iPhone fans . I ’m sure everyone reading this is familiar with the flavor of this machine as it has been around , in one form or another , since 2014 when the iPhone 6 launched . That ’s just shy of a decade ago .
At least the iPhone SE 2022 is fantastically well - built and finished to the same criterion as Apple ’s other gamy - destruction phones . There ’s tough chicken feed on the front and back ( noCeramic Shieldthough ) and handy extras like the tongueless on-off switch and anIP67rating . pee resistor has traditionally been rare at the Leontyne Price full stop , but it has also made an show on similarly priced rivals like theSamsung Galaxy A54 5Gin 2023 , slightly diminish the iPhone ’s appeal .
The physical domicile button is a quick and effective style of unlocking , and there ’s something reassuring about it . It feel old - fashioned as I have spent so long with Apple ’s more modern machine , but if you ’re fare from an iPhone 6 to an iPhone 8 or an older SE and you wish the push then you ’ll be happy it remain .
The sizing of this earphone will be a professional to some and a dealbreaker for others . Next to theiPhone 14 Pro Max , it look comically tiny ; dwarf by the 6.7 - in screen on the Max simulation . I know many people who love small gadget that can be comfortably hold in one hand and this gadget is cater to them . I would still say the iPhone 13 Mini is a better overall size though , as it avoids the cramped video display topic of the SE 2022 I ’ve go through during testing .
Camera
The single 12 - megapixel television camera on the back of the iPhone SE 2022 take really nice movie in daylight berth . In a well - light surroundings , I found the difference between snaps taken with this and with an iPhone 13 are minimal , when view on the telephone screen . However , this class ’s Google Pixel 7a arguably surpasses what Apple has to offer with more advanced shot mode and good quality .
In full term of computer hardware , it seems as though the iPhone SE 2022 is using basically the same detector as the sr. model . Where the update fall are in the software program and image processing , and these are because of the A15 Bionic chipset power the phone .
The skills of the A15 Bionic and its neural locomotive engine allow for bothDeep Fusionand Smart HDR 4 , two computer software features that really help picture quality . Deep Fusion works in fallible lighting , help to bring out more detail and forge particularly well at adding more texture to shots . Shoot a snap of someone in a woollen jump shot , for model , and the strands of the fabric are far clearer than what I entrance on contend Android sound .
Smart HDR 4 focuses on active chain of mountains and really helps lend more pop to photo . You ca n’t toggle this on or off – it ’s just always there – but it help level off out colours , shadows and highlights when you ’re shooting on sunnier day . There ’s also the Photography Styles feature from the iPhone 13 , which alters an image ’s visibility allow for it to be cooler or more vibrant .
These are a little bit like filters as they modify the look of pictures , however they have far more mastery as they ’re inserted inside the imaging pipeline rather than just sitting on the top . The stylus are nice , and even mimic some of the other earpiece around . Vibrant , for representative , cue me a lot ofGalaxy S23 ’s photos in terms of ample colours .
The liberal missing lineament here is any sorting of dedicated Night Mode and it ’s a actual shame . The iPhone SE 2022 shoot the same in day as at night and it ca n’t automatically stick out into a dedicated mode to further brightness . While using the iPhone SE 2022 at a fizgig , it just could n’t deal the tough ignition consideration very well , pulling out a rather dark and lacking figure . The iPhone 13 , along with cheaper options like theXiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5Gboth manage night photography much better than the iPhone SE .
The 7 - megapixel selfie television camera is also in need of a freshen - up . Snaps here are a bit dim and miss in detail . This front photographic camera does n’t own the same TrueDepth acquirement as the notch iPhones , so there ’s no Face ID .
The lack of any lowly sensors might also put some hoi polloi off . Not having a rapid growth ( apart from the digital choice ) is restrictive , while the lack of an ultrawide does limit creativity somewhat . I ca n’t conceive of another phone I have reviewed in the retiring few years that has just one tv camera . suppose that , focussing on a very good independent camera is unspoilt , at least in my eyes , than adding useless lowly soar and macro cameras that are nothing more than windowpane fertilization .
iPhones have , for the last few generation , excelled at videography . The iPhone SE 2022 might not have the stabilization skills to match the flagship Apple phone , but the television I captured was stable and colorful , with naturalistic skin spirit . The gimmicky portrait video Cinematic Mode is n’t here ( probably due to the lack of multiple focal length ) but you’re able to still shoot up to 4 yard 60fps .
Other missing features you ’ll find on the pricier iPhone 14 and 14 Pro series include ProRes and HDR recording and RAW gaining control . None of these are bounteous misses for a earphone like this in my opinion and will likely remain exclusive to the Pro phone Apple pretend .
Performance
It ’s on the inside where it really counts for the iPhone SE 2022 . While the design feels tired , the internals are bleeding edge and in some ways not far off what ’s power the iPhone 14 .
But it ’s not just the benefit of upper encouragement and right gaming performance that having a high - end chip make for . Arguably the biggest climb is seniority and how long this telephone will be supported . Buy the iPhone SE 2022 now , and I would n’t be surprised to see it pick up iOS update for at least seven years based on Apple ’s support for retiring iPhones we ’ve reviewed . The original iPhone SE , for exemplar , was released in 2016 and only bar receiving software updates with iOS 16 in 2022 .
foresightful software financial support , both for protection patches and newfangled feature updates , is n’t something you ’ll really find on Android phones at this price . Samsung presently boasts some of the good rise promise for its mid - range blowers , offering four bone upgrades and five years of security department patch , but pick up a Motorola , Realme or Xiaomi machine and you ’ll be lucky to get two year of update .
I see the iPhone SE 2022 as a phone that ’ll last and that could be a real reason to choose this over most of the competition if you do n’t want to elevate your phone regularly .
The actual chipset used here is the A15 Bionic – the chipset find in the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus . It ’s among the fastest mobile Si around discounting the A16 Bionic of the Pro models , outshine the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and even the newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in benchmarks and flying through every real - Earth task we throw at it during testing .
To have that power in a phone that not only cost less than £ 500/$500 , but one that ’s also this minor is incredibly rarified .
In the Geekbench 5 test – a synthetic all - around performance benchmarking tool – the iPhone SE 2022 matches the scores of the iPhone 13 Pro and beats theGalaxy S22 Ultra , though it ca n’t quite pulsate the newerGalaxy S23 Ultraand its custom Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset . Still , that ’s two phones that be more than double its damage .
Test Data
benchmark do n’t signify everything , and in real - world role , the iPhone SE 2022 glitter . The dinky display means I ca n’t see this being a dearie for wandering gamers , but the headphone can easily play top titles like Genshin Impact and Asphalt 9 if you bid . I have like having the power in a modest word form - agent for photo redaction in Lightroom too .
Apple never mentions the amount of RAM inside its phones , but the iPhone SE 2022 has an additional 1 GB when compared to the older model . The 4 GB at play here should again aid with that longevity aspect and , of course , ensure apps stay in memory longer , which will aid set up times .
The young SE is the cheap Apple phone to support 5 G thanks to the Qualcomm modem inside . Unlike the iPhone 13 series there ’s nommWave 5 gigabyte , so if you ’re in the USA or other localisation where the quicker 5 gramme technical school is live , then that ’s something to take note . I would n’t upgrade to this phone strictly for 5 G , even though I am starting to acknowledge its benefits more , but it ’ll be a nice feature to have a few geezerhood down the channel . Again , it all feeds into the estimate that the iPhone SE 2022 will last a long clip .
Battery Life
The first thing that can be said about the battery life here is that it is a notable upgrade over the iPhone SE 2020 . It does not have a physically big battery inside , but the more efficient chipset helps it eke more juice out .
When you ’re not using the sound it hardly drops at all – leaving it disconnect overnight encounter a mere 2 % battery drop and undertaking like euphony rain buckets , browsing Safari and WhatsApp message all sip juice slow . If you ’re a very light user who cares about barrage first and foremost , it is deserving appear at this phone . During my meter with it , the new SE has never struggled to make it through a full daylight of stock utilization .
An hour of Netflix streaming with the battery congeal to a comfortable brightness involve the battery down 5 % , which is n’t that surprising considering the small display and relatively low resolution . I ca n’t say I ’ll be watching hours of Netflix on this covert though , given its sizing .
But this is still a meaty processor along with a fairly minor jail cell and when pushed the battery waste pipe is visible . Gaming is a noticeable culprit , as is anything that pushes the chipset to do work firmly . Just as it ’s promiscuous to make it through a day with promiscuous utilisation , it ’s every bit easy to burn through 20 % of an extended gaming session and some Google Maps purpose . The addition of 5 gigabyte On : Always is n’t overly genial on endurance , peculiarly if you ’re using it for a lot of downloads .
There ’s no charger inside the box , so if you do n’t have one around I would suggest investing in a USB - C plug that can charge at least 20w . At this speeding , you ’ll get a full charge in just over an hour . Wireless charging is much slower and there ’s noMagSafesupport for that extra dissipated conducting wire - free charging .
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Should you buy it?
Malus pumila update its phones for years with security system while and young feature drop-off and it should be the same account here . With that A15 chipset inside and plenty of RAM , this is a phone that will outlast many similar price pick
With its belittled cover , the iPhone SE 2022 is n’t a good choice if you want a phone for gaming , video observance or any other content - focussed chore .
Final Thoughts
The iPhone SE 2022 is a strange speech sound . In many ways , it ’s very challenging , especially when it come to daylight camera performance and general f number . There ’s nothing close to the ability that the iPhone SE offers in 2023 at a similar monetary value , though other features – like wireless charging and IP67 body of water resistance – are starting to appear on the Android competition along with faster 90- or 120Hz AMOLED displays , which lessens the iPhone SE ’s allure somewhat .
I appreciate that this will be a phone that ’s updated through software system for years to fall and I really believe that ’s an important science that Android devices at this Mary Leontyne Price mostly ignore . Again , it ’s something that ’s start to switch in 2023 , but Apple still leads the pack .
But if you ’re hoping for a fresh take on the SE ’s design or a larger selection , you will be let down . The screen is small and halter in a style theiPhone 13 Miniavoids and the aim feels a bit dated .
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every mobile phone we review exhaustively . We use industry standard tests to compare features properly and we habituate the phone as our chief twist over the critical review period . We ’ll always tell you what we find and we never , ever , accept money to retrospect a mathematical product .
FAQs
Yes , the new iPhone SE will go with all the same cases as the older model .
There ’s only sub-6Ghz 5 G here , so no mmWave if you ’re in an area or country that supports it .
Apple ditched the earpiece seafarer on its phone with the iPhone 7 and has n’t added it back again for anything since . There is no phone laborer on the iPhone SE 2022 .
