iPhone SE 2022 Review

Main features

Although this model is well known and does not have any changes on the outside, there were certain issues that caused certain expectations to see if it would finally be included or not. Apple could have made a step up for its SE lineup of phones, but it has stuck to what it did with the previous model.

Highlights

There are several important things about this model, such as the design, the screen or the camera, some of the most important things that potential buyers usually pay attention to, there are others that also have to be taken into account to know if the phone they you are looking at can be adapted to your needs.

Design

It is a design already known by all iPhone users, which is comfortable and a relief in terms of thinness, but it is true that it is a very old design aesthetically speaking . Even so, it is a design that does not disappoint since it is small and can be carried in any pocket. Its thickness is ideal because it is not very thick, which makes it not heavy in the hand.

In addition to the slimness, the positive of this case is the curvatures of the edges , which make it even more comfortable, and create a perfect hemisphere at the top and bottom of the phone. If we talk about the speaker grilles, in the case of the white color it is silver, while in the red and black models, they are black.

Screen

It has a screen with HD resolution, being a 4.7-inch IPS with a resolution of 1,334 x 750 pixels , so the 326 pixels per inch that the iPhone endured for so many years is left behind while the screens of the competition were rising .

This means that it has a good experience at the level of sharpness, with the advantage of the neutrality of IPS (which Apple smartphones have historically calibrated well) and that it even defends itself at the level of contrast, despite not having those blacks depths of OLEDs. But it’s not a very competitive screen : most mid-range Android phones have a minimum density of 408 pixels per inch. If we talk about refreshing the screen, it feels somewhat less fluid than an iPhone 13, however it is very fast and comfortable.

Camera

Due to the opening of the lens (f/1.8) and considering its size, it seems the same as what we saw in the previous SE . It is a rear camera with a 12-megapixel sensor with Deep Fusion and Smart HDR 4 technologies, in conjunction with a front camera with a 7-megapixel sensor and an f/2.2 aperture lens.

It has HDR, which falls short in backlighting, although the skies always come out well and it is simply a matter of interpreting the shadows in the foreground a little better. And at night it will be when we see the most distance to the optics of its older brothers, since the contours are diluted if we enlarge and more noise appears. Unfortunately, in this model you will not be able to enjoy the night mode , something that is missing. You will also not be able to have the macro mode or a portrait mode that allows you to take photos of objects or animals. However, Smart HDR 4, Deep Fusion and Photo Styles have been added, as in the iPhone 13.

Regarding the video , we must highlight the great stabilization that all iPhones have and that stands out in this new SE model. You can appreciate the fluidity and smoothness with which you can record videos. You will also be able to rotate the shot without the mobile shaking and without it being noticeable in the final result. The option to record in 4K stands out, which can be used to record more clearly at night. Also, if you want to do white balance, you can do it with hardly any problems, a great improvement from Apple in this regard.

Battery

As is known, Apple does not give data on milliamps but according to GSM Arena, in this case we would be facing a 2,018 mAh battery , which would be somewhat more than the previous SE (1,821 mAh, despite being clones in dimensions) and It would have passed that 2,000 mAh barrier for this range.

For all practical purposes, the apparent upgrade in battery capacity doesn’t translate into much of an improvement over the previous SE. On days of not much use and using more hours of Wi-Fi, the maximum autonomy is achieved, which reaches 24 hours , while if you spend several hours of games and streaming it can reach half. However, it has more screen hours than its previous models (about 6 and a half). Charging can be via Lightning or wireless, taking about 2 hours and 45 minutes by cable and just over 3 and a half hours with the charging base.

Other aspects to consider

In addition to everything we have mentioned above, it is necessary to continue analyzing this model. In this section we will deal with topics that you may not usually look at in such detail when buying a mobile, but which can nevertheless make you change your mind.

Power

One of the things that this model can boast of is power, although it is not placed in the first line of Apple mobiles. It has one of the best mobile processors from Apple. This is the Apple A15 Bionic, but with the GPU configuration of the 13 non-Pro and with the same theoretical 4 GB of RAM .

With that we see that it works smoothly and has no problem running anything , not even games. In fact, we can play long games of heavy games without the mobile temperature rising significantly. This is a good point in favor of this terminal, since you can play great games without suffering from overheating.

unlock method

It maintains Touch ID, which has always been and continues to be a reliable, fast and effective system, even with wet fingers. The registration of the fingerprint is also very fast and we can enter up to five fingers. There is no change from the previous model, and Apple is committed to a simple but effective unlocking system.

It is true that there are many users who may miss Face ID , which has a much more comfortable and faster system. It may be one of the aspects that was most expected in this new terminal, but Apple has not yet wanted to implement it. We will have to wait to see if they take the step in the next SE models.

MagSafe?

Although it does have wireless charging, it does not yet have MagSafe. It is another of the points that are most missed, since most Apple products already have it. By not having the MagSafe magnets, you will not be able to put anything metal on the back, but you will be able to charge it wirelessly, only without that magnet.

It is one of the sections in which perhaps Apple could improve and make the SE take a leap in quality. The fact of being able to include MagSafe in the new SE would have been an advance and that many users are planning to buy it, but its absence may mean the opposite, that there are those who back down.

5G, you have to take it into account

This SE model does have 5G connectivity, something that was also a suspicion of whether it would finally be in the terminal or not. However, Apple chose to add it, thus giving an increase in quality in the phone’s connectivity. You should know that 5G technology is not yet in all operators, so before buying a mobile with this connectivity, check that your company offers this service.

The 5G in this iPhone SE 2022 is an outstanding improvement . Although it is not being the revolution that we thought it could be, you will be able to jump from song to song on Apple Music with a very good quality without losing it while you go on the subway, or we can watch movies on Netflix in HD with a loading time imperceptible. If you are one of those who play multiplayer video games online, you will also be able to enjoy this great speed. But what is most surprising is that 5G does not eat the battery.

Worth? Our opinion

After this analysis, our point of view regarding the terminal is that if you don’t need a mobile of great quality and with many possibilities in all aspects, it may be your ideal mobile. It does not have a very high price, so it is affordable for everyone, but it is true that it can fall short in some aspects.

Apple has not wanted to make a big leap in quality in this iPhone line, but it is true that it has improved many aspects that SE users have been crying out for. It is a mobile that offers sufficient guarantees to perform, but keep in mind that depending on the use you give it, it may not be enough for you.

Without a doubt, it has certain advances such as 5G or the improvement of the battery, which has made a small mobile such as the SE have everything necessary to compete with the best but with a much lower price. However, and as we mentioned before, this jump in quality is a bit half-baked due to things like the camera, which has not improved excessively, or the absence of FaceID.