The iPhone SE (2022) Full Review – Unboxing, Display and More | Part – I
Introduction:
The iPhone SE (2022) also keeps the 4.7-inch Retina LCD screen with a 60Hz refresh rate from its predecessors. This means large thick bezels on the top and bottom, a Home key, and an integrated Touch ID fingerprint sensor.
The chipset is new in the iPhone SE (2022) is the chipset – it uses the same Apple A15 Bionic like the iPhone 13 flagship line. There is more RAM, too; now it’s 4GB, up from 3GB on the previous SE model. This probably makes the iPhone SE (2022) the most powerful smartphone globally when considering its small display with fewer pixels than any other high-end or mid-range smartphone.
5G connectivity:
5G connectivity, increased computational power for iOS, and Deep Fusion for the front and rear cameras have all been enabled by the new chipset. However, due to circumstances beyond its control, it could not introduce night mode.
The iPhone SE (2022) also has a slightly larger battery, measuring 2,018mAh rather than 1,821mAh. Wireless charging is available, as previously, and because the battery is so compact, it charges quickly, even though the phone’s supported charging speeds aren’t the fastest on the market.
The rest of the iPhone SE (2022) specifications are the same as the 2020 model: a 12MP OIS camera on the back and a 7MP camera on the front. There are also stereo speakers, Apple Pay functionality, and an IP67 dust and water resistance rating.
Spaces at A Glance:
- 138.4×67.3×7.3mm, 144g; glass front, glass back, aluminium frame; IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1 metre for 30 minutes); Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified).
- Display: 4.70″ Retina IPS LCD, 625 nits (typ), 750x1334px resolution, 16.01:9 aspect ratio, 326ppi; Wide colour gamut, True-tone; Wide colour gamut, True-tone
- Hexa-core (2xX.XX GHz Avalanche + 4xX.XX GHz Blizzard) Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) chipset; Apple GPU (4-core graphics).
- Memory: NVMe; 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, and 256GB 4GB RAM.
- iOS 15.4, which may be upgraded to iOS 15.4.1.
- 12 MP, f/1.8 (wide), PDAF, OIS rear camera
- 7 MP, f/2.2 front camera
- Front camera: 1080p@30/120fps; gyro-EIS; rear camera: 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps,
- OIS, stereo sound rec; rear camera: 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, OIS, stereo sound rec; rear camera: 4K@24/30/60fps, O
- 2018mAh battery; 18W fast charging, 50% charge in 30 minutes (advertised); Qi wireless charging.
- Miscellaneous: Front-mounted fingerprint reader; NFC.
The Apple A15 Bionic is one of the world’s most powerful processors, so pairing it with a small, low-res screen that can’t exceed 60Hz seems unnecessary. It’s the equivalent of putting a Ferrari engine in a Volkswagen Polo. But, if Apple needed to update the SE with a 5G connection, it was probably easier to use the chip it already produces in large quantities.
Even at 60Hz, we would have preferred a larger OLED screen. MagSafe should have been included, and we were astonished to discover it missing from this latest SE.
Apple promises five years of updates for the SE, much like it does for its premium iPhones, so that could be another reason it wanted to employ the best chipset.
Enough with the teasing; let’s unbox this iPhone and begin our review.
The iPhone SE is unboxed (2022):
The Apple iPhone SE (2022) comes in the same package as the flagship iPhones: it’s thin, compact, and light, and it includes the iPhone and a USB-C to Lightning connector.
Because the iPhone SE (2022) supports 20W charging, you should be alright if you already have a 20W Apple Power Charger or a similar USB-C PD adapter.
Even though Apple has removed most of the contents from the package, you still get one Apple sticker, which most customers will discard immediately. Is it so eco-friendly?
Design, construction, and handling:
The Apple iPhone SE (2022) is the only current iPhone model with an ‘old-school’ rounded frame available today. It’s also one of the few phones available that’s both tiny and curvaceous.
Of course, the design of the iPhone SE (2022) isn’t new. It has the same style, shape, and footprint as the iPhone 8, released in 2017. The iPhone 8 is a hybrid of the iPhone 6 from 2014 and the iPhone 4’s dual glass sandwich from 2010.
On both sides of the third-generation iPhone SE is two Corning glass panels with 2.5D-rounded edges. The slender aluminium frame is similarly rounded, perfectly matching the glass panels’ gentle curves for a seamless transition.
The iPhone SE (2022) is dust and water-resistant to IP67 standards, which means it can be submerged in clean water for up to 30 minutes at a depth of one metre. That’s not as spectacular as the flagship iPhones, but it’ll suffice for most uses.
It’s important to note that the glass panels aren’t created by Ceramic Shield but rather by Corning and are variations of the well-known Gorilla Glass series.
Fans of tiny gadgets will adore the iPhone SE (2022) because of its lightweight body. However, it isn’t Apple’s smallest phone. The iPhone 13 mini is significantly smaller than the iPhone 13 yet has a much larger screen.
iPhone SE (2022):
The iPhone SE (2022) is 7mm taller and 3mm broader than the minor variant, measuring 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm. It weighs 144 grammes, 3 grammes more than the iPhone 13 mini.
The flat frame and panels of the iPhone 13 mini provide a more stable grasp, but the iPhone SE has a slimmer appearance. It also lacks a camera island, which would cause it to shake on a desk.
Of course, the hefty black bezels above and below the iPhone SE display aren’t for everyone. However, that is the price you pay for a less expensive but more powerful iPhone. It is, after all, approximately €300 less costly than the cheapest iPhone 13 mini.
The earpiece is hidden behind a thin grille on top of the screen, as is the 7MP front camera and a slew of sensors, including an accurate proximity sensor. The earpiece also functions as a stereo speaker, and it is powerful for such a small device.
The Home key, which includes a Touch ID fingerprint scanner, is located below the screen. Although it isn’t an actual key, it is pressure-sensitive, and both the key and the scanner work quite swiftly and precisely.
The iPhone SE (2022)’s rear is plain, glossy, and specular. The single 12MP camera is located in the upper left corner, protruding slightly from the back. A secondary microphone and the quad-LED dual-tone light are located next to the camera.
Camera Appearance:
The camera appears to have remained the same since, well, probably iPhone 8, except for OIS, which has been upgraded with the addition of Smart HDR and Deep Fusion.
The matte-finished metal frame is slightly bent. It provides a sufficient grip.
At the bottom of the iPhone, you’ll find the Lightning port, the primary microphone, and the other stereo speaker.
Finally, on the right, close to the nanoSIM slot is the Side key (power/lock/Siri).
The iPhone SE (2022)’s two glass panels are smudge magnets, but Apple has applied an oleophobic coating, which does two things: it hides fingerprints and makes it take longer for everything to get smudged, and it makes it easy to clear all messes with a single wipe with your hand or shirt.
The iPhone SE features a robust design that makes it easy to use. It isn’t the most modern-looking smartphone on the market, but it has Apple’s signature attention to detail and builds quality that we’ve expected from the company over the years. It’s a remarkably slim and light smartphone, and we couldn’t tell we were carrying it in our pockets.
Display:
The 4.7-inch LCD on the Apple iPhone SE (2022) is from the iPhone 7. It features a resolution of 750 x 1,334 pixels (326ppi), which Apple marketing refers to as “Retina,” but that’s a meaningless phrase.
The panel is said to have a maximum brightness of 625nits, a contrast ratio of 1400:1, and True Tone enhancement. The same-sized panels used on the iPhone 6 and 6s had lesser intelligence, didn’t support P3 colour, and True Tone wasn’t available at the time.
The screen on the iPhone SE (2022) has a fixed refresh rate of 60Hz and a touch sampling rate of 60Hz.
The screen has a smudge-resistant Corning protective glass with an oleophobic coating.
As a result, we begin with our standard display measurements. The LCD on the third iPhone SE had a 1424:1 contrast ratio, which Apple claims. The display has a reasonable degree of black and a maximum brightness of 605 nits.
LCD Panel:
At point white, we measured a minimum brightness of 2.6 nits, which is relatively high for an LCD panel.
The panel is said to have a maximum brightness of 625nits, a contrast ratio of 1400:1, and True Tone enhancement. The same-sized panels used on the iPhone 6 and 6s had lesser intelligence, didn’t support P3 colour, and True Tone wasn’t available at the time.
The screen on the iPhone SE (2022) has a fixed refresh rate of 60Hz and a touch sampling rate of 60Hz.
The screen has a smudge-resistant Corning protective glass with an oleophobic coating.
As a result, we begin with our standard display measurements. The LCD on the third iPhone SE had a 1424:1 contrast ratio, which Apple claims. The display has a reasonable degree of black and a maximum brightness of 605 nits.
While the endurance rating is poor, it is primarily harmed by the standby performance, which is 165 hours – significantly less than the typical 350-450 hours we get from a smartphone these days but compared to other current and past iPhone models. The standalone tests, calls, web, and video are impressive for such a small device with a small battery.
The rate of charging:
The iPhone SE (2022) supports up to 20W of wired charging and 7.5W of essential wireless charging. This iPhone does not support MagSafe, and it comes without a charger, precisely like the rest of the iPhone range.
For the iPhone SE, any USB-C PD charger will suffice (2022). We picked Apple’s 20W Power Adapter since we believe that most iPhone owners will purchase one and keep it for future phones.
The iPhone SE (2022) battery went from 0% to 61 per cent in 30 minutes utilising Apple’s 20W charger.
