We received the iPhone SE: discovery in photos and first impressions

Officialized on Wednesday April 15, 2020, the new iPhone SE began to be sent to the first buyers this week. Sold under the symbolic bar of 500 euros, the device seems to be an ideal alternative for small budgets. With the same processor as the iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 11 Pro Max, this model promises to be the first realAndroid-killerd’Apple.

Indeed, just like the Z3 Compact from Sony at the time, this iPhone SE adopts areduced formatwithout compromising on power, all for a price at the same level as certain leading figures among the competition. But then, is it worth the effort? We'll have to wait for our full test to find out, published next week, but here's a quick taste now.

iPhone SE unboxing and accessories

The box setiPhone SEis made of cardboard. We find the photo of the smartphone on the top, as well as some technical explanations on the back of the box. When you open it, you are faced with a small notebook then the front glass of the iPhone, with all the accessories stored underneath. The booklet which details the product warranty conditions as well as a user manual are also included.

In addition to the iPhone SE in the chosen color, which for us is red (part of the profits of which are donated to the fight against COVID-19 which is still raging at the time of writing), Apple also provides :

• headphonesEarPods, which connect to the iPhone using a wire ending in a male Lightning plug,
• a Lightning to USB cable,
• and a USB power adapter, to which the cable can be plugged to charge the iPhone.

The little surprise comes from the red color, which this time is very pink and contrasts with the bright red of our iPhone XR. This is something new.

Design : iPhone SE = iPhone 8

From our first handling of the iPhone SE, we have a feeling of déjà vu. And for good reason: we have in our hands exactly the same external appearance as that of theiPhone 8, released in 2017 at the same time as the iPhone X. The dimensions are equal, the size of the screen too, and we even find the home button. Next to our iPhone 7, aside from steeper (not smoothed) edges around the camera, it's the same.

The only real difference that we notice - with difficulty - between the iPhone 8 and the iPhone SE (2020) concerns the Apple logo placed on the back of the device. On the iPhone SE, it is now in the center of the case, whereas it was higher previously. THEweight, too, is the same: the scale displays 148 grams on the counter. But if some accuse the manufacturer of having “recycled” its previous laptop, there are in reality several advantages in the iPhon writing:

• subcontractors probably produce less waste, since they can count on the old cabins supplied by Apple with its Daisy recycling robot, or at least on stocks dedicated primarily to the iPhone 8 since discontinued,
• we can reuse theshellsfrom the iPhone 8 to the iPhone SE, it works perfectly!
• And finally we benefit from a return to the era of telephones whichfit in every pocket, which is what many iOS customers have been waiting for.

An almost perfect screen

Let's be clear: with its4.7 incheson the meter, the iPhone SE offers a lesser experience than the iPhone 11,11 Pro and Pro Max which can easily be described asphablet. But in the end, unless perhaps you want to watch a series or play a video game that requires precision, it probably won't be bothersome on a daily basis. Moreover, it is even more practical in transport for example: your neighbor will have more difficulty reading over your shoulder.

On the other hand, the other fault that this iPhone SE is criticized for is its technology. The Retina panel is in fact aIPS LCD, we therefore do not benefit from OLED, which is more energy independent. For the rest, nothing to complain about: the sixteen million colors displayed are vibrant thanks to True Tone, the responsiveness is excellent (so no need for a 120 Hz refresh rate) and we can see clearly thanks to at a resolution of 326 ppi, which is sufficient for such an attractive price from Apple.

How does iOS perform on iPhone SE (2020)?

Of course, in just a few hours of use, it is impossible to get a precise idea of ​​the power of the new iPhone SE, especially since the product we received is obviously new and therefore does not suffer from any slowdown. The thirteenth edition of the proprietary operating system iOS is veryfluid, and responds to the finger and the eye, regardless of the requests.

I was even able to test some rather tasty titles, likeCall of Dutyor evenAsphalt 9, and the responsiveness was excellent, which is really surprising on a device of this size. It's all thanks to the processorA13 Bionic: there too,it's exactly the same chip that powers the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro, however with 1 GB less RAM. This CPU, made up of six cores, is clocked at 2.65 GHz, which is reasonable given the responses expected from this iPhone SE. The rest in the benchmarks of our test in preparation.

Autonomy: average

The iPhone SE we received arrived with 86% battery life remaining. We drained the energy he had left in 15 hours, by multiplying the open services including editing documents on Google Drive, watching our favorite episodes on Disney+ or even social networks and WordPress. As Apple specifies in its presentation text, the iPhone SE offers the same performance as the iPhone 8 in terms of battery, and for good reason: both use1 821 mAh.

This is relatively little compared to the 4,000 mAh and more of most high-end smartphones that are available in stores at the moment, but again it isenough. Indeed, with a small diagonal of 4.7 inches, electricity consumption is much lower than on a large screen. Of course, this iPhone SE will have to berecharged once a day, or even more in case of intensive use, but consumers who have high needs will surely turn to the iPhone 12 which should be released at the end of the year, according to the most persistent rumors formulated here and there by various analysts.

iPhone SE unlocks with Touch ID

Being fans of the security offered by the TrueDepth biometric sensor which, in the notch of our iPhone XR, allows us to open iOS in the blink of an eye, we were obviously skeptical about the idea of ​​protecting our iPhone SE with Touch ID. And yet, nothing to complain about:the fingerprint scanner of the model we received works like clockwork.

It certainly takes a little time to register the contours of the fingers you want to use, but then it's just as practical as facial recognition, and we ultimately had no more difficulty unlocking our iPhone SE only to access the content of our iPhone XR. The result is therefore there.

One of the best photo options at this price?

Let's be clear: if you're a true photographer, the iPhone SE is not for you. With only 12 megapixels, its photo module only offers a single lens. But for ordinary use, whether to record a short video with friends or take a selfie, theimage processing of SoC A13offers an additional advantage compared to the same Sony EXMOR lens as that of the iPhone 8. And even to post beautiful images on Instagram, you will not be disappointed.

If we were to compare this iPhone SE, its most likely competitor would be the Pixel 3a from Google, or its future successor the Pixel 4a. That is to say: thebest value for money in terms of shotsin the two major OSes on the current market. More details in our full test next week.

Conclusion: iOS at a low price with the iPhone SE

From our first minutes with the iPhone SE, we wereseduced: sonformat compactnever leaves us, its smooth performance is very satisfactory and the pleasant return to Touch ID really surprising. We look forward to being able to offer you a more complete summary in a few days, but as is often the case with Apple products, the quality is there: sleek design, latest generation of iOS: nothing is missing.

Take our survey to find out what you think of the iPhone SE

The only small weak points that we may regret at first glance are perhaps that it seems veryfragileat first glance, and that it does not have all the advantages that rumors announced for 2020 such as compatibility with 5G, the abandonment of LCD or even a more imposing iPhone SE Plus version. But it's just a matter of choice: you know it when you buy this product.

If you are already convinced, then here are our price tables updated in real time forbuy the iPhone SE (2020):