home › Firmware › Apple iPhone SE (2017): design, specifications, functions and release date. All that is known at the moment. Detailed review and testing of Apple iPhone SE Updated iPhone se

Apple iPhone SE (2017): design, specifications, functions and release date. All that is known at the moment. Detailed review and testing of Apple iPhone SE Updated iPhone se

The 2018 iPhone SE smartphone is an extraordinary example from the Apple line, which appeared quite unexpectedly.

Users knew that after the release of the 6s, a more budget model should appear, but no one could have imagined that the company would make a phone with the appearance of the 5, but with the filling of the sixth iPhone.

Let's briefly go through the technical characteristics of the device. The iPhone SE received an A9 64-bit processor with two cores. Versions with 16 GB flash drive and 64 GB are available for sale; RAM in all versions has the same amount - 2 GB. iOS version 9.3 is on board.

The smartphone has 2 cameras: the main one can record video in 4k format, the front one will produce a maximum of 720p. The device supports all communication standards: there is support for old wi-fi networks 2.4 GHz, as well as the new generation - 5 GHz, mobile networks: UMTS and fourth generation networks (LTE).

How to buy an iPhone inexpensively on AliExpress.
The iPhone SE has Bluetooth version 4.2, a fingerprint scanner, and NFC. A standard 3.5 mm audio jack is used to connect headphones; charging is done via Lightning. The battery capacity of the smartphone is 1624 mAh, which is definitely enough for a day of active work.

Device contents

If you look at the box, it reminds us more of the iPhone 6 than the five. You won’t find anything new inside, since Apple’s set is standard: EarPods, a charging unit and the Lightning cable itself. There is also a special clip for removing the SIM card tray.

iPhone SE 2018 design

People who see the iPhone SE for the first time think it is quite small, but its thickness is decent. To be specific, it is not at all different from, its dimensions are similar. A phone with such thickness and a small screen size (only 4 inches) is strange to see in 2018.

Now all manufacturers are trying to make devices from 5 inches; these sizes are the most popular and more convenient for most users. But he thinks differently, and creates non-standard devices that still find their consumers, and without much advertising.

The device has only 3 small differences from its predecessor 5s: the smartphone is produced in Rose Gold color, which girls will like; the bull's eye is now slightly pressed into the body; The letters SE are located on the body. These are all differences, you won’t find others. As for the fingerprint scanner, it is most likely the 5s version, because the work is not very fast.

iPhone SE 2018 screen

Screen iPhone smartphone SE for 2018 is far from top-end. It's only 4 inches in size with a resolution of 1136 x 640. If you're not good with numbers, it's not even 720p, it's smaller. There can be no talk of any 3D Touch in the device. The screen is OGS type, which means there is no air between the glass and the matrix, this allows you to see the picture more clearly on the street.

Oleophobic coating protects the glass from fingerprints. The viewing angles of the smartphone are quite decent. We tested the contrast of white and black colors from different angles, and we can say that we did not observe any significant deviations.

Device performance

Since the iPhone SE has the same A9 processor as the 6s, you can expect pretty good performance. In practice, we were convinced of this: we launched several benchmarks, including Geekbench 3 and Antutu.

The indicators were identical. That is, this device is 2 or 3 times faster than the iPhone 5s in terms of performance.

iPhone SE cameras

When we found out that the phone has the same camera modules as the 6s, we didn't believe it. There was distrust until the device fell into our hands. Indeed, the photo capabilities of the device are similar to the iPhone 6s. The camera focuses perfectly in any weather, does not produce much noise in dark places, and takes excellent macro photography.

The device can shoot video in 4k format with a maximum frame rate of 30 fps. If you like to shoot videos during the daytime, then you can safely take your smartphone and turn on the camera. Those who like to shoot video at night should not use this device, as the picture quality will be average.

Autonomy

Whatever one may say, the SE loses in autonomy to the 6s, but outperforms the 5. If you load the device moderately, then by the evening there will still be a little charge left. Undoubtedly, the smartphone has received excellent optimization, since with a capacity of 1624 mAh it plays YouTube videos for about 11 hours.

conclusions

The iPhone SE turned out to be a very extraordinary device from Apple. The phone seems to have excellent characteristics on board from the 6s, but in fact they are useless on a device with a 4-inch display. Appearance of the device - copy of iPhone 5s, which is already a bit old for 2018. Oddly enough, many people like this smartphone; it is bought by those who need powerful characteristics and do not care about the size of the display. If you want a productive “apple”, but don’t have the money for an IPhone 6 or 7, then buy the SE!

Video on the topic - “iPhone SE at 32/128 in 2018? Does it make sense to buy and who are the competitors?”:

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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)
Apple A9 GPU
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 (only for Apple Pay)
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
Offers Apple iPhone SE (16 GB)	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. Almost all characteristics Apple devices lag behind, 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 equipment

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. No wonder the same Sony model Compact 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 mobile phones new Apple products latest generation, and 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 like 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, it debuted in the iPhone 6s/6s Plus a new version scanner that works faster and more accurately. Owners of these models know that they only need to quickly touch their finger and immediately pull it away 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 simultaneously Home button on iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone SE. 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 middle 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

Options iPhone screen SE are no different from those of the iPhone 5s: 4-inch diagonal, IPS matrix with a resolution of 1136x640. 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, specifications and the presence or absence of additional technologies is 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 When 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, on minimum brightness there are very narrow peaks with a frequency of 50 Hz, but flicker 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 use 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 iPad Pro 9.7. In any case, when having fun with 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 by 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. At the moment this is probably best display among smartphones with small screens.

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 could give some error operating systems and browsers, so the slight 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 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 fully matches the parameters iPhone camera 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 daytime shooting- 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 number 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 more capacious battery, than in the iPhone 5s, but still it is inferior to the iPhone 6s and, especially, 6s Plus.

However, since the screen resolution of the iPhone SE is lower and the screen area is smaller, the duration battery life The iPhone SE 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

iPhone SE is perhaps the most boring Apple smartphone: both in a good and a bad sense. 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 innovation, but a device for everyday use, the iPhone SE may be optimal choice, well predictable. In the sense that when buying 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 for the lovers compact smartphones, and everyone 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:

Today's material will be devoted entirely to the device from Apple, which is called the iPhone SE. To be more precise, we will figure out whether this model is worth buying in 2017.

The phone came out relatively recently, but due to the fact that it is far from a flagship, many are beginning to doubt it. Everything is quite logical, because this feeling arises before any big purchase.

I will try to describe everything to you as it really is, and I think after reading the material, you will be able to finally decide.

What's good about the iPhone SE?

I think it’s worth starting with the fact that the iPhone SE was released in March 2016, which is essentially not that long ago. It was produced mostly for the Chinese market. Let's go through its characteristics.

Appearance. Outwardly, we have the same iPhone 5S, and on the street you can understand that a person has SE only in two cases: the inscription SE on back cover(if there is no cover) and pink body color.

What I'm saying is that the design of the phone is not for everyone. For some, it seems quite outdated, but the other half claims that this is the best design of all time and nothing has ever been better than it.

I'll just say that the phone looks very modern and if you walk down the street with this particular model, then no one will think that you are some kind of old thing.

By color solutions I think it's clear that we have four options: Gold, Rose Gold, Silver and Space Gray. I think everyone can find something special for themselves.

If you are reading this material, then you are a fan of compact smartphones and a 4-inch screen will be quite sufficient for you. I myself use 5S and there is nothing critical so far.

Performance. If about appearance There is still something to be said, in terms of performance, everything is just perfect with us and you will enjoy its speed.

After all, the filling has been completely transferred from the flagship iPhone 6S, which means an Apple A9 processor with 1.8 GHz and 2 GB of RAM. With iOS, these options are just perfect.

All this goodness will be enough for you for the next 2-3 years, one hundred percent. So, when you buy this smartphone, you get stable operation of applications and games.

Camera and battery. I'll start with the battery, and it's a little bigger here than in the 5S. This is understandable, because the filling has become more resource-demanding.

The battery capacity is 1642 mAh and this will be enough for a full day of active use. You don’t have to worry about this part either.

The situation with the camera is a little different. There are no main issues at all and there are still the same 12 MP as in the 6S. There is no stabilization, so just normal pictures.

On the front, everything is worse and here we have only 1.2 MP. In general, the pictures will be good only with normal lighting; in all other situations you shouldn’t give much hope.

Other functions and features. If you are a fan modern technologies, then you definitely shouldn’t expect features like 3D Touch here. Whatever one may say, they made a very budget option.

This is also indicated by the fingerprint scanner. There is also the first version of Touch ID, although in practice you won’t feel the difference in speed significantly.

Is it worth getting an iPhone SE in 2017?

Now let's move on to the most interesting part and I will tell you the final conclusion whether it is worth buying the iPhone SE. I will tell you purely my opinion, and you can decide for yourself whether to follow it or not.

First of all, I can say one thing about the girls. It has become very difficult for them with modern shovels and there are not so many normal compact smartphones today.

iPhone SE will become simple ideal solution, if you are afraid that you will drop the same iPhone 7 PLUS. Believe me, you definitely won’t lose much in terms of performance.

From this we can conclude that, first of all, the smartphone is suitable for those who like compactness. Not everyone needs a huge screen today and that’s a fact.

As I already said, the gadget will remain relevant for the next 2 or 3 years. Don’t think that you will buy it and have to buy something new next year.

If you like the smartphone and the characteristics suit you, then of course we take it and don’t even think about it. The price is nothing compared to flagships.

conclusions

That’s basically all I wanted to say about the iPhone SE and whether it’s worth getting for 2017. I hope my article will somehow help you with a solution.

Having purchased this device, you won't get the top technologies. But I guarantee you that you will be able to enjoy the magic of Apple and comfortable work with the gadget is guaranteed.

The range of Apple smartphones this year is larger than ever. It's easy to get lost among 8 models And 42 (!) modifications.

Apple has removed the intermediate average amount of memory and now this year’s new products are available with 64 or 256 GB drives, and all other smartphones with 32 or 128 GB of memory.

Let's figure out together which iPhone is better to buy this fall.

iPhone SE

You will be surprised, but in 2017 many smartphone users feel comfortable with 4-inch devices. They are easy to operate with one hand; smartphones are very compact.

IN model range After Apple's recent presentation, there is only one current 4-inch model left - the iPhone SE.

The smartphone is good in both hardware and camera, it supports most iOS features, and the price is quite reasonable.

iPhone SE is the most affordable ticket to the world of iOS; the device is perfect as a first iPhone.

If you already have it: You won’t be able to make much profit by selling such a smartphone; a few months ago it... Even if you sell it at a good price, you will only be able to buy a mediocre Android smartphone with the proceeds.

iPhone 6s/6s Plus

Just imagine that this is the only current Apple smartphone with a normal display by today’s standards and a 3.5 mm headset jack.

In a year or a year and a half, everyone will forget about this element in iPhones. Just for the sake of being able to listen to music normally, you can already look towards the iPhone 6s.

At the same time, you get the most affordable iPhone with a 4.7-inch (or 5.5-inch) display and 3D-Touch support. There is only no moisture protection, as in older models.

The only disappointing thing is the big difference in price between the iPhone SE and iPhone 6s. For the cost of an Eski with a large amount of memory, you can buy two SE.

If you already have it: Keep using it, the device will receive iOS updates for many years and handle most typical tasks.

If you are thinking about changing your device, hurry up. iPhone 6s is getting cheaper every day.

iPhone 7/7 Plus

Last year's flagship, as expected, dropped to third place in the iPhone line. At the same time, the device became noticeably cheaper, but became available with only two storage options. Apple also no longer sells the iPhone 7 in red.

If you only need a red one, quickly search reseller sites; in a couple of months you won’t find an iPhone 7 in this color, and it is unknown whether new models will be presented under the (PRODUCT)RED program.

“Seven” is now sold in a maximum range of colors. In addition to red, the usual silver, gold, pink and black (matte or glossy) models are available.

If you already have it: you missed the chance to sell iPhone 7 for maximum profit. This had to be done before the autumn Apple presentations. Now accept the fact that you will have to lower the price or continue to use the device until at least next fall.

iPhone 8/8 Plus

The device turned out to be very ambiguous. This is not a new flagship, and in appearance it differs from last year’s iPhone only in the case materials, and it’s already boring in appearance.

At the same time, the device received the long-awaited wireless charging and an advanced camera.

If the device is purchased to replace a simple camera, you need to look only towards the Plus model.

When buying an iPhone 8/8 Plus, be prepared to spend money on additional accessories. You can reveal all the capabilities of the model only with wireless charger or providing fast charging by wire.

If you already have it: You may not yet have the device itself, but a pre-order is fine. Congratulations. Now you will have to carry your iPhone without covers or cases so that everyone can see which model you have in your hands.

iPhone X

This is it - the new flagship with a fabulous price tag, questionable ergonomics and a 5.8-inch display.

The high price tag makes even buying a smartphone in the USA through a conditional parcel post not the most profitable idea.

It makes sense to buy a smartphone in the following situations:

you have an iPhone 5/6 that is outdated/obsolete and you want something really new;
you are used to using only flagships and change iPhones every year;
you need an iPhone for show-off, which everyone will recognize from afar;
you want a smartphone with a couple of cool cameras (front and main);
I have an extra 80 thousand rubles.

In other situations, you can safely look at more affordable models.

If you already have it: don't lie, it's Chinese copy from AliExpress.

Summary for those who haven't read:

1. If you need the cheapest and/or most compact iPhone, take the SE from RUB 20,990.

2. If you need an iPhone with a headphone jack, get the iPhone 6s from RUB 35,990. or iPhone 6s Plus from RUB 43,990.

3. If you need a modern flagship, buy iPhone 8 from RUB 56,990. or iPhone 8 Plus

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 with 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 long installed a fingerprint scanner in the side power button, this decision will turn out to be quite successful.

Such plans were confirmed by Apple and an anonymous leak in the Chinese social network Weibo. A person who claimed to have connections with employees of Apple's key manufacturing 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. Please note that the owners of the new Samsung 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 that.

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 extended 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 new iPhones thanks to leaks, they became known 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 that will make newest smartphone Apple is the most autonomous 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 iPhone or iPad, even running the latest beta iOS versions 10.3.2, will freeze. It will only help bring the device back to life forced reboot. It is noteworthy that the error was not fixed in the latest beta versions of iOS 10.3.2. It is likely that she will reach final version systems.

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 the conference on mobile security, which took place 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