iPhone SE Full Review

The iPhone SE still has an audience. Holding out against its big-screen siblings, this 4-inch handset continues to offer a compact, one-handed use guarantee no other current iPhone can muster. It is getting long in the tooth though, having launched well over two years ago, which means when compared to the likes of the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR it’s significantly under-powered and feature-sparse. Yet, it’s still a more than viable option for those looking for a low-cost iPhone, or a compact Apple handset. It’s been updated to iOS 12 – the latest software from Apple – and unlike the XS, it has a Touch ID fingerprint scanner.

Key Features

• All the power of a larger iPhone in a smaller chassis
• Camera is strong – on a par with the iPhone 6S
• Lack of 3D Touch is disappointing and would have worked well here
• Battery life is significantly longer than iPhone 5 / 5S

Design

• Design identical to iPhone 5 / 5S apart from new rose gold variant
• Very easy to hold and use in one hand

Screen

• Screen still disappointingly low-res
• Screen brightness is too dark compared to other comparable phones

Performance

• Similar power levels to iPhone 6S, meaning speedy app opening
• Works very fluidly under the finger
• Fingerprint scanner is slower than newer models, but not hugely noticeable

Battery life

• Battery size increased over iPhone 5S despite same-sized chassis
• Longer lasting than similar-sized iPhones
• Still struggles to get through a day on heavier usage

Camera

• 12MP sensor the equal of iPhone 6S
• Heavy focus on ‘realism’ in snaps
• Picture quality seems a little muted at times
• Smaller and less sharp screen not as useful as a viewfinder