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iPhone SE review: Classic iPhone design, but with 2020 processing power

The new $399 iPhone SE looks like an iPhone 8 but works like Apple's top-of-the-line iPhone 11 Pro.

Patrick Holland Managing Editor
Patrick Holland has been a phone reviewer for CNET since 2016. He is a former theater director who occasionally makes short films. Patrick has an eye for photography and a passion for everything mobile. He is a colorful raconteur who will guide you through the ever-changing, fast-paced world of phones, especially the iPhone and iOS. He used to co-host CNET's I'm So Obsessed podcast and interviewed guests like Jeff Goldblum, Alfre Woodard, Stephen Merchant, Sam Jay, Edgar Wright and Roy Wood Jr.
Expertise Apple, iPhone, iOS, Android, Samsung, Sony, Google, Motorola, interviews, coffee equipment, cats Credentials
  • Patrick's play The Cowboy is included in the Best American Short Plays 2011-12 anthology. He co-wrote and starred in the short film Baden Krunk that won the Best Wisconsin Short Film award at the Milwaukee Short Film Festival.
Patrick Holland
7 min read

Update, Nov. 9: iPhone 12 is here. Read CNET's reviews of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 ProiPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

8.6

Apple iPhone SE (2020)

Like

  • Affordable price
  • Long battery life so far
  • Great rear camera
  • iPhone 11 Pro-level performance

Don't like

  • Old iPhone design
  • Selfie camera is mediocre

There are a lot of ways to think about Apple's new $399 iPhone SE. One is that it's a more affordable option than the iPhone 11 , with surprisingly similar camera specs, which it is. Or that it's the 2020 sequel to the original SE from 2016, which it also is. Or, at 4.7 inches, that it's the smallest and cheapest iPhone you can currently buy (though it's not that small). Or -- and this is my favorite way to think about it -- that it's an iPhone 8 with the brains and power of an iPhone 11. In fact, the new iPhone SE is all these things and that's why I'm enamored with it.

The new iPhone SE has the classic design that defined the iPhone for its first 10 years. The design, the body and the camera lenses are all the same as 2017's iPhone 8. But Apple performed a clever brain transplant, replacing the nearly 3-year-old processor with the A13 Bionic processor used in the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max. This goes well beyond a simple spec bump by majorly improving things like the cameras and battery life. The new processor not only runs faster, but it will likely future-proof the phone through years of iOS updates.

Read more: iPhone SE 2020 is proof that Apple won't actually bring back the tiny phone

But a $399 (£419, AU$749) iPhone comes with compromises, which Apple chose wisely. The SE has only a single rear camera, it doesn't have Face ID and it lacks camera features like Night Mode, Slofies and Deep Fusion processing. The selfie camera is OK but not as amazing as the one found on the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max.

When you look at the complete picture, the iPhone SE represents the most value for your dollar of any phone Apple sells. It has an attractive price, fantastic battery life, great rear camera, A13 processor, water resistance and support for wireless charging. The SE is not only a wonderful iPhone, but one of the best budget phones you can currently buy.

iPhone SE (2020) specs compared to iPhone 8, iPhone SE (2016), iPhone 11


iPhone SE (2020)iPhone 8iPhone SE (2016)iPhone 11
Display size, resolution 4.7-inch Retina HD; 1,334x750 pixels4.7-inch Retina HD; 1,334x750 pixels4-inch; 1,136x640 pixels6.1-inch LCD Liquid Retina; 1,792x828 pixels
Pixel density 326ppi326ppi326ppi326ppi
Dimensions (Inches) 5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 in5.45x2.65x0.29 in4.87x2.31x0.3 in5.94x2.98x0.33 in
Dimensions (Millimeters) 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm138.4x67.3x7.3 mm123x58x7.6 mm150.9x75.7x8.3 mm
Weight (Ounces, Grams) 5.22 oz; 148g5.22 oz; 148 g3.99 oz; 113 g6.84 oz; 194g
Mobile software iOS 13iOS 11 (can update to iOS 13)iOS 9.3iOS 13
Camera 12-megapixel12-megapixel12-megapixel12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide)
Front-facing camera 7-megapixel7-megapixel1.2-megapixel12-megapixel
Video capture 4K4K4K4K
Processor Apple A13 BionicApple A11 BionicApple A9Apple A13 Bionic
Storage 64GB, 128GB, 256GB64GB, 256GB16GB, 64GB64GB, 128GB, 256GB
RAM Not disclosed2GBNot disclosedNot disclosed
Expandable storage NoNoneNoNo
Battery Not disclosedNot disclosedNot disclosedNot disclosed
Fingerprint sensor Home buttonHome buttonHome buttonNo
Connector LightningLightningLightningLightning
Headphone jack NoNoYesNo
Special features Water resistant (IP67); dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless chargingWater resistant (IP67), wireless chargingApple Pay; Haptic TouchWater resistant (IP68); dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless charging
Price off-contract (USD) $399 (64GB), $449 (128GB), $549 (256GB)$699 (64GB), $849 (256GB)$399 (16GB); $499 (64GB)$699 (64GB), $749 (128GB), $849 (256GB)
Price (GBP) £419 (64GB), £469 (128GB), £569 (256GB)£699 (64GB), £849 (256GB)£359 (16GB) £439 (64GB)£729 (64GB), £779 (128GB), £879 (256GB)
Price (AUD) AU$749 (64GB), AU$829 (128GB), AU$999 (256GB)AU$1,079 (64GB), AU$1,329 (256GB)AU$679 (16GB); AU$829 (64GB)AU$1,199 (64GB), AU$1,279 (128GB), AU$1,449 (256GB)

The iPhone SE's iPhone 8 design

Physically, the SE is an iPhone 8. The front and back are made of glass, the chassis and sides are aluminum. The only physical difference between the iPhone SE and iPhone 8 is that the Apple logo is now centered on the back to match current-generation iPhones.

The new phone has Apple's old-school forehead and chin bezel above and below the screen. This makes the SE look, well, old. This is the one of the few things that I'm not too thrilled about. It's not ugly, it's just dated. And that might appeal to some people, but not me.

iphone-se-2020-17

Welcome back, large bezels.

John Kim/CNET

Having used Face ID for the past couple years, it's a strange and familiar feeling to set up and use Touch ID. It's like going from an automatic transmission back to a stick shift. But in the right car, stick shift can be a blast.

I forgot how much I missed the home button and how it makes interactions and navigation less fussy than swipes and holds. I tap and hold to pay for purchases instead of angling my phone to get Face ID verification. A speedy double-tap shows recent apps. Though Face ID has its own benefits, the home button is still as satisfying to use as it was back in the day.

For tiny phone lovers, the iPhone SE's 4.7-inch LCD display isn't as small as the original SE's 4-inch screen. But it's still smaller than most phones out right now and is enough to be portable and comfortable for most people.

The screen on the SE is similar to the one on the iPhone 11, especially in terms of quality and resolution. Text looks sharp, colors are accurate and it's bright in sunny conditions.

iphone-se-2020-4

The iPhone SE is rated IP67 for water and dust resistance.

Patrick Holland/CNET

The iPhone SE is rated IP67, meaning it can withstand being submerged for 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter (about 3 feet). I wasn't able to test this claim, though I did submerge it in a liter of water for 30 minutes and everything worked fine. This level of water and dust resistance isn't something you normally find on phones under $400, so it's particularly noteworthy that the iPhone SE has it.

The SE comes in three colors: black, white and red. The iPhone 8 had its own red version too, but it had white bezels and damn if the iPhone SE doesn't look more striking in red with black bezels.

The iPhone SE's battery life is longer than the iPhone 8

Apple's website says that the iPhone SE's battery lasts about the same as the iPhone 8, but my testing showed it lasted much longer. I played a looped video on Airplane mode at 50% brightness and the iPhone SE lasted 15 hours, 45 minutes. That's hours longer than what the iPhone 8 and iPhone SE lasted in the same test when they were new. Anecdotally, it made it through a day and a half without a problem, and a couple times it went two days straight without a charge.

iphone-se-2020-2

In our early battery tests, the iPhone SE easily outlasts the iPhone 8 and original 2016 iPhone SE.

Patrick Holland/CNET

I should note that I have more battery tests to run (including streaming video tests), so check back when I'll update the results.

The iPhone SE has wireless charging, which is another feature not found on most budget phones. There is also support for fast-charging, which replenishes the battery to 50% in 30 minutes. But the iPhone SE doesn't come with the necessary 18-watt charger and instead includes the slower 5-watt one. Again, this is likely to keep the cost of the device low.

The 2020 iPhone SE shines with classic Apple styling

See all photos

iPhone SE has A13 Bionic processor performance

The longevity of Apple's iOS support for "older devices" is a quiet but significant appeal of owning an iPhone. The iPhone 8 and its A11 processor are now two-and-a-half years old and will likely stop receiving iOS software updates a couple years before the iPhone SE and its newer A13 Bionic processor.

In performance tests, the iPhone SE was consistently better than the iPhone 8 and (no surprise) the original iPhone SE. It scored similar results to what we got on the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max.

In real life that meant app launches were peppy, playing games like Sky: Children of Light and Doomsday Vault were a breeze. Editing photos was easy and I could even use graphics-heavy AR apps such as Wonderscope, which transformed my bedroom into a training ground for ghosts.

Geekbench v.5.0 single-core

Apple iPhone SE (2020) 1,326Apple iPhone 11 1,338Apple iPhone 8 921Apple iPhone SE (2116) 546
Note: Longer bars indicate better performance

Geekbench v.5.0 multicore

Apple iPhone SE (2020) 2,638Apple iPhone 11 3,436Apple iPhone 8 2,242Apple iPhone SE (2016) 1,003
Note: Longer bars indicate better performance

3DMark Slingshot Unlimited

Apple iPhone SE (2020) 10,405Apple iPhone 11 10,505Apple iPhone 8 2,529Apple iPhone SE (2016) 1,865
Note: Longer bars indicate better performance

3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited

Apple iPhone SE (2020) 97,415Apple iPhone 11 97,199Apple iPhone 8 64,333Apple iPhone SE (2016) 29,066
Note: Longer bars indicate better performance

iPhone SE cameras have Portrait Mode, Smart HDR

The rear camera on the SE has the same specs as the iPhone 8, but when combined with the A13 chip and iOS 13 it transforms the camera into something that can compete with the best phone cameras, and even go toe-to-toe with the main rear camera on the iPhone 11. It has a slew of features, including Smart HDR for photos, Quick Take filming and Portrait Mode -- these are impressive features and a first for a $399 iPhone.

iphone-se-2020-10

The iPhone SE has a single rear camera that has SmartHDR and Portrait Mode for photos.

John Kim/CNET

The rear camera on the SE has a 28mm f1.8 lens while the iPhone 11 has two rear cameras: a main wide-angle camera with a 26-mm f1.8 lens and an ultrawide-angle camera with a 13mm f/2.4 lens. I do enjoy the ultrawide-angle on the iPhone 11 but I didn't miss it during my time with the iPhone SE.

When I compare photos taken with each phone, it's hard to distinguish between them unless you bring them onto a larger screen and even then the differences are subtle.

In good light, photos from each are similar in terms of image quality. Look at the pictures below of a tree I took in my backyard. Can you tell the difference? You see my point. The most obvious difference is that the iPhone SE photo is framed tighter than the iPhone 11.

Here are a few other photos from the iPhone SE.

phone-se-house-corner

The iPhone SE is great at capturing accurate colors.

Patrick Holland/CNET
img-0130

Smart HDR is impressive in keeping the sky from blowing out and the shadows relatively free of image noise.

Patrick Holland/CNET
phone-se-wood-slates-texture

In this photo of wood slats, look at the amount of detail and texture the iPhone SE captured.

Patrick Holland/CNET
breakfast-photos-i-took-on-camera-3-1

A nice snap of my breakfast taken under medium lighting.

Patrick Holland/CNET

Both phones have portrait mode and produce excellent results. The 11 can capture portrait mode photos of both people and pets. The iPhone SE, like the iPhone XR , can only do people. It's not until you look very closely at the photos below that you can see that the iPhone 11's portrait mode captures just a bit more detail and less noise.

In the picture below of my shoulder, you'll notice the quality of the falloff from in-focus to out-of-focus areas looks more natural on the iPhone 11 than on the iPhone SE.

Below are photos of my bike trainer taken indoors in medium lighting. The most obvious difference here is the framing is tighter on the iPhone SE. But the iPhone 11 captured more detail, which you can see on the wall outlet. And if you look at the bottom right side of the trainer, you'll notice the iPhone SE suffers from noise in the shadows. That said, there isn't a huge difference between the photos. For indoor and medium light photos, the 11 has a thin edge.

As for video, both phones are similar. The iPhone SE and 11 can shoot 4K 60fps video, but only the 11 takes advantage of the extended dynamic range at that resolution and frame rate. The SE has extended dynamic range for video, but only up to 4K 30fps. Take a look at my iPhone SE review video to see samples of videos captured with the iPhone SE.

The one place where there's a big difference between the two phones are the selfie cameras. The iPhone 11 has a wider front-facing camera, and it's capable of shooting 4K and slow-mo videos. The iPhone SE only shoots 1080p video and no Slofies. Both have Portrait mode for selfies, but photos from the iPhone 11 show more detail in my skin.

Current iPhone models and prices compared

Model and storageUS priceUK priceAustralia price
iPhone SE 64GB $399£419AU$749
iPhone SE 128GB $449£469AU$829
iPhone SE 256GB $549£569AU$999
iPhone XR 64GB $599£629AU$1,049
iPhone XR 128GB $649£679AU$1,129
iPhone 11 64GB $699£729AU$1,199
iPhone 11 128GB $749£779AU$1,279
iPhone 11 256GB $849£879AU$1,449
iPhone 11 Pro 64GB $999£1,049AU$1,749
iPhone 11 Pro 256GB $1,149£1,199AU$1,999
iPhone 11 Pro 512GB $1,349£1,399AU$2,349
iPhone 11 Pro Max 64GB $1,099£1,149AU$1,899
iPhone 11 Pro Max 256GB $1,249£1,299AU$2,149
iPhone 11 Pro Max 512GB $1,449£1,1499AU$2,499
iphone-se-2020-6

From left to right: iPhone SE (2016), iPhone 8, iPhone SE (2020).

Patrick Holland/CNET

First published on April 22.

8.6

Apple iPhone SE (2020)

Score Breakdown

Design 7Features 9Performance 10Camera 8