The iPhone SE 2022 debuted a couple of days back as Apple’s cheapest iPhone for 2022 and comes with the same design as the iPhone 8 which had a similar design to the iPhone 7 that came out in 2016. So considering the iPhone SE 2022 has a design that is almost 6 – 7 years old, does it have the internal firepower that compensates for such an old design and justifies its starting price tag of Rs 43,900? Let’s take a look.
Old Wine in New Bottle?
The iPhone SE that was launched in 2020 was a repackaged iPhone 8. It had the same body as the iPhone that came 6 years ago but a newer A13 Bionic chip under the hood. It wasn’t a unique idea to put more power in an old smartphone body but still looked profitable considering those who wanted a smaller iPhone with Touch ID and the latest chip inside now had an option from Apple. Even the numbers prove that iPhone SE 2020 was at 8th position in the best selling smartphones of 2021 around the globe, as per a Counterpoint report.
In 2022 though, when the rest of the world has moved forward with all kinds of solutions for fingerprint sensor integrations and a time when even Apple can embed Touch ID in the power button as we have seen in the iPads, the Californian smartphone maker still decides to go with the same design with Touch ID in the home button on the front, same as the iPhone SE from 2020 and the iPhone 8 from 2017.
We have seen Apple not making any major changes in its iPhone lineup in terms of design since iPhone X, which was a major redesign from what Apple was doing up until that point. However, it is still innovating and improving its cameras, refreshing the rear design (starting with iPhone 11), and slightly tinkering the notch on the front with iPhone 13 series. But with the iPhone SE 2022, you get the exact same hardware and design as last generation models.
Not only that, but even the specifications of the iPhone SE 2022 are mostly identical to the previous generation model. The only things that have changed include the chip inside, battery life, and slightly higher RAM. Apart from that, you get the same 720p LCD 60hz display, same cameras on front and back and of course, same thick bezels on the top and bottom of the display if we talk about design.
Read More: Apple launches new iPhone SE with A15 Bionic SoC, iPad Air 5 with M1 SoC and more
Is the firepower enough?
The iPhone SE 2022 comes with the same chip that powers the iPhone 13 series, and that is the A15 Bionic. There’s no doubt that this chip is powerful enough to compete with the flagships but the rest of the internals which are identical to last generation just don’t put up with the flagship status.
As per Apple’s website, the iPhone SE 2022 has better battery life than the 2020 model. But Apple being Apple here, hasn’t revealed the battery capacity. But it did confirm to the media that the SE 2022 has a physically larger battery than the 2020 model which is appreciated. Further, Apple also doesn’t reveal the amount of RAM it equips its phones with, but a MacRumours report suggests you get 4GB of RAM, which is higher than the 3GB RAM offered with the second generation model.
Now, a fact that sounds absurd is that the iPhone SE 2022 comes with just 64GB of in-built storage in the base model without any memory expansion support. While the Androids of the world are getting 128GB as base memory in even some of the budget devices, you get only 64GB in iPhone out of which even less will be available to the user as some of it will be occupied by the system. The new iPhone SE also supports 5G but as there’s no sign of it in India as of now, that’s useless to the end consumer.
What about Competition?
If you are considering switching to an iPhone and iPhone SE 2022 seems like an ideal choice for you, you can shell out a few extra bucks and go for the iPhone 12 Mini that costs Rs 49,999 for the base model. Again, it only has 64GB storage but is still better than the SE 2022 in terms of design and cameras. It has the A14 Bionic under the hood but that is again a capable chip that can provide you with a silky smooth experience.
On the other hand, if you are coming from an older model of the iPhone and are willing to make a switch to Android, you’ll get a bunch of options in the same price range as SE 2022 with even better hardware and design. Above Rs 40,000, you can look at the Realme GT 5G that has 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM for Rs 41,999. You get Snapdragon 888 under the hood which is capable enough of handling heavy tasks without any hiccups.
Next, you can look at the iQOO 9 which costs Rs 42,990 for an 8GB + 128GB model. It has an even more powerful Processor than Realme GT 5G, which is the Snapdragon 888 Plus. It has a unique design at the back and its USP is 120W Fast charging that can charge the device in almost 20 minutes. There are a bunch of other options such as the OnePlus 9 RT, iQOO 7 Legend, etc.
In conclusion, if you are looking to switch to an iPhone and are considering the SE 2022, you should give it a second thought. Yes, the device is powerful enough but at its price, you can get much better options from other brands if you can consider an Android. Further, if an iPhone is what you want, you can get other ones such as the 12 Mini for a few extra bucks which make them a better offering in all aspects, be it in-hand feel, or photography.
