The SE is barely a centimetre or so shorter than the 14, however the display screen is smaller (61 millimetres versus 90 millimetres) owing to the large old style bezels and Residence button. It’s a relatively uninteresting LCD panel with no HDR and a sub-HD decision, which was nice on the 2014 iPhone 6 however doesn’t actually swimsuit the most recent iOS and apps.
Digital camera-wise issues aren’t significantly better, with the 2016-era single shooter taking good sufficient photographs due to the fashionable processing and software program within the SE. However you gained’t be getting up shut, zooming very far or taking images in low gentle.
The third era iPhone SE was launched final yr.
The battery on the SE is a tiny 2018 mAh in comparison with the iPhone 14’s 3279 mAh, which in actual utilization does imply it doesn’t final as lengthy. Nevertheless, its tiny display screen means it makes use of rather a lot much less energy, so the SE does usually final all day.
The SE does use a processor that’s similar to the iPhone 14, which means efficiency is fast and compatibility with apps and providers is great. In years previous, this parity can be a degree of distinction in favour of Apple’s funds cellphone, however nowadays, Google does this as nicely. And regardless of the horsepower (Apple’s A15 is plainly extra highly effective than Google’s Tensor G2), the SE nonetheless lacks some options that every one different present iPhones have, like Atmos sound, an ultra-wideband chip for locating issues, Memoji, evening pictures and audio zoom.
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iPhones, after all, are dearer usually than Pixels; the Pixel 7 is $1000, whereas the iPhone 14 is $1400. So you can argue that the iPhone 12 or 13, which Apple nonetheless sells at $1130 and $1230, is the corporate’s equal of the Pixel 7a.
Certainly, you can even make an argument that Google promoting the 7a for a bit lower than the 7 is like Apple discounting the value of final yr’s iPhone when it introduces a brand new one; Google’s simply doing it a number of months earlier than the Pixel 8 arrives, and has tweaked the older cellphone to chop prices. However irrespective of the way you justify it, there’s no getting round the truth that Apple’s older telephones look overpriced, and its SE appears ridiculous, within the wider context of smartphones in 2023.
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Initially, the iPhone SE appeared like a concession to older customers who didn’t like the brand new full-screen design of the iPhone X, however wanted newer {hardware} to utilize Apple’s latest software program and providers. However at this time it appears a bit like an insult; if you’d like a brand new iPhone under $1000 you’ll be able to both get a 2019 iPhone 11 from a retailer, or accept the retro SE.
At the moment, Pixel customers pays $750 for a brand new system that’s roughly final yr’s flagship Google cellphone. That doesn’t really feel like a compromise. If Apple decides to make a fourth era iPhone SE it may stand to comply with swimsuit, with a display screen, cameras and options that not solely appear like they belong within the 2020s, however can change into a default for customers with reasonable smartphone wants.
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