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Apple announced the all new iPhone SE (or iPhone 9 – call it what you will!) to target those after a mid-range phone. The original was discontinued back in 2018, but now it's back with the same processing power as the iPhone 11 Pro (without the rear cameras).

Much of its specs are similar to the iPhone 8. However Apple have branded the iPhone SE as the fastest, most powerful single-camera phone (and the most affordable phone in its range). Let's take a look at what the new iPhone SE will bring to the table.

How much is the iPhone SE?

The iPhone SE is priced at £419 – which for a new iPhone is a pretty decent price. As with every new phone release, older generations are now going to depreciate in value. If you're considering the iPhone SE, it's worth trading in your old phone and putting the cash towards it!

What does the iPhone SE look like?

It's got a 4.7 inch screen with Retina HD display. Apple have also stated it has a True Tone feature that adjusts to ambient light for easier screen viewing. It comes in three colours: black, white and red. The phone is weather and dust sealed too – with a water resistance of IP67 (depth of 1 meter of water for 30 minutes).

The iPhone SE also retains its home button, but this time with sapphire crystal for increased durability. It also contains a steel ring to enable Touch ID – a fantastic feature that helps protect the security and privacy of your phone and data.

What's the iPhone SE's camera like?

Don't expect anything too special in terms of camera quality of the iPhone SE. It has a 12MP rear camera at f1.8 wide aperture (which is great for taking high quality photos with nice background blur) and a 7MP selfie camera (way better than it's old 1.2MP selfie camera counterpart). With newer models of phones sporting selfie cameras of 12MP+, it's not the most amazing lens, but it's a massive step up from the 1st generation model.

Its rear camera comes with six portrait lighting effects (available on newer models of iPhones), so despite not having extra lenses, it's still a fantastic step up for the price.

How's the iPhone SE's battery life?

It's matched up to the iPhone 8 at 1821mAh – that's worth 8 hours of video playback time, 8 hours of streamed video playback and 40 hours worth of audio playback. Most importantly –  that's a lot of battery power for a small phone!

How powerful is the iPhone SE?

It's obviously more powerful than the older iPhone SE. at 3GB of RAM, you can definitely juggle more background apps and use the phone for streaming sites without worrying too much about lag. It's got a chip upgrade to the all-powerful A13 chip (previously A11), so you know you're getting a lot of horsepower for such a tiny phone.

When can I buy the iPhone SE?

You can pre-order the iPhone SE on the Apple website now! It's officially able to ship on the 24th April 2020.

Does the iPhone SE sound good to you? Still need a bit of extra cash for it? Why not sell your old phone or sell your old tech and put the cash towards your upgrade? Sell with musicMagpie today for the best price!

Old iPhone SE vs new iPhone SE

New iPhone SE 2020

• Dimensions 138.4mm x 67.3mm x 7.3mm (4.45in x 2.65in x 0.29in)
• Screen size: 4.7-inch
• Weight: 148g
• Price: 
  • 64GB: £419/$399
  • 128GB: £469/$449
  • 256GB: £569/$549
• Camera aperture: F/1.8
• Front camera: 7MP
• Wireless charging
• SIM: Nano Sim and e-Sim

Old iPhone SE 2016

• Dimensions: 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm (4.87 x 2.31 x 0.30 in)
• Screen size: 4-inch
• Weight: 113g (3.99 oz)
• Price:
  • 16GB: £379/$399
  • 64GB: £429/$449
• Camera aperture: F/2.2
• Front camera: 1.2MP
• Heptic Touch

iPhone X vs iPhone SE

The pocket-friendly size of the iPhone SE is a great choice for those after a smaller device. Much of its specs are similar to the iPhone 6s and iPhone 8 – which still continues to be a massive hit for iPhone fans.

The iPhone X has a fantastic, sleek design with a glass back and a screen that goes to the edges of the phone. It also doesn't have a home button, meaning the screen is able to display more of what you need.

The Face Recognition of iPhone X phones is an extremely popular feature. Whilst its chip may be older (A11), it does have a dual camera, which as we all know, is an incredibly important feature for many when it comes to taking the best photos.

Whilst the SE has clearly upped its game, it's still not as good as the iPhone X in terms of functionality.

iPhone X 

• Dimensions: 143.6mm x 70.9mm x 7.7mm
• Screen size: 5.8-inch
• Weight: 174g
• Aperture: F/1.8 and F/2.4 (telephoto)
• Front camera: 7MP
• Rear camera: 12MP x 12MP
• Wireless charging
• SIM: Nano sim

iPhone SE

• Dimensions 138.4mm x 67.3mm x 7.3mm
• Screen size: 4.7-inch
• Weight: 148g
• Camera aperture: F/1.8
• Front camera: 7MP
• Rear camera: 12MP
• Wireless charging
• SIM: Nano Sim and e-Sim

If you don't want to pay full price for the SE, buy an iPhone X for less and check out our refurbished Phones at the musicMagpie Store!