Apple iPhone SE (2020)

The Apple iPhone SE (2020) is Apple's affordable iPhone with a relatively compact and familiar design. It's the first time Apple has recycled an iPhone name and the choice for the iPhone SE is also a bit weird because the two don't have much in common. What exactly do we mean by that and if this iPhone SE 2nd generation is worthwhile buying is something we are going to find out here.

Dated appearance, modern interior

Released in 2020, this iPhone has a very compact 4.7-inch screen for today's standards. The iPhone SE 2020 itself isn't even that compact, because there's still a lot of room above and below the screen. This doesn't look very modern, but it will feel very familiar to long-lasting iPhone fans. Moreover, Apple makes good use of the space because under the screen we find an old acquaintance. The Touch ID fingerprint scanner. The new and more hip Face ID on some other iPhones where your face is recognised is missing. The front and back are made of glass with an aluminium rim. The SAE 2020 is waterproof up to 1 metre for a duration of 30 minutes. The glass back also means you can charge it wirelessly.

Good camera results

Despite its familiar and proven appearance, the iPhone SE (2020) does have the necessary improvements inside. For example, it uses the most recent processor: the A13 Bionic. The same processing power can be found in the much more expensive models. This cheaper SAE (2020) has the same raw computing power and that is something you will notice. Gaming is effortless and apps will never feel slow. This goes for the most advanced ones like those with Augmented Reality (AR). The available processing power is also used by the camera. Despite the single sensor, it still sees depth so you can shoot portrait photos with it. This portrait mode allows you to take studio-worthy photos with out-of-focus background or studio exposure. The combination of a good camera with a competitive price makes the iPhone SE (2020) a device that is difficult to ignore.

Main Apple iPhone SE (2020) specifications

• Compact 4.7-inch Retina HD screen
• Single 12 megapixel camera with portrait mode and depth control
• Powerful A13 Bionic processor for lightning-fast performance
• Fast on-the-go mobile browsing (4G)
• Dual SIM capabilities thanks to built-in eSIM (not available everywhere)
• Waterproof glass design

It doesn't get more compact than this

Maybe you think after all this: this sounds a lot like the iPhone 8. That's right! As far as we're concerned, the iPhone SE (2020) is more the successor of the iPhone 8 than the iPhone SE. Wouldn't it then be better to buy the (even) cheaper iPhone 8? Apple is ahead of us because the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus were immediately retired after the introduction of this iPhone SE (2020). Finding a new one will therefore be difficult, but refurbished is of course possible. And the introduction of this iPhone is the nail in the coffin of something else: the small 4 inch iPhone. Some hoped that Apple would make 1 more and had their hopes on this iPhone SE (2020). Unfortunately, the smallest Apple has in its line-up is 4.7 inches. Get used to it is our advice.