Is the iPhone SE relevant this year? Detailed review and testing of Apple iPhone SE. iPhone SE cameras
Hi all! The September presentation of Apple has died down, the company presented as many as three new devices, left almost all the old iPhone models on sale and... Apple, damn it, what are you doing? For what? How good it was before - there is one new iPhone model on the market and one from last year. If you want something cheaper, you take a year-old iPhone. If you want maximum performance, you buy a newly announced smartphone.
Many people didn’t like this lack of choice and they got what they wanted... At the moment (beginning of 2018), the Apple online store offers 8 (eight, Karl!) different iPhone models. This is not counting the numerous configurations with memory capacity.
A separate song about memory...
Stop it Apple, you've already confused everyone! Even I, a person who closely follows all these iPhones, don’t have time to remember which model has so many gigabytes - either this iPhone is 16GB, or they stopped producing it. They added 256GB, then removed 128GB. Ah-ah-ah! :)
And we have to live with all this goodness until the next Apple presentation in September 2018. No, perhaps some kind of iPhone SE 2 will be presented in the spring, but this will not change the overall picture much. And most likely it will make the choice even more difficult.
But so far we have “only” 8 different models, so let’s figure it out - which iPhone to buy at the end of 2017 so that you won’t be ashamed to carry it around in 2018? Let's go!
A few important notes:
- We will not consider memory capacity - everyone has their own preferences and tasks. For some, 32GB is enough, but for others, 256 is not enough.
- All instructions are the personal and subjective opinion of the author, who is looking for a replacement for his 4-year-old iPhone 5S.
- We won’t get into the details (otherwise the text would be simply huge), so let’s look at the main pros and cons and choose the leader among iPhones for 2017-2018.
iPhone 5S vs iPhone SE vs iPhone SE 2(?)
A subtitle for those who choose a compact smartphone from Apple. And here the company (at the end of 2017 - beginning of 2018) leaves no chance for choice. You need to take the iPhone SE and completely forget about the iPhone 5S. Dot.
The most powerful small iPhone. The most popular building. The cheapest iPhone. There are rumors that Apple will release a second SE model in early 2018 and it will most likely become no less popular. But these are just rumors and nothing more... For now we have what we have.
- Powerful filling.
- Low price.
- Convenient and compact body.
- A huge number of spare parts. Broken display? Don’t worry – the cost of repairs won’t put a huge dent in your pocket.
- Large selection of accessories.
- Lack of features like Force Touch and moisture protection.
- Small screen.
- There is a lot of “scam” if you buy it “from hand”. The most common is the sale of iPhone 5S under the guise of SE ().
The ideal caller. The battery holds perfectly, does not slow down, the camera is good, it fits perfectly in the hand. Should I buy it in 2017? If you don’t need a large display, buy it and don’t think about it. Of course, SE 2 may come out in 2018. But! Will it cost 18,000-20,000 rubles? Hardly.
iPhone 6S vs iPhone 7 vs iPhone 8 – what to buy in 2017-2018?
But here the choice is more difficult...
iPhone 6S
In terms of technical characteristics, this is the same iPhone SE, only in a different case - the display diagonal is larger and the screen supports Force Touch. I guess I won’t write too much here - the iPhone 6S doesn’t have any special advantages to really strongly recommend it for purchase in 2017.
If it were sold at a price of 25,000 - 27,000 thousand, then we could think about buying it. And so... it’s better to pay attention to older models. Although, I will still highlight a few advantages:
- Speaker. Starting with the iPhone 7, Apple makes its models waterproof, which negatively affects the performance of the hearing speaker. As many have noted, the sound when talking on the phone on the iPhone 6S is much clearer than that of the next generations of iPhone.
- Camera. Yes, yes, yes, judging by the reviews, the iPhone 6S camera is almost the standard among the latest iPhone models. Since many people do not like the image processing algorithm in the iPhone 7 and 8 (they turn yellow, there is “soap” in the details).
- Good old 3.5mm headphone jack.
iPhone 7
In my opinion, this is currently the most balanced smartphone from Apple. And it will almost certainly remain so until the September 2018 presentation. Until some iPhone 8S comes out...
Here's why you should pay attention to the iPhone 7:
- Moisture protection, Force Touch, quite powerful filling. Supports all iOS 11 features.
- Large selection of colors (Product Red alone is worth it!).
- The smartphone has been in production for a year now, all the “childish” sores and shortcomings have been eliminated.
- Reasonable price.
- Aluminium case.
There is also a negative, but it only appears in comparison with the iPhone 8 and there are not so many of them - the only serious thing I can note is the lack of wireless and fast charging. If you are ready to charge your device the old fashioned way, then buying an iPhone 7 in 2017 (and in 2018 too) is the most reasonable decision.
iPhone 8
In fact, this is the same iPhone 7, to which wireless charging was added and for this the materials of the back cover had to be changed - now there is glass. And this is immediately a big minus - the figure eight can be dropped so that you will end up having to replace both glasses at once - front and rear.
And this is money. And considerable ones.
Here are a few more disadvantages:
- Choice of body color. Yes, everything is very subjective. But in my opinion, “this is a fiasco” of Apple - where is there any diversity? Cream? Are you seriously? And in general, I want a blue iPhone! :)
- Camera. Judging by the test images, an eerie yellowness appears in the photo in an artificial room. Yes, it was also in the iPhone 7, but clearly not as strong. Although, in fairness, it should be noted that photo processing algorithms can be improved with the release of new firmware.
- This is an iPhone 7. Minimum new.
- True Tone is one of the few innovations. Now adjusting screen colors and backlight intensity has become more intelligent.
- Video in 4K resolution (60 frames) and 1080p (240 frames - slow motion).
- Well, we already talked about charging - there is fast and wireless.
In my opinion, there are not enough advantages. Is all this worth the overpayment of 10,000 or more thousand rubles (compared to the iPhone 7)? Big question.
So, what about the iPhone Plus – which one should I get?
And with “large” iPhones everything is approximately the same as with small ones. Besides the fact that the iPhone 6S Plus is not worth considering for purchase at all. Still, the main feature of the iPhone with the Plus prefix of recent years is the dual camera (the iPhone 6S Plus has one module), which means we will choose between the “seven” and the “eight”.
How to choose the right one? That's right, look at what is written just above about small models - everything is repeated. There are no fundamental differences that allow us to definitely recommend only the iPhone 8 Plus (and not the iPhone 7 Plus) for purchase.
Do you want to pay for using the most powerful processor on the market (in real-life tasks the difference with the 7 Plus processor is negligible), wireless charging, True Tone? You can also buy 8 Plus. No? Let's take the 7 Plus and enjoy a good device.
Is it worth getting an iPhone X in 2017-2018?
Of course, this smartphone stands apart among all iPhone models in 2017-2018 - there are too many innovations. The very best iPhone for the coming year. Maximum possibilities. Super device. Take it and rejoice!
But... I, for example, would not be in a hurry to buy it in 2017. And, at a minimum, I would wait until the beginning (or even the middle) of 2018. And that's why:
- iPhone X is a completely new experience for Apple. New body, new display, new Face ID technology. Most likely, there will still be some shortcomings in the first batches - let other users test the first “jambs”.
- Price. Apparently, at the start of phone sales there will be very few phones (like in the good old days). In conditions of shortage, the price tag will be inflated.
But when the excitement subsides, then you can take it - after all, we really miss truly revolutionary devices from Apple.
conclusions
If you need a small smartphone, then we buy an iPhone SE - there are no options at all. At least until the second generation SE comes out. As soon as it is presented, I will definitely update the article and we will figure it out - is it worth buying it in 2018?
As a replacement for my iPhone 5S for 2017-2018, I will choose the iPhone 7. Still, I want a slightly larger screen, and all sorts of features such as water resistance will not be superfluous. “Seven” is a device that has already been tested, it costs reasonable money (), and I can somehow live without wireless charging of the iPhone 8. And even if before September 2018 you suddenly really want an iPhone X, the “seven” can always be sold for a more or less normal price, pay extra and buy a “ten”.
These are the thoughts... what do you think? Which iPhone is better to buy “here and now”? Share your opinion!
Updated! Dear friends, I am always happy to answer all questions about choosing a specific device in the comments - there is no need to duplicate questions by email and bombard it with letters. Thank you!
Updated 2! Very often, in addition to the question “Which iPhone to choose?”, the question “Where to buy it?” began to fly in. Yes, to make it cheaper!” I already wrote about this, but I’ll repeat it:
- It is very difficult for me to recommend any store (even if I have bought there myself before), since I cannot be 100% sure of it. And I really wouldn’t want a purchase on my advice to be disappointing - this has already happened once (and, as it turned out later, not through the fault of the seller) and for generally ordinary advice I was mixed with dirt. Since then - no, no :)
- But I’ll still tell you about one proven way to save money. How to do it? Get some money back from your purchase. Yes, you shouldn’t count on huge sums of money – but there will always be enough for a case and (or) protective glass. We register on the website, choose a store where the price is lower and the refund is higher, we buy an iPhone (you can do more than just that - the choice of products is huge) and... victory!
We bought the phone, some of the money was returned, beautiful!
P.S. If the information was useful, then “like” or click on the social network buttons - do a good deed. We need to check whether they work at all or not?!
Like many Apple announcements over the past few years, the iPhone SE announcement was both expected and unexpected. Expected - in terms of the general idea: everyone was ready for Apple to release a cheaper smartphone with a small display diagonal. The surprise was that the body of the new product turned out to be exactly identical to the iPhone 5s, and the hardware characteristics, on the contrary, were inherited from the iPhone 6s, Apple’s current flagship.
Let's take a look at the characteristics of the new product.
Apple iPhone SE Specifications
- Apple A9 SoC 1.8 GHz (2 64-bit cores, ARMv8-A based architecture)
- GPU Apple A9
- Apple M9 motion coprocessor including barometer, accelerometer, gyroscope and compass
- RAM 2 GB
- Flash memory 16 / 64 GB
- No memory card support
- Operating system iOS 9.3
- Touch display IPS, 4″, 1135×640 (324 ppi), capacitive, multi-touch
- Cameras: front (1.2 MP, 720p video) and rear (12 MP, 4K video)
- Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz; MIMO support)
- Cellular: UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), LTE Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41
- Bluetooth 4.2 A2DP LE
- Touch ID fingerprint scanner
- NFC (Apple Pay only)
- 3.5mm stereo headset jack, Lightning dock connector
- Li-polymer battery 1624 mAh, non-removable
- GPS / A-GPS, Glonass
- Dimensions 123.8×58.6×7.6 mm
- Weight 113 g (our measurement)
For clarity, let’s compare the characteristics of the new product with the iPhone 6s, iPhone 5s (since this is what the new product is replacing), as well as with the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact - this is perhaps the main competitor of the iPhone SE at the moment.
| Apple iPhone 6s | Apple iPhone 5s | Sony Xperia Z5 Compact | ||
| Screen | 4″, IPS, 1136×640, 324 ppi | 4.7″, IPS, 1334×750, 326 ppi | 4″, IPS, 1136×640, 324 ppi | 4.6″, 1280×720, 423 ppi |
| SoC (processor) | Apple A9 (2 cores @1.8 GHz, 64-bit ARMv8-A architecture) | Apple A7 @1.3 GHz 64 bit (2 cores, Cyclone architecture based on ARMv8) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (8 Cortex-A57 @2.0 GHz + 4 Cortex-A53 @1.55 GHz) | |
| GPU | Apple A9 | Apple A9 | PowerVR SGX 6 Series | Adreno 430 |
| Flash memory | 16/64 GB | 16/64/128 GB | 16/32/64 GB | 32 GB |
| Connectors | Lightning dock connector, 3.5mm headset jack | Lightning dock connector, 3.5mm headset jack | Micro-USB with OTG and MHL 3 support, 3.5mm headset jack | |
| Memory card support | No | No | No | microSD (up to 200 GB) |
| RAM | 2 GB | 2 GB | 1 GB | 3 GB |
| Cameras | main (12 MP; video recording 4K 30 fps, 1080p 120 fps and 720p 240 fps) and front (1.2 MP; video recording and transmission 720p) | main (12 MP; video shooting 4K 30 fps, 1080p 120 fps and 720p 240 fps) and front (5 MP; shooting and transmitting Full HD video) | main (8 MP; video recording 1080p 30 fps and 720p 120 fps) and front (1.2 MP; video recording and transmission 720p) | main (23 MP, 4K video shooting) and front (5.1 MP, Full HD video) |
| Internet | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac MIMO (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz), 3G / 4G LTE+ (LTE-Advanced) | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz), 3G / 4G LTE | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac MIMO (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz), 3G / 4G LTE+ (LTE-Advanced) | |
| Battery capacity (mAh) | 1624 | 1715 | 1570 | 2700 |
| operating system | Apple iOS 9.3 | Apple iOS 9 | Apple iOS 7 (upgrade to iOS 9.3 available) | Google Android 6.0 |
| Dimensions (mm)* | 124×59×7.6 | 138×67×7.1 | 124×59×7.6 | 127×65×8.9 |
| Weight (g)** | 113 | 143 | 112 | 138 |
| average price | T-13584121 | T-12858630 | T-10495456 | T-12840987 |
| Apple iPhone SE (16GB) offers | L-13584121-5 | |||
| Apple iPhone SE (64GB) offers | L-13584123-5 | |||
*according to manufacturer information
** our measurement
The table clearly shows that, with the exception of the screen, dimensions and battery capacity, the characteristics of the iPhone 6s and iPhone SE are identical. But there is no option with 128 GB of internal memory, which, of course, is a minus (especially considering the possibility of shooting in 4K). In turn, the dimensions and screen are similar to the iPhone 5s, but all other parameters have become much more advanced. Even the battery capacity has increased, although the body is the same.
As for comparison with Android competitors, things are not so simple here. Apple devices lag behind in almost all characteristics, but, as we have repeatedly seen, this may not directly affect real performance and other user qualities. So let's proceed directly to testing.
Packaging and accessories
The packaging of the iPhone SE is much closer to the iPhone 6s than the iPhone 5s. This is evidenced by both the overall light color scheme and the picture on the smartphone screen.
The packaging of Apple smartphones has not contained any surprises for a long time. The new product is no exception. Here are the EarPods, enclosed in a beautiful box, leaflets, a charger (5 V 1 A), a Lightning cable, stickers and a key for removing the SIM card cradle.
Design
Now let's look at the design of the iPhone SE itself. The first emotion when you take it out of the box: my God, how small and, at the same time, plump!
In fact, the dimensions of the new product exactly match the iPhone 5s. Down to the millimeter. However, in the two and a half years that have passed since the release of the iPhone 5s, we have already become accustomed to a smaller thickness and, of course, a significantly larger screen. It’s not for nothing that Sony’s Compact model has a diagonal of 4.6 inches. And the Chinese have already stopped producing fewer smartphones. So four inches looks like an outright atavism.
But this is exactly the case when the opinion of technologists does not coincide with the opinion of many ordinary users, among whom the iPhone 5s is still popular. And although for some of them this is due solely to financial reasons, others simply prefer compact models. The iPhone SE is aimed at them.
Strictly speaking, there are only three design differences from the iPhone 5s. The first is the new Rose Gold color. We have seen this color in all the latest generation of Apple mobile products, but now it is available on a compact smartphone. The girls will probably be happy. Not only is it beautiful in itself, but it also emphasizes that you don’t have some old iPhone 5s, but the very newest thing. However, three other color options (gold, dark gray and silver) are also available.
The second design element that has undergone changes compared to the iPhone 5s is the branded apple. Now it is not pressed into the metal surface, but is made of glossy metal as an independent block, inserted into the body and slightly recessed - like the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. It looks elegant, but, in essence, it is such a trifle that you can hardly catch it with your eyes unless you specifically look closely.
Finally, the last detail that helps not to confuse the iPhone SE with the iPhone 5s is the letters SE directly below the word iPhone on the back of the device. However, obviously, this does not in any way affect the perception of the design. Otherwise, the smartphones are absolutely identical: the material, the location and shape of the buttons, the connectors - everything is exactly the same as the iPhone 5s. As a plus, we note that although the camera here is significantly better, it does not protrude above the body at all (as is the case with all iPhones with a “six” in their name).
An interesting question is what version of the Touch ID fingerprint scanner is installed in the smartphone. As we remember, a new version of the scanner debuted in the iPhone 6s/6s Plus, which works faster and more accurately. Owners of these models know that they only need to quickly touch their finger and immediately withdraw it for the smartphone to recognize the owner. Since Apple doesn't give details about the version of Touch ID in the iPhone SE, we tested it with a simple comparison - pressing the Home button on the iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone SE at the same time. The result is clear: the fingerprint scanner in the iPhone SE is slower. That is, apparently, it is the same here as in the iPhone 5s.
In general, the design of the iPhone SE can be called a time-tested classic (although it looks somewhat archaic compared to modern devices, even in the mid-segment). Two cosmetic innovations - a new color and a differently designed logo - do not affect the overall impression. In terms of appearance, this is just an iPhone 5s. No more and no less, no better and no worse.
Screen
The screen parameters of the iPhone SE do not differ from those of the iPhone 5s: 4-inch diagonal, IPS matrix with a resolution of 1136×640. By modern standards - very little: both diagonal and resolution (less than 720p is difficult to find even in the mid-budget segment).
It is also important that the iPhone SE screen does not support 3D Touch technology.
However, technical characteristics and the presence or absence of additional technologies are just the tip of the iceberg. A comprehensive examination of the quality of the iPhone SE screen was carried out by the editor of the “Projectors and TV” section, Alexey Kudryavtsev.
The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are better than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) screen (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photograph in which a white surface is reflected when the screens are turned off (on the left is Nexus 7, on the right is Apple iPhone SE, then they can be distinguished by size):
The screen of the Apple iPhone SE is slightly darker (brightness according to photographs is 104 versus 110 for the Nexus 7). The ghosting of reflected objects in the Apple iPhone SE screen is very weak, this indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen (more specifically, between the outer glass and the surface of the LCD matrix) (OGS - One Glass Solution type screen). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (glass/air type) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of strong external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. The outer surface of the screen has a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, but still no better than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much more easily and appear at a slower rate than with regular glass.
When manually controlling the brightness and displaying the white field in full screen, the maximum brightness value was about 610 cd/m², the minimum was 6 cd/m². The maximum brightness is very high, and, given the excellent anti-glare properties, readability will be ensured even on a sunny day outdoors. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. There is automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor (located to the left of the front speaker). In automatic mode, as external lighting conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider - the user can use it to try to set the desired brightness level for the current conditions, but we cannot predict what the brightness will be in other conditions and simply when changing and returning the level of external illumination. If you don’t touch anything, then in complete darkness the automatic brightness adjustment function reduces the brightness to 6 cd/m² (too dark), in an office illuminated by artificial light (about 400 lux) the brightness increases to 100-140 cd/m² (normal), in in a very bright environment (corresponding to the lighting of a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) is set to 500 cd/m² (this is enough). We were more satisfied with the option obtained after several attempts at brightness correction in different conditions, and for the three conditions indicated above we received 8, 115 and 600 cd/m². It turns out that the auto-brightness function works more or less adequately, and there is some possibility of adjusting the nature of the brightness change to the user’s requirements, although there are some not obvious features in its operation. At any brightness level, there is no significant modulation of the backlight, so there is no flickering of the screen (or rather, at minimum brightness there are very narrow peaks with a frequency of 50 Hz, but flickering was still not noticeable even with great effort).
This smartphone uses an IPS matrix. The microphotographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:
For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.
The screen has good viewing angles without significant color shift even with large viewing deviations from perpendicular to the screen and without inverting shades. For comparison, here are photographs in which the same images are displayed on the screens of the Apple iPhone SE and Nexus 7, while the brightness of the screens is initially set to approximately 200 cd/m² (across the white field across the entire screen, on the Apple iPhone SE this corresponds to a value of 60% brightness at using third-party programs), and the color balance on the camera is forcibly switched to 6500 K. There is a white field perpendicular to the screens:
Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field. And a test picture:
Color balance varies slightly, color saturation is normal. Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:
It can be seen that the colors did not change much on both screens and the contrast remained at a high level. And a white field:
The brightness at an angle of the screens decreased (at least 5 times, based on the difference in shutter speed), but in the case of the Apple iPhone SE the drop in brightness is slightly less. When deviated diagonally, the black field is lightened weakly and acquires a light red-violet tint. The photographs below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is approximately the same!):
And from another angle:
When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is good:
The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is normal - about 760:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 20 ms (11 ms on + 9 ms off). The transition between halftones of gray 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 25 ms. The gamma curve, constructed using 32 points with equal intervals based on the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal any blockage in either the highlights or the shadows. The power function fitting exponent is 1.93, which is lower than the standard value of 2.2, so the image is slightly brightened. In this case, the real gamma curve deviates little from the power-law dependence:
Color gamut is almost equal to sRGB:
Apparently, the matrix filters mix the components with each other to a moderate extent. The spectra confirm this:
As a result, visually the colors have a natural saturation. The balance of shades on the gray scale is good, since the color temperature is slightly higher than the standard 6500 K, and the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) is less than 10, which is considered an acceptable indicator for a consumer device. At the same time, color temperature and ΔE change little from hue to hue - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)
As in, the iPhone SE has a function Night Shift, which makes the picture warmer at night (the user specifies how much warmer). The graphs above show the values obtained at the middle position of the parameter slider Color temperature(by the way, the correct word is “color temperature”), when shifted all the way to Warmer and to Colder(graphs are signed in the appropriate way). Yes, the color temperature decreases, which is what is required. A description of why such a correction can be useful is given in the specified article about the iPad Pro 9.7. In any case, when having fun with a mobile device at night, it is better to reduce the screen brightness to a minimum, but still comfortable level, and only then, to calm your own paranoia, turn the screen yellow with the setting Night Shift.
Let's summarize. The screen has a very high maximum brightness and has excellent anti-glare properties, so the device can be used outdoors without any problems, even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. It is also possible to use a mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works more or less adequately. The advantages of the screen include an effective oleophobic coating, the absence of an air gap in the layers of the screen and flicker, high black stability to deviation of the gaze from perpendicular to the screen plane, good uniformity of the black field, as well as the sRGB color gamut and good color balance. There are no significant shortcomings. Currently, this is perhaps the best display among small-screen smartphones.
Performance and Heat
The iPhone SE runs on the same Apple A9 SoC as the iPhone 6s. This means that there is also an Apple M9 coprocessor, which provides support for the voice unlocking function (with the “Hey Siri!” command).
It is important that the CPU frequency in the iPhone SE is not reduced. We outlined the details about the SoC in the article about the iPhone 6s, so we won’t repeat ourselves and go straight to testing. In addition to the main testing hero, we included the iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone 5s in the table, since our main tasks are to understand whether there are any differences in the performance of the iPhone SE compared to other smartphones based on the Apple A9, and also how much faster the new product is than iPhone 5s. As for comparison with Android competitors, as we previously found out, the Apple A9 is still the leader, so there is simply no point in such a comparison in the case of the iPhone SE.
Let's start with browser tests: SunSpider 1.0.2, Octane Benchmark, Kraken Benchmark and JetStream. We used the Safari browser throughout.
The result is predictable: we see approximate parity between the iPhone SE and iPhone 6s Plus, as well as a huge superiority (three to four times) over the iPhone 5s. We emphasize that different versions of operating systems and browsers could have caused some error, so a small difference between the two Apple A9 smartphones should not be confusing.
Now let's see how the iPhone SE performs in Geekbench 3 and AnTuTu 6 - multi-platform benchmarks. Unfortunately, we don't have results for the iPhone 5s, because at the time we tested it, AnTuTu did not support iOS at all, and Geekbench was available in a previous version. Therefore, you will have to be content with the results of the latest smartphones.
Here is a more strange result: the slight but still present superiority of the iPhone SE over the iPhone 6s Plus in Geekbench, as well as, on the contrary, the lag in AnTuTu, attracts attention.
The last group of benchmarks is dedicated to testing GPU performance. We used 3DMark, GFXBench Metal (in the case of the iPhone 5s, the results are from a simple GFXBench) and Basemark Metal.
Let us remind you that Offscreen tests involve displaying images in 1080p, regardless of the actual screen resolution. And Onscreen tests mean displaying a picture in the resolution that matches the device screen resolution. That is, Offscreen tests are indicative from the point of view of the abstract performance of the SoC, and Onscreen tests are indicative from the point of view of the comfort of the game on a specific device.
(Apple A9) |
Apple iPhone 6s Plus (Apple A9) |
Apple iPhone 5s (Apple A7) |
|
| GFXBenchmark Manhattan 3.1 (Onscreen) | 58.0 fps | 27.9 fps | — |
| GFXBenchmark Manhattan 3.1 (1080p Offscreen) | 25.9 fps | 28.0 fps | — |
| GFXBenchmark Manhattan (Onscreen) | 59.4 fps | 39.9 fps | — |
| GFXBenchmark Manhattan (1080p Offscreen) | 38.9 fps | 40.4 fps | — |
| GFXBenchmark T-Rex (Onscreen) | 59.7 fps | 59.7 fps | 25 fps |
| GFXBenchmark T-Rex (1080p Offscreen) | 74.1 fps | 81.0 fps | 27 fps |
As we can see, even the most resource-intensive 3D scenes do not cause any difficulties for the iPhone SE. Here, of course, the matter is not only in the SoC, but also in the low screen resolution. Hence the difference with the iPhone 6s Plus in Onscreen modes. Interestingly, in Offscreen mode, the larger model slightly outperforms the compact newcomer. But the user doesn't care about this. The main thing for him is that any games on the iPhone SE will simply fly.
Next test: 3DMark. Here we are interested in the Sling Shot Extreme and Ice Storm Unlimited subtests.
The significant superiority of the iPhone 6s Plus over the iPhone SE in the most difficult test, Sling Shot Extreme, looks rather strange. It would be logical to assume that the GPU of the cheaper iPhone operates at a reduced frequency. And this looks like a completely logical solution, since with a significantly lower screen resolution the load on the GPU becomes lower.
Finally - Basemark Metal.
And here is a similar picture, strengthening us in the assumption made above. But despite the slight loss to the iPhone 6s in points, the iPhone SE demonstrated a significantly higher number of frames per second during the test - from 38 to 45, while the iPhone 6s Plus barely jumped over the border of 30 fps. Therefore, even a game of this level will not be a problem for the iPhone SE.
One more thing to note: during testing in Basemark Metal, the iPhone SE got very hot. Below is a thermal image of the back surface obtained after two consecutive runs (about 10 minutes of work) of the Basemark Metal test:
It can be seen that the heating is localized in the upper right part of the device, which apparently corresponds to the location of the SoC chip. According to the heat chamber, the maximum heating was 44 degrees (at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees), this is already very noticeable.
In the same test, the iPhone 6s Plus showed significantly less heating (more precisely, it was localized in one place, so the smartphone can be held comfortably in your hands). Consequently, although the performance of the iPhone SE is more than enough for any games, and will last for another two years, playing really resource-intensive applications may not be entirely comfortable due to high heating.
Cameras
The main camera of the iPhone SE has the same parameters as the camera of the iPhone 6s. We decided to check whether the iPhone SE's photo capabilities are really as good as Apple's current flagship! The examination was carried out by Anton Soloviev.
Like the iPhone 6s, the iPhone SE can shoot 4K video. Moreover, the quality of daytime photography is very good. With night photography, things are, of course, worse, but still not completely terrible.
| Video | Sound | |
| Daytime shooting | 3840×2160, 29.97 fps, AVC MPEG-4 [email protected], 50.5 Mbit/s | AAC LC, 84 Kbps, mono |
| Night photography | 3840×2160, 29.97 fps, AVC MPEG-4 [email protected], 52.7 Mbit/s | AAC LC, 87 Kbps, mono |
Here is a still frame from the first video, shot during the day (a screenshot in original resolution is available by clicking). And you can even see the license plate of a passing car, not to mention the details in the background!
As a minus, we note the lack of optical stabilization (it is still only available in the iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 6s Plus), as well as the fact that the front camera of the iPhone SE has a resolution of only 1.2 megapixels and is of the same quality as the similar camera of the iPhone 5s.
Autonomous operation
Although the iPhone SE has a more capacious battery than the iPhone 5s, it is still inferior to the iPhone 6s and, especially, 6s Plus.
However, since the iPhone SE has a lower screen resolution and a smaller screen area, the iPhone SE's battery life is roughly identical to the iPhone 6s. That is, with fairly active everyday use, the device will have to be recharged every day; with moderately active use, there is a chance that by the end of the day there will still be some charge left.
conclusions
The iPhone SE is perhaps Apple's most boring smartphone, in both a good and a bad way. There is no innovation here - neither in terms of design, nor in terms of capabilities and hardware platform. In addition, there is nothing new here at all: it is simply a hybrid of previously released devices - the iPhone 5s and iPhone 6s. From the first they took the design, screen, fingerprint sensor and front camera, from the second - SoC, RAM, communication capabilities and the main camera. Well, they added a new color - Rose Gold.
However, for those who are not buying innovations, but a device for everyday use, the iPhone SE may turn out to be the best choice, which is predictable in a good way. In the sense that when you buy this smartphone, you know exactly what you will get in the end. There are no pitfalls here, no surprises. The only thing that upset us a little was the overheating of the device in the most difficult 3D tests, but, in fairness, we note that these tests, in principle, would not have gone well on the iPhone 5s. So if you don’t want overheating, don’t load your iPhone SE with games of this level (although they don’t exist yet, benchmark developers are ahead of game makers).
And the main question that you need to answer for yourself before purchasing is: are you ready to use a smartphone with a small (by today’s standards) screen? Some will say: definitely not - let it at least be a super-flagship inside. Obviously, the iPhone SE is not suitable for these users. And someone will say: yes, I always dreamed of a compact flagship! It is precisely for such people that the iPhone SE is made. Considering that the price of the iPhone SE is 37,990 rubles for the 16-gigabyte version, while the iPhone 6s with the same amount of memory will cost 19,000 more (one and a half times the difference!), this offer seems really attractive. For comparison, the official Sony store sells the Xperia Z5 Compact for the same 37,990 rubles, despite the fact that its performance is lower, the screen is worse (see our testing), the design is less attractive (the body is noticeably thicker, the material used is plastic, not metal). So lovers of compact smartphones, and anyone who, in principle, is not against a small screen, should pay close attention to the iPhone SE.
In conclusion, we suggest watching our video review of the Apple iPhone SE smartphone:
About which iPhone you should buy in 2017. Read about all these and other main materials from the past week in our final article.
Main news and materials of the week
- "Live" iPhone 8 mockup photo published on the Internet.
- Schematic illustration iPhone 8 has leaked online again.
- The photo of the iPhone 8 case indicated a vertical camera and adequate placement of Touch ID.
- iPhone 8 will have record time autonomous work.
- New iPhones in 2017 there may be two, not three.
- White iPhone 8 concept on video.
- Left iOS 10.3.2 beta 4 And beta 5 - is it worth installing?
- Found in iOS 10 another bug, which causes iPhone and iPad to freeze.
- Hackers from Pangu showed jailbreak iOS 10.3.1.
- iOS 11 will feature new music" .
- Sberbank launched support Apple Pay for Visa cards.
- Apple creates money transfer service.
- Apple is finishing work on its own "smart" speaker.
- iPhone SE fell sharply in price in Russia.
- iPhone 6s fell in price by 15% in Russia. “Gray” models by 33%.
- Apple started repair iPhone in Russia.
Before we begin summing up the results of the past week, a small announcement. We launched in our group "VKontakte" another draw! This time we are playing a unique accessory HIPER SPIM-01, which allows you to make any iPhone dual-SIM! You just need to insert a SIM card into it and connect the gadget to your Apple smartphone via Bluetooth. Immediately after this, the iPhone will be able to receive calls and text messages from two SIM cards. No original iPhone has this feature. You can find a detailed review of HIPER SPIM-01.
The drawing will take place in less than two weeks, on May 13th. Simple conditions for participation are available at this link. Good luck!
And now to the news and materials, of which there have been a lot over the past seven days. Let's start with the latest information about Apple's upcoming flagship, the so-called iPhone 8. Just a week ago, the smartphone was predicted to have a far from natural location for the Touch ID fingerprint scanner - on the back surface. Fortunately, these rumors were refuted, and not just with words.
The first to distinguish himself was insider Veniamin Geskin, who published iPhone 8 mockup photos, which he received from a Foxconn employee. The pictures confirmed most of the previous leaks, but only pleasant ones. The iPhone 8 mockup has an edge-to-edge display, dual vertical cameras and an elongated power button.
The mockup points out a lot of the anniversary iPhone's features, but the main thing is that there's nothing on its back except for the vertical dual camera (still protruding from the body). This means that Apple engineers were able to place the Touch ID fingerprint scanner in a different location. The layout does not show its exact location, but gives hints. So, extending the Power button could well be necessary to accommodate that same scanner. According to the experience of Sony, which has been installing a fingerprint scanner in the side power button for a long time, this solution will be quite successful.
Apple’s plans were also confirmed by an anonymous leak on the Chinese social network Weibo. A person who claimed to have connections with employees of key Apple production partners posted on social media schematic illustration of iPhone 8. It doesn’t tell anything new - the smartphone has an elongated shape and a vertical dual camera. However, there is no Touch ID scanner on the back cover, which is additional confirmation that Apple has abandoned such a controversial decision. Note that the owners of Samsung's new flagship, Galaxy S8, called the placement of the fingerprint scanner on the back cover, right next to the camera lens, a bad engineering decision by the South Korean company. Apple better not do this.
Touch ID did not appear on the back of the iPhone 8 or on the smartphone case, photo which leaked onto the Internet. The picture further convinced everyone of Apple’s intentions to equip the anniversary iPhone with a vertical dual camera and an elongated power button. These features seem to be really worth waiting for. This is hinted at by the experience of previous years, in which the main features of the new iPhones became known thanks to leaks long before the presentation.
The above-mentioned Veniamin Geskin later scored another “loss”. Still referring to the Foxconn employee, he published a schematic image of components anniversary iPhone. According to the illustration, the iPhone 8 will have a dual L-shaped battery, which will make Apple's latest smartphone the most battery-powered on the market. The image shows that a significant portion of the space inside the iPhone 8 is taken up by batteries. The smartphone has two of them, as other analysts had previously predicted. It is assumed that the combined battery capacity will be 2700 mAh.
Finishing about the iPhone 8, we would like to recommend chic concept Apple's next flagship. ConceptsiPhone resource designers showed what the iPhone 8 (aka iPhone X or iPhone Edition) might look like in white. It turned out great, this is the iPhone everyone is waiting for.
Last week, Apple released two beta versions of iOS 10.3.2 - fourth And fifth according to the account. Both updates brought with them exclusively bug fixes, iOS 10.3.2 beta 4 was especially notable ( what's new). True, all the removed errors were minor - to the delight of users, no serious problems were noticed in iOS 10.3 and iOS 10.3.1.
Meanwhile, users found in iOS 10 another strange bug. It doesn't take much time to use a new bug. All you need to do is open Control Center, and then simultaneously touch three buttons: Night Shift, AirDrop and one of the three presented in the bottom row (calculator, camera or timer). Immediately after this, the iPhone or iPad, even running the latest beta versions of iOS 10.3.2, will freeze. Only a forced reboot will help bring the device back to life. It is noteworthy that the error was not fixed in the latest beta versions of iOS 10.3.2. It is likely that it will reach the final version of the system.
The lull in the jailbreak world has been broken. The Chinese hacker group Pangu, known for hacking several versions of iOS, managed to carry out jailbreak iOS 10.3.1 on iPhone 7. The developers showed the result of their work at a conference on mobile security, which was held in China. The best part is that the hackers have clarified that they have plans to release a publicly available jailbreak tool. In other words, iPhone and iPad users may soon be able to “hack” their devices again.
Before the conference WWDC 2017 There is just over a month left, and there is very little verified information about iOS 11. The head of Apple Music, Jimmy Iovine, decided not to rely on insiders, and he himself revealed one of the main innovations in iOS 11. He said that the Music application and the Apple Music music service will undergo major changes in iOS 11. In particular, it will feature more videos - original TV shows and various programs from Apple and its partners.
Apple services are still developing. On April 25, Sberbank Visa cardholders got the opportunity use the Apple Pay payment service. A significant influx of new Apple Pay users is expected, since previously Sberbank only supported Mastercard cards. You can learn more about what Apple Pay is, how to set up the service and what devices it supports at this article .
In the future, Apple Pay will seriously expand its functionality. A new leak indicated that the company is in talks with banks and payment systems to launch its own
In terms of its design, the iPhone SE is a hybrid of two models of this gadget. More precisely, it combines the improved design of the iPhone 5S and the slightly simplified technical content of the iPhone 6S. With this design combination, the SE model is relatively cheap (especially when compared with Apple's current flagship). What specific features does this gadget have? A detailed review of the 2017 iPhone SE will help us understand this issue.
iPhone SE packaging and design
If we talk about the set of components that the buyer receives, there are no surprises here. Standard equipment includes:
- the iPhone itself;
- Apple EarPods headphones equipped with a control panel and built-in microphone;
- Lightning/USB cable;
- network adapter;
- accompanying documentation.
The color options almost completely copy the color design of the 6S. Of the old options, there are 3 colors:
- Silver;
- Space Grey;
- Gold.
The dimensions of the product are as follows:
- width - 58.6 mm;
- length - 123.8 mm;
- thickness - 7.6 mm.
The arrangement of buttons and functional connectors is familiar to all fans of Apple products. On the left side panel there are volume controls and a lock button. At the top of the front of the device is the front camera. The bottom is reserved for the round menu button. The bottom panel contains moderately high quality speakers, a headphone jack and a USB jack.
On the back panel on the right is the main camera of the device. A little lower in the center is the main attribute - a bitten apple. By the way, the execution of the apple has also undergone some changes. If on the original iPhone 5S the brand icon was slightly recessed into the lid, now it rises slightly above the surface of the panel (it’s just that here the developers chose the design option that is typical for the entire modern Apple line).
As for the water resistance of the device, the situation is twofold. On the one hand, manufacturers do not advertise this model as waterproof. They recommend protecting it from exposure to excessive amounts of moisture. On the other hand, there are results from user experiments. They say that the SE model will remain functional after being in a filled bath for 15 minutes, which is an extremely high indicator. It is possible that these results are true, and the hybrid body is indeed endowed with waterproof properties. But it’s still better not to risk the gadget.
iPhone SE display
In short, the SE model has the screen of the iPhone 5S. The diagonal length is 4 inches. During assembly, the popular IPS matrix was used. The screen is capable of producing a resolution of 1136x640 pixels. Pixel concentration per inch - 326 ppi. The display is equipped with LED backlight. It is characterized by high image accuracy and good color rendition.
The contrast ratio is quite high: 800:1. The maximum possible screen brightness is 500 cd/m2. The display supports multi-touch function. It is equipped with an oleophobic coating, which gives it a more solid look, and is also capable of displaying more than one language at the same time. There is also a function for simultaneous display of several symbols.
Image visibility is also high. The user can easily enjoy watching videos in almost any lighting intensity. Moreover, the display has a wide viewing angle, thanks to which the owner of the device can clearly see all the displayed components (both when watching a video and while playing a game).
Technical equipment of iPhone SE
To understand all the features of the filling, we will consider each of its components separately.
- Operating system. iPhone SE runs on iOS 9. As is the case with other Apple creations, the operating system is well-calibrated and optimized. The speed of response to commands is in no way inferior to the performance of the 6S model. iPhone SE supports all modern applications for devices of this kind, including several photo editors. The main advantage of the model in question over the six is its manufacturer support. After updating to iOS 10, the 6S model will become noticeably slower, which is a well-known incentive for Apple to purchase a new device. But the iPhone SE will retain all its functional qualities, which will ensure its longer operation.
- CPU. The heart of the device is the 64-bit A9 chip. It is this that ensures uninterrupted operation of the gadget, which satisfies the user.
- RAM. Despite the fact that this Apple creation is budget, in terms of RAM it will certainly please its owners. The developers equipped the described model with 2 gigabytes of memory. This is enough for both fast and high-quality Internet surfing and for spending time playing games.
- Memory for storing files. This is where Apple may slightly upset its fans. There are only two storage options on the market: 16 GB and 64 GB. For some reason, the golden mean was missed.
Multimedia capabilities of iPhone SE
The gadget is equipped with a fairly powerful 12 MP main camera. The size of each pixel is 1.22µ. The camera structure includes a 5-element lens, a hybrid infrared filter and a protective sapphire glass that protects the lens from external damage. True Tone flash ensures high quality photos taken in dark environments. Ambient light control is provided by a special sensor located on the rear panel. The camera of the described iPhone model supports the following functions:
- automatic focusing;
- panoramic photography;
- auto-activation of HDR mode when taking photographs;
- timing;
- auto image stabilization;
- continuous shooting;
- exposure control;
- face recognition;
- georeferencing.
- tracking auto focus;
- magnification 3x;
- face recognition;
- georeferencing;
- cinematic stabilization.
As for the front camera for selfies, its performance is more modest. It has only 1.2 megapixels. The camera can recognize faces, perform burst shooting, and control exposure. Also, it is capable of shooting video, the quality of which will be 720p. Although the main technical indicator of the front camera is considered weak, in practice it gives better results than the similar component of the 6S model. In particular, it provides better contrast and color reproduction.
In terms of other multimedia capabilities, everything remains unchanged. The device supports the most popular audio and video formats. The gadget will open the most common types of email attachments:
- pictures (jpg, gif, tiff);
- text files (txt, rtf, doc, and docx);
- tables (xls, xlsx);
- presentations (ppt, pptx);
- pdf files.
However, uploading music and other files to this model requires compliance with certain conditions. So, in order for data to be transferred without problems, the user must have:
- PC with at least Windows 7 installed;
- Mac Book with operating system version 10.8.5 or later.
iPhone SE battery life
This device is equipped with an extremely weak battery when compared to smartphones running on Android. Its capacity is only 1624 mAh. However, this is where the main quality of Apple developers showed itself: to squeeze the maximum out of a not very productive component. Judge for yourself:
- when talking with a 3G network connection, the gadget will last about 14 hours;
- with active Internet surfing, battery life is guaranteed for 12 hours without recharging;
- with continuous video playback, the gadget will last about 13 hours;
- if you load the device only by playing music, you can get a phenomenal 50-hour battery life;
- Standby mode will drain the battery in 10 days.
iPhone SE sensors and modules
As for additional options, there is a wide variety. The model is equipped with:
- accelerometer;
- distance sensor;
- 3-axis gyroscope;
- Bluetooth wireless technology version 4.2.
iPhone SE video review and price
The price of iPhone SE in Russia is from 37,990 to 47,990. It depends on the capacity of the internal memory. So, for 16 GB models you will have to pay less than 40 thousand, and to become the owner of a 64 GB model, you need to pay almost 50 thousand.
You will also find a lot of interesting information in the proposed video review:
A review of the 2017 iPhone SE showed that this model is a worthy addition to the Apple family. It has a convenient size that allows you to hold it with one hand, quite powerful technical content, and a high-quality camera. Also, SE can boast of solid autonomy, which is extremely important for modern users. Well, the main advantage of this device is its price. In fact, the release of this model made the iPhone an almost universal product.
