Image via Apple
There were some surprises during Apple’s “Peek performance” event. The new iPhone SE was not one of them. If you didn’t know you were holding a new model, you’d have no hint. Same 4.7-inch screen size… same colors… same ol’ home button with Touch ID. Same look, as I say, though that might get me in a tiny bit of trouble. While the second-gen iPhone SE came in black, white, and (PRODUCT)Red, the new ones come in midnight, starlight, and (PRODUCT)RED - totally different, a pox upon me.
The (A15) Bionic Eye
While changes may not be obvious from the outside, there are many improvements. Those start with the processor. The newest iPhone SE rocks the same A15 Bionic that powers the iPhone 13 line. That gives it better battery life and improved camera functionality, according to the company, including Smart HDR 4, Photographic Styles, and Deep Fusion.
One marquee feature found in the 13-line but missing from the new SE is Cinematic Mode. A piece from 9 to 5 Mac says the feature, which lets users blur the background of a video, did not make it into this week’s model. It’s possible the feature needs more than the SE’s single lens. Maybe Apple’s holding it out for differentiation. Whatever the case, don’t look for it. It won’t be there.
iPhone SE Waves Off mmWave 5G
What is there is 5G. Giving the usual sales pitch, Apple says:
5G allows users to take advantage of the latest generation of wireless technology, with faster uploads and downloads, lower latency, and better experiences in more places…
Once again though, something is missing. Or mmmissing. A piece from Apple Insider says iPhone SE only supports sub-6GHz 5G, not mmWave. According to the piece:
The faster mmWave potentially brings data transfer speeds in excess of 4 gigabits per second. It requires the use of high-frequency bands, however, which are still not common place.
Slower sub-6GHz bands are considered more robust than the mmWave ones, and they also don't need cell towers to be as close together.
Mentions I’ve seen online indicate that almost no one has actually experienced mmWave 5G, save for incredibly densely populated areas. mmWave-compatible iPhones have also not been released outside the U.S., so - really - it’ll probably be a while before iPhone SE3 users feel any sort of affect not having mmWave access.
Compare and Contrast
There are other differences between iPhone 13 and iPhone SE about which would-be buyers may want to know. 9 to 5 Mac hits a few of those.
While the back glass on iPhone SE is said to be as strong as the back glass on iPhone 13, the SE update apparently doesn’t feature the same display toughness. iPhone 13’s Ceramic Shield is not listed among iPhone SE’s features.
No MagSafe for iPhone SE, just so you know.
While it stands up to dust and water as well as its predecessor, boasting the same IP67 rating, iPhone 13 is rated IP68. “One better,” as Nigel Tufnel might point out.
Finally, there is the price. It’s more, though not by much. Getting into a 64GB iPhone SE used to run buyers $399. When the next one hits, it’ll cost $30 more, starting at $429 for the 64GB model. The 128GB version will go for $479, while the 256GB model will set buyers back $579.
Orders and Shipping
For a normal iPhone release, we talk about setting our alarm clocks, though I’m not sure iPhone SE is a “set your alarm” type of device. Whatever the case, Apple says:
Customers in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, the UK, the US, and more than 30 other countries and regions will be able to pre-order iPhone SE beginning at 5 a.m. PST on Friday, March 11, with availability beginning Friday, March 18.