We expected a new iPhone from the most basic line of Apple, and according to the leaks, we expected it to be 5G. The question was, above all, if there was going to be an update to the name and design, and in the analysis of the Apple iPhone SE (2022), we see that none of that: the classic maintains its appearance and its terminology.
The new Apple mobile arrives to compete with the smallest in size with the same processor as the iPhone 13, although with the slight limitation that continues to put the Pro above any of the Apple mobiles. And the most striking: is that the Touch ID is maintained with its frame.
Screen: the double shoehorned symmetry in the era of the hole and the forgotten frames
While FullHD+ resolution has become a standard and is the cheapest option in a high-end range, HD resolution makes its way into the iPhone catalog with this SE. We see, in this case, a 4.7-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 1,334 x 750 pixels, with which there are those historical 326 pixels per inch of density that the iPhone endured so long while the competition was climbing.
What does this translate to? In a good experience at the level of sharpness, with the advantage of the neutrality of IPS (which Apple smartphones have historically calibrated well) and that even defends itself at the level of contrast, despite not having those deep blacks of the OLED. But it is not competitive: most mid-range Android mobiles have a minimum density of 408 pixels per inch and a percentage of use of the front that does not usually go below 80% in any phone. Not to mention the refresh rate, although this is related to the type of screen, it is somewhat less fluid than an iPhone 13 in scrolls and others.
We can use iPhone Se 2022 02 Screen with one hand, especially if we pull Reachability (bring the upper edge closer to the middle of the screen).
Apart from this, the tactile response is always correct, and the temperature is relatively neutral, with a True Tone setting that is generally correct. What is not quite tuned is the automatic brightness, but more than with the mobile, we believe that it is something related to iOS 15 (by experiencing it on other iPhones at the moment), as well as that the minimum brightness is high.
In this operating system, there are still very few customization options. In the screen settings, we see that we can activate or not those options we have mentioned and that we can choose the background and little else for the home screen. The organization will be yes or yes on the desktop (with the addition of the Library) and with the option of activating the screen when lifting it. We do not have? The touch activates the screen (which is missed) from the iPhone X (the first with OLED) or the ambient screen; the latter does not exist in the system.
Becoming accustomed to thin frames means that with this mobile, the experience of watching a video or playing games is greatly impoverished. The display is correct, but the 4.7 inches are too small for us, and we keep thinking about the best use of any other mobile, even an iPhone mini.
Performance: practically the only feature that is born currently
If the iPhone SE (2022) can boast of something, it is the brain, although it is not strictly placed in the first line of Apple mobiles. It is the Apple A15 Bionic, but with the GPU configuration of the 13 non-Pro and the same theoretical 4 GB of RAM.
With that, we see that it works smoothly and does not clear your throat when running anything, neither the performance tests (which we will put below) nor the games. We can play long games like ‘PUBG’ or ‘Genshin Impact’ without significantly rising mobile temperature.
Here we leave you the results of the benchmarks that we have been able to get on this mobile with iOS comparing them with mobiles from the competition, with screenshots of some others below.
Software: The newest iOS with the navigation
The iPhone SE (2022) comes from the factory with the latest version of iOS 15 (iOS 15.4), having already been updated several times since its launch with the iPhone 13. It is a version quite similar to iOS 14, which we already discussed in each of the earlier iPhones, so we’ll take a short walk.
iOS comes without third-party bloatware (not even Google apps). However, it maintains some of its apps that will surely not be the majority among its users, such as Stock Market or the iTunes store, but for several versions, they can already be removed if they are not what they want. As we have already been saying, the apps are divided into two spaces: a desktop and the App Library (it will always be the tab furthest to the right).
We cannot alter the layout of the grid. In this case, the navigation is the same as the iOS history until the arrival of the notch: the control center emerges if we slide from below and the notification curtain from above. There is no back button (except for the access that appears by software), and Touch ID acts as a home button to call Siri.
Apple’s assistant is exceptionally attentive, both to this call and to the voice, and together with Shortcuts, it can help us automate and make some action flows more comfortable. A more recent part is also the concentration modes, although when configuring them, we have to consider that some backgrounds of apps can be cut (for example, those that record sports activity).
iPhone Se 2022 04 Concentration Modes
Concentration modes are nothing new at the industry level, but they are a recent and quite useful incentive in the Apple system (especially if we want to have the same mobile phone and SIM for work and our social life.
We do not have game mode, advanced screen, and sound settings, and it is still convoluted that the locations of each own app are in the general settings menu. Every time we want to modify something about the camera or the Mail app, we have to go to the available menu, which wastes time and sometimes not being too intuitive (as happens when wanting to change the default action of sliding in Mail). An app is also slow in its notifications compared to others (because it is updated less often).
