Apple Unveils a New iPhone SE: $399 with the Best Single Camera So Far
Apple has announced the new iPhone SE (Special Edition), the successor to the first-generation phone that was announced back in 2016. Taking its place as the most affordable model in the iPhone lineup, the SE features the fastest chip available in a smartphone and the best single-camera system ever to appear in an iPhone.
Inside the phone is the Apple-designed A13 Bionic chip, which Apple claims is the fastest in a smartphone.
“Introduced with iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro, A13 Bionic is the fastest chip ever in a smartphone and provides unparalleled performance for every task iPhone SE handles,” Apple says. “Perfect for photography, gaming and augmented reality experiences, A13 Bionic makes every action feel fluid.”
In the area of photography, the iPhone SE raises the bar of what you can do with a single camera. The 12-megapixel f/1.8 camera on the rear of the phone taps into the image signal processor and Neural Engine of the A13 Bionic chip to utilize the computational photography features of higher-end iPhones — things like Portrait mode, all six Portrait Lighting effects, and Depth Control.
The front camera is also capable of shooting Portrait mode photos using machine learning and monocular depth estimation.
Here are some official sample photos captured with the iPhone SE:
Other camera-related features include Smart HDR, QuickTake (video recording in Photos mode), 4K/60fps, extended dynamic range (for better highlight details up to 30fps), and cinematic video stabilization (for both front and rear cameras).
Other features and specs include Haptic Touch, fast charging (50% in 30 min), Gigabit-class LTE, Dual SIM with eSIM, Dark Mode, and a new Maps experience.
The new iPhone SE is available in black, white, and red in 64GB, 128B, and 256GB capacities starting at $399. It’s available for pre-order starting today and will hit store shelves on April 24th.
