2022 iPhone SE review: The classic hot rod is gaining momentum

iPhone SE is the classic iPhone, iPhone OG, Mazda Miata among smartphones. It performs well, and its design is iconic and familiar—comfortable even—despite being dated and devoid of modern frills and amenities. But the SE is still one of Apple’s best products.

While the flagship iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro focus on screen size and quality, battery life, and huge cameras, the iPhone SE focuses on simplicity, comfort in the hand, and, yes, cost savings.

The iPhone SE is ideal for these users, even if its classic design is noticeably dated. Because internal condition is important for longevity.

Specifications

Design, screen, dimensions, camera hardware and storage options have not changed here. This means the 2022 SE still has the body of an iPhone 8, as well as a 4.7-inch LCD screen and home button. You can get the new SE in 64GB ($429), 128GB ($479), or 256GB ($579) configurations.

With this update, the iPhone SE system-on-a-chip jumped forward two generations, from the A13 to the A15.

The A15 is the same chip found in the iPhone 13 line, so you get cutting-edge performance in a cheap phone. This is one of the most remarkable features of the iPhone SE: no other phone in this price range offers anything close to this performance. (We’ll look at the tests in a bit.)

Another important new feature is 5G support. 5G can make a noticeable difference in download speeds and latency if you live in a location with a lot of coverage. But most places around the world don’t have coverage yet, so be sure to check what your carrier has to offer before buying this phone on that basis alone.

cameras

The 2022 SE has a 12MP rear camera and a 7MP front camera and can record 4K video at 60fps just like its predecessor. But thanks to the A15, it supports some of the new features of computational photography.

The new phone offers Deep Fusion and Photographic Styles. With Deep Fusion, iPhone SE takes multiple images in quick succession and then combines the best elements of each image to improve the overall result in one image. We’ve written about it in detail in past iPhone reviews, and it does the job well.

Photographic presets are computer-generated photography presets that result in image enhancement similar to what some iPhone competitors offer (think of the Samsung Galaxy with its unrealistically bright but eye-catching photos).

Some people like Stiles, some people don’t. Fortunately, you can choose which mode suits you best. Just be aware that, unlike some of the other computational photography features on the iPhone, you can’t change the Photographic Style preset for an individual photo after the photo has been taken – only before.

Design

The design of the iPhone SE is nothing new, but we still like it. It goes to show that this design, which despite a few changes over time, dates back to the 2014 iPhone 6, has stayed in the lineup for so long. This is the most iconic iPhone design.

With rumors that Apple may discontinue the iPhone mini when the iPhone 14 arrives later this year, the 2022 SE could be the last iPhone suitable for one-handed use. So if that’s your top priority, this might be the only iPhone for you if you don’t get an iPhone 13 mini by this fall.

Of course, many people need huge phone screens. If you want to immerse yourself in movies or video games, look no further than the iPhone 13.

This phone still has Touch ID, even though other modern iPhones use Face ID. But Touch ID still works great most of the time. It’s strange to see an iPhone with such huge bezels in 2022, but some will be more bothered than others. You probably know just by looking at the photos whether the bezel size really matters to you.

Apple says the 2022 iPhone SE uses stronger glass on the front and back than the 2020 model. In fact, the SE uses the same glass as the back of the iPhone 13. However, we didn’t put our SE through any durability tests to make sure.