Apple iPhone SE 2020 is going on sale in India this week and this is the first time when the company is launching a phone in the first half of the year. The SE 2020 has been a much-awaited product from the brand, simply because there’s very little that’s new about it, except for the hardware. The iPhone SE 2020 is priced starting from Rs 42,500 in the country. And since we don’t have the device with us, we thought of compiling reviews from other media houses across the globe, which will give you an idea about what Apple has to offer with its latest mid-range product.
Pricing – Affordable iPhone with the latest hardware
According to New York Times, “Apple took all the best parts from its expensive iPhones — including a fast computing processor and an excellent camera — and squeezed them into the shell of an older iPhone with a home button and smaller screen. At the same time, it managed to include useful features that were previously exclusive to fancy new phones, like water resistance, wireless charging and so-called portrait photos.”
This statement basically sums up the iPhone SE 2020. The company has smartly recycled the body of iPhone 8 series, packed it with hardware from the iPhone 11 series to satisfy the needs of those wanting a phone of smaller size.
Display – Dated design but crisp
The 4.7-inch LCD display is as good as ever, with True Tone to help colour-match your surroundings, as pointed out by The Verge. But CNET highlighted that “you do sacrifice screen real estate to accommodate the home button and I noticed the bezels a lot on the SE.” More importantly, Phonearea stated, “People who love tiny phones will be perfectly okay and even happy with this 4.7-inch screen size, but for most people and especially those who use their phones a lot, this screen will feel cramped and way too tiny.” Considering the average size of smartphones these days is over 5.5-inch, the SE caters to those who really want to stick with Apple without digging a big hole in their pocket.
Hardware – Value for money
The Verge says, “iPhone SE 2020 has the A13 Bionic, which is impressive because it’s the same processor as the iPhone 11 Pro. There is no faster processor in a smartphone for any price. iPhone SE will get OS updates for many years to come. With this processor under the hood, the SE 2020 becomes the top-performing device in the segment, and this includes the Android options as well. Having said that, the SE 2020 ships with a 5W charger in the box, which means charging the phone will take more than an hour. For the touch ID making its comeback, Phonearena says, “Even the fastest in-screen fingerprint scanners are not as fast and convenient as this good old traditional one.”
Camera – Single but effective
It would be unfair to end the topic without talking about the camera quality of the iPhone SE 2020. And as it turns out, the phone packs a shooter that is a mixed bag. ” The iPhone SE has a single, wide rear camera. But as I found when looking at photos from both side-by-side, the difference was not as dramatic as I was expecting,” CNET wrote in its review. The Verge explained the phone’s camera is a match for the iPhone 11 in daylight conditions but it’s shortcomings are clearly visibly in low-light. “The iPhone SE simply doesn’t do as well there as it does in other situations. There’s no night mode, and in dim light, there’s just too much noise,” it added. With so many phones offered with three and four rear cameras these days, the battle of the Megapixel is going to be fascinating.
iPhone SE 2020 – Worth buying?
Again, as we’ve pointed out, if you’re in the market for a phone that’s anything but Android and the budget maxes out under 50K, the iPhone SE 2020 is coming across as more than a decent option. It comes with the latest hardware, which promises future software cycle, but the design is dated, the bezels are big. Also, you get a single rear camera unit, which is not very good with low-light photography. And finally, the battery life just about gets you done for the day. Upgrading from iPhone 6 or even 8? this phone is the right pick for you. For everyone else, there are quite a few options to choose from.