Apple’s event just happened, and there is a lot to talk about at the event. The event is also almost everything we expected it to be. Everything, except the new colours of the iPhone 13 series. You can now have them in Green. Samsung’s new S22 series in their green colour might have something to do with that. Then there is the Apple iPhone SE, now more powerful than ever.
If you scroll through its micro site on Apple.com, the Apple iPhone SE opens with its price tag at MYR 2,099 (US$ 429) onward. Yes, it is the most affordable iPhone still, and it looks like the classic iPhone of old (iPhone 8), before they move into the new generation edge-to-edge display that you first see in the iPhone X.
The new iPhone SE is now powered by an A15 Bionic chip, the same one that powers the Apple iPhone 13 series. Hold on, that’s not right. This brings the iPhone SE ahead a few generations from the old one, at a price point much lower than the iPhone 13 flagships. It also brings 5G capability to the most affordable iPhone in their current range. We are not complaining.
More Of The Classic
Of course, as Apple’s most affordable device, there are going to be a few compromises and differences over the iPhone 13. The most obvious difference being the display. It features a 4.7-inch IPS display that you probably recognise from the iPhone 8. You get a display just slightly over 720p at 1,334 by 750 pixels. Because the display is not that big, the ppi count is still at 326. It also features a wide P3 colour gamut, which is good. It is nothing like the Apple iPhone 13’s XDR display, but you are also paying a lot less.
Turn the IP67 chassis around and there is more tribute to the classic iPhone design of old. You are met with a 12-Megapixel camera. That is it, a traditional single camera jutting out of the top left corner of the device supported by a single LED flash. The good thing here is that you get the full processing power of A15 Bionic for your photos, and a simplified interface without the fuss of choosing your lenses. It is also capable of 4K video recording thanks to the System on a Chip (SoC). Out front is a rather regular 7-Megapixel camera, nothing much to shout about there.
Yes, the home button is back. The iconic home button is also their traditional Touch ID sensor for biometric security. Unfortunately, that also means that there is no Apple Face ID here.
Bigger Battery Life
The biggest improvement on the Apple iPhone SE that makes them a popular choice is probably their battery life. The Apple iPhone SE of old offers a battery life that is even longer than the flagship devices. Given, the hardware from the iPhone SE requires less power than the flagship iPhones. You can charge the iPhone SE at 20W or even via a wireless charging pad. They claim that the iPhone SE can last up to 2 hours longer than the iPhone 8 in video playback. That is as specific as they get with the battery life though.
Price and Availability
The new Apple iPhone SE will be available for pre-order in Malaysia on 18th March 2022 onward in Malaysia and will ship 25th March 2022 onward. It is available in three colour choices – the traditional Midnight black, Starlight white, and (Product) RED. There are also three configurations available to you at 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB. Prices start at MYR 2,099 and tops out at MYR 2,799. More information on the Apple iPhone 13 can be found on their website.