In order to attract price-conscious iPhone fans, Apple introduced its new product iPhone SE for 2020 for $ 399 (£ 419, AU $ 749). The technical data and the appearance of the new iPhone SE are similar to those of the iPhone 8 This is probably the reason why the technology company has announced that it will discontinue its 2017 flagship on the same day.
At the first debut, the iPhone 8 cost $ 699, but the price dropped to $ 449 before Apple pulled the plug. Nowadays, you can buy the phone even more cheaply from third-party providers (Walmart, for example, sells it new for $ 349 at Straight Talk). However, if you are thinking of buying the iPhone 8 through the iPhone SE 2020 at this price, don’t do so. The iPhone SE may share a lot of the iPhone 8’s specs, but for $ 50 more, you get more miles on a phone that won’t be three years old right away. (And if $ 399 is absolutely out of your budget, go shopping for even cheaper phones.)
However, if you need other reasons, we’ll go over both models and explain why the iPhone SE is the smarter purchase.
Apple
Although the new iPhone SE has many important specs, it does have some upgrades that make it better than the iPhone 8. These include an A13 bionic processor, dual SIM features, and a handful of camera upgrades. (None of the phones have a headphone jack in case you’re wondering.) If you’re looking for an affordable new iPhone from a reliable dealer with the latest support, the iPhone SE is the best choice.
Read our review of the Apple iPhone SE (2020).
Sarah Tew / CNET
If you already have a well-functioning iPhone 8, there’s no need to upgrade to a new iPhone SE if you can help. But if you’re tempted to buy a new one, don’t do it. In addition to the iPhone SE 2020 upgrades you’ll miss (which I listed above), Apple software and customer support are likely to get updates from anywhere you buy your iPhone 8 within three years old devices are not as robust as on a new one. While it’s hard to give things like reliable iOS updates, a robust return policy, and a potentially higher trade-in value a tangible monetary value, it’s worth paying a little more for these features. (Speaking of trade-in: Apple is offering $ 170 off iPhone SE if you hand in your iPhone 8.)
Read our Apple iPhone 8 review.
Do you need to be more specific? Here you will find detailed instructions on how to set up the two iPhones.
Design: Both iPhones are almost identical, but …
In contrast to the iPhone SE and the iPhone 11, The iPhone SE and the iPhone 8 look different at first glance and look relatively the same. Both have 4.7-inch Retina HD displays (a trademark with which Apple differentiates its display technology) with the same resolution and pixel density. They also have a physical home button that contains a fingerprint reader to unlock the phone and authorize digital payments. Both are also classified for water protection according to IP67.
The new iPhone SE looks very similar to the iPhone 8.
Angela Lang / CNET
However, there are two small differences in the phones. One is that the iPhone 8 still has 3D touch. The feature was introduced in iPhone 6S in 2015 and gives you access to additional menu options and commands by pressing your finger firmly against the screen. Apple started phasing out the feature in 2018 with the iPhone XR, and it’s now missing in new iPhones. Instead, the company replaced 3D Touch with Haptic Touch. Haptic Touch is located on iPhone SE and works relatively the same, except that you no longer have to press the screen, but only have to press the object for a long time.
Second, the iPhone 8 is available in black, white and gold. However, inventory is limited by retailer, so you may find fewer options. The iPhone SE meanwhile is available now and comes in black, white and red.
Camera: The iPhone SE has some hidden extras
The iPhone SE and the iPhone 8 both have a 12-megapixel rear camera and a 7-megapixel front shooter, each with the same aperture (1: 1.8 and 1: 2.2). On the surface, it looks like there’s no difference between the cameras on the two phones, but Apple has added some useful camera upgrades under the hood. These include:
- Portrait mode and depth control for taking and adjusting bokeh photos
- Smart HDR to improve highlights and shadows
- Red eye correction
- Quicktake, which allows you to quickly record videos without leaving photo mode
- Video enhancements: Extended dynamic range for 30 fps; 3x digital zoom (the iPhone 8 has 2x); cinematic video stabilization for 4K video (the iPhone 8 only has up to 1080p) and stereo recording
- Front camera: portrait mode and cinematic video stabilization up to 1080p (the iPhone 8 has none)
Overall, the iPhone SE captures photos and videos in better quality than the iPhone 8 and sometimes takes photos comparable to the iPhone 11. For more information on camera quality, see Read CNET iPhone SE review.
Processor, battery, dual SIM and memory
The iPhone SE is equipped with Apple’s latest proprietary device A13 Bionic chip, the same one that is in the iPhone 11 flagship. When we ran the processing speed on 3DMark and Geekbench 5, the iPhone SE got similar results to the iPhone 11, which means that the iPhone SE also performed comparable and sometimes better than the iPhone SE Galaxy S20, Pixel 4 and OnePlus 8 Pro. And compared to the iPhone 8, the result of the iPhone SE for the Ice Storm Unlimited test by 3DMark was miles above that of the iPhone 8 (97,415 compared to the 62,206 of the iPhone 8).
Apple’s A13 processor.
Screenshot by Stephen Shankland / CNET
Apple has never announced the battery capacity of its iPhones. When the iPhone SE was announced, it was said to be the same as the iPhone 8. It also listed identical hours for wireless video and audio (13 hours and 40 hours, respectively). for both phones. However, when we ran our battery test for video playback in airplane mode, the iPhone SE lasted almost two hours longer than the iPhone 8. (More specifically, the iPhone SE lasted about 15.5 hours, while the iPhone 8 lasted 13.5 hours.)
In addition, the iPhone SE offers options for a nano-SIM and an E-SIM card, so you can manage two phone numbers on the same phone. To have Dual SIM functions This is useful when you travel a lot and need a phone abroad or when you have two phones for personal and business use and want to combine them in one device. While both phones have 64 GB and 256 GB storage options, the new iPhone SE has a third model with 128 GB. This capacity is commonly considered a “sweet spot” for storage. That’s because 64GB may not be enough to take all of your photos and 4K video. 256 GB may be too fancy.
iPhone SE 2020 vs. iPhone 8
| Apple iPhone SE (2020) | iPhone 8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Display size, resolution | 4.7-inch Retina HD; 1,334 x 750 pixels | 4.7-inch Retina HD; 1,334 x 750 pixels |
| Pixel density | 326ppi | 326ppi |
| Dimensions (inches) | 5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 inches | 5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 inches |
| Dimensions (millimeters) | 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm | 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm |
| Weight (ounces, grams) | 5.22 oz; 148 g | 5.22 oz; 148 g |
| Mobile software | iOS 13 | iOS 11 (can be upgraded to iOS 13) |
| camera | 12 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Front camera | 7 megapixels | 7 megapixels |
| Video recording | 4K | 4K |
| processor | Apple A13 Bionic | Apple A11 Bionic |
| warehouse | 64 GB, 128 GB, 256 GB | 64 GB, 256 GB |
| R.A.M. | Not revealed | Not revealed |
| Expandable memory | No | No |
| battery | Not revealed | Not revealed |
| Fingerprint sensor | Home “button | Home “button |
| Interconnects | lightning | lightning |
| Headphone jack | No | No |
| Special features | Waterproof (IP67); Dual SIM functions (nano-SIM and E-SIM); Wireless charging | Waterproof (IP67); Wireless charging |