People around the world have been waiting for iPhone SE 2 for a long time. Unfortunately, due to the widespread outbreak of the Coronavirus, the wait became a little longer than expected. Finally, on April 15, 2020, Apple unveiled Apple iPhone SE 2020, aka iPhone SE 2020, aka iPhone SE – the cheapest iPhone Apple has ever made. And in no time, it has started turning heads already.
The sales of iPhone SE Kicked off on 24th April, Friday. In no time the internet got flooded with the previews and initial reviews of iPhone SE, mostly overwhelming. The biggest head-turner proved to be the processor of iPhone SE as the Cupertino based tech giant managed to provide the flagship processor of iPhone 11 in a mid-range smartphone. This alone made the new iPhone SE all-powerful in terms of processing speed and features in that price range.
Many online reviews claimed that this cheapest iPhone ever was already ahead of the curve than the best premium Android smartphones. Although the praises seem to be underestimating the Android smartphones, there are many under the hood elements to consider it.
iPhone SE: What Puts It Ahead
There are many factors to consider when we compare to different smartphones. Processing capabilities, battery life-span, speed, camera quality are some of the most important ones. When we compare such factors of the premium Android smartphones, the dominance of the new iPhone becomes more evident.
Processors: Snapdragon 865 Vs Apple A13
The latest Snapdragon Processor 865 series is the fastest processor for any Android smartphone can get. OEMs, however, use it mainly in premium Android smartphones – devices price tagged with $599 or more. On the other hand, the new iPhone SE 2 comes with the same processor Apple is put under the hood of iPhone 11 – the latest flagship of Apple. It’s like putting an iPhone 11 power into iPhone 8 body.
Both the processors are based on a 7nm processing chip component. However, even after giving their best to the 865 series, Qualcomm still lags behind Apple’s A13 bionic processor in terms of overall CPU and GPU performance. The tech giant claims that Snapdragon 865 series is 25% faster than the 855 series. However, the A13 processor was already proved to be 50% faster than the 855 plus according to a Geekbench test. Simple math suggests that the Apple A13 processor is still 25% faster than the Snapdragon 865 series.
No wonder, Google is trying to launch its own chipset to compete with Apple.
Battery Life:
A smartphone is also judged based on its battery life. One biggest difference between the Snapdragon 865 series and the A13 processor is Snapdragon’s support of 5G technology. Although smartphone powered with 5G capability sounds most fascinating, it is a big hurdle in a smartphone’s battery performance. The 5G technology would tend to drain the battery of any smartphone which would have the 865 series. On the other hand, the new A13 bionic processor is designed to optimize the battery life of its iPhone.
Support:
One of the most important factors considered by customers while buying a smartphone is the support. Most of the Android smartphones have the support of no more than 2 years. Even the best ones stop getting updates after 2.5 years. The fragmentation of Android is the biggest challenge and it’s no secret.
However, the new iPhone SE 2 would have support from Apple for many years to come. The moment company would release future updates for its iOS, the smartphone would get it immediately. The reason being, it is built on the same features as the iPhone 11. As, long as iPhone 11 series gets updates, it will too. All the latest updates being received by iPhone 6S – the smartphone launched by Apple 5 years ago – is a great testimony to this fact.
iPhone SE 2: The Compromises
iPhone SE 2 offers the best flagship features of the current iPhone. However, the company had to cut some corners to fit it into the mid-priced smartphones segment. The body of the new smartphone is made up of glass with its sides and chassis made of aluminium – much similar to the iPhone 8. It features only a single rear camera and lacks features like Night Mode, Slofie, Deep Focus, and also does not have Face ID. However, its best feature of having the latest flagship processor launched from Apple in a $399 iPhone just overshadows these setbacks.
All said and done, Apple iPhone SE seems to be offering value for money in this price segment. Considering the brand aspiration to own an iPhone people have and the overall feature of the new iPhone SE, it becomes evident that for now, it is the best smartphone in that price-range with no competition at all.
399 dollars is a great price for an iPhone. Provided that you only take photos during the day because the new iPhone SE doesn’t have night mode available for the camera.