Apple Unveils the New iPhone SE: New Camera and Big Features for $429
Since the initial release of the iPhone in 2007, the device has been seen as the benchmark for premium smartphones and has the price tags to match it. To address this, Apple has announced the new iPhone SE, which has a price of $429 that makes it the most affordable iPhone. The smartphone is packed with the same A15 Bionic chip, 5G service, and many other features found in the top tier iPhone 13 Pro.
Features and Specs
The new iPhone SE comes in a familiar compact design resembling the iPhone 8 but is loaded with the best parts of the new technology loaded in the iPhone 13 Pro starting with the A15 Bionic chip with a 6 core CPU and 4 core GPU that operates at 1.8x and 2.2x faster than the iPhone 8 (respectively) and offers a much more efficient battery life. These performance updates are intended to improve both the performance of the device as well as the end-user experience.
According to the announcement this morning, the 16 core neural engine in the iPhone SE is capable of 15.8 trillion operations per second, making it 26 times faster than the iPhone 8.
The iPhone SE will provide a much longer battery life than the previous generations, as well as 5G access for faster downloads and much less latency when using apps that require an online connection.
This new iPhone SE includes a 4.7-inch display with the “toughest glass in a smartphone on both sides” (the same used in the iPhone 13 Pro), that is rated IP67 for dust and water resistance helping protect the device from scuffs, dings, and spills that can happen in everyday life. A feature that some will be happy to see back is the classic Home Button with Touch ID for easy and secure logging into apps, authorizing purchases, setting changes, and more.
An All-New Camera System
The iPhone SE will also include an all-new 12 megapixel (MP) f/1.8 wide camera system that includes computational photography benefits like Smart HDR 4, Deep Fusion, Photographic Styles, and Portrait mode.
The improved camera features ensure faces and skin tones will be properly exposed and rendered even in challenging low light situations.
Smart HDR 4 is a feature that automatically adjusts contrast, lighting, and skin tone for up to four subjects in the frame, ensuring that everyone looks their best without any manual retouching by the photographer.
When shooting in mid-to-low light situations, the Deep Fusion feature in the camera system will capture and study multiple exposures at the pixel level in order to create a photo that includes the tiniest of details, textures, and patterns.
When using Photographic Styles, users of the iPhone SE can specify the look they are going for, such as Warm or Cool. The camera will then selectively apply adjustments while keeping things like skies and the skin tones of subjects natural.
Like its higher-end counterparts, the iPhone SE comes with Portrait Mode for high-quality portrait photos created with the help of computational photography.
Portrait Lighting within Portrait Mode allows you to choose from six different lighting effects including Stage Light or High-Key Light Mono. These lighting effects can be applied both before and after a portrait is shot.
The new camera also includes the “Live Text” capability to use the camera to scan, read, and copy text found in images. This includes direct links to emails and phone calls from the text.
Pricing and Availability
The new iPhone SE will be available in Midnight, Starlight, and (Product) Red colors with storage capacities of 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB. The new smartphone starts at $429 and will be available for pre-order this Friday (March 11th, 2022) and starts shipping on March 18th, 2022.
