iPhone SE review

Camera

• 12MP sensor the equal of iPhone 6S
• Heavy focus on ‘realism’ in snaps
• Picture quality seems a little muted at times
• Smaller and less sharp screen not as useful as a viewfinder

The 12MP camera on the iPhone SE is a marked upgrade from that in the 5S or 5 in a number of ways, not just the boost in megapixels.

It’s imbued with all manner of fancy technology that you just wouldn’t have found on the earlier models – and, in fact, is another perfect example of Apple giving iPhone SE users the same toys as found on the larger 6S.

Firstly, the 12MP sensor comes with Focus Pixels, which are a secondary layer within the camera that works out what the phone is being pointed at and sharpens things up rather quickly. It’s not the best in the industry, but it’s more than quick enough and if you’ve got a millisecond to hold the camera steady you’ll generally get a sharp snap each time.

Live Photos is added into the mix too, and while we were sceptical when we first saw the feature on the 6S, we can’t deny that it does enhance some snaps (there’s a surprise foam party that wouldn’t have been the same without the feature).

It’s also the sapphire covering on the camera that’s a decent upgrade too – so many pictures on older phones are now fuzzy and seemingly covered in a smeared layer, such are the micro-scratches that festoon the cover.

By making this stronger Apple has removed one of the big issues that can plague the iPhone SE in its later life, and I love that it’s now flush with the chassis thanks to being a little thicker. It’s hard to say why, but the clean lines on the back are so much more pleasant.

Settings-wise, the iPhone sticks to simplicity, keeping only the options you want front and center. That means you can toggle on HDR or Live Photos, toggle the timer or flash and add an effect. Square mode remains for easier Instagram pics, and the video and slo-mo modes are within an easy swipe.

When using the camera there’s only so much you can change when you’re snapping – there’s no professional setting to play with. When tapping the screen to focus a simple slide up or down with your finger will alter the exposure, but if you’re looking to change color temperature or aperture speed, you’ll need to install a specific app.

We’re fans of the way Apple does things here. Cameras should be simple first and foremost, getting out of the way to let you take the best snap possible, rather than worrying you that you’re not using the right settings in the correct places.

HDR becoming automatic really makes a difference too – while the mode has less of an effect now the iPhone packs a rather decent camera and usually captures more tone and detail than in previous years, we still got improved pictures when it fired automatically.

Let’s get onto the actual camera quality. It’s, obviously, pretty good – and because the iPhone 6S’ camera has already been dissected and impresses, we were fully expecting the same to be happening here.

Apple’s phones always err on the side of natural pictures – which sounds like a great thing, but we’re not always so sure. While it’s great to have natural skin tones and more neutral colors to match more closely to what the eye is seeing, other phones add a slight richness to snaps that makes them ‘pop’ off the screen.

We’re not saying that this will be the sort of thing many people like, but we kept feeling like the pictures we were getting off the iPhone SE were a little muted in comparison to something like the Samsung Galaxy S7.

The iPhone SE also has a decent low-light mode, although again it’s not the best around. It is, however, still brilliant at getting pictures in darker scenes, and for that alone it gets a tick from us.

Our only bugbear with this camera really comes from the size of the phone. We found that it was too small to properly wield when framing a shot – while it was easier to hold, and thus more steady, we really pined for a larger viewfinder to see what was going to be capturing.

We maintain that a good photo is the one that you want to share, and the smaller 4-inch display meant we weren’t always sure we’d got something brilliant, having to zoom in and out to check clarity etc.

The smaller screen also made it harder to use the volume-down key to take pictures one handed, as we kept covering a portion of the screen with our palm. It’s not a big deal, and one that we probably wouldn’t feel if we weren’t coming from a larger phone.

But in this instance it’s worth pointing to the larger phones as a superior photographic experience – in terms of holding the phone if you’re thinking of sticking with the iPhone, or just checking out the brilliant snapping ability of the Galaxy S7.

Camera samples

This review is directly aimed at those upgrading from one of Apple’s smaller phones from many years ago, because that’s who the iPhone SE is more likely aimed at these days.

It sees the older form factor as a beloved chassis. Many people will love the smaller screen and it fits in the hand much better than the gargantuan phones on the market right now.

Verdict

With the iPhone SE, Apple’s fixed a big problem: price. Given the internals on offer here, this would have been close to a perfect phone if it weren’t for a few glaring omissions.

Firstly, we needed a new design for this to be seen as the next step in the 4-inch phone cycle. And it’s not like Apple doesn’t have a perfectly brilliant design just waiting there to be retooled, rounded edges combined with a more palm-friendly shape. Man, that would have been amazing.

The screen also had to be better for this to be seen as a brilliant phone. It’s fine, and in some instances still looks sharp.

But compared to the rest of the market, it’s been left behind – but then again, Apple needed to make some savings to keep its high margins on the iPhone, and this was clearly one of those (the cost of making those screens is reportedly a lot lower than it was a few years ago as processes have improved).

Will the iPhone SE pull in any Android users fed up with having to wrap their hands around devices they consider too big? Actually, yes – such is the clamour I hear from people not wedded to any particular brand for a phone that ‘I can use one handed’.

There are two ways of looking at this phone from Apple: on the one hand, it’s the perfect 4-inch phone, coming with so much power, a great camera and improved battery life, all wrapped in Apple’s well-crafted iPhone chassis and delivering true simplicity with iOS.

We know that combination will have people falling over themselves to buy the phone

On the other hand, it’s just 2011’s design rebadged and a new engine put inside. Far from being a new phone, it’s the iPhone 5SS, another iteration on an old design – but one that’s a lot cheaper to buy. It’s also got a much smaller screen, where it’s proved that larger displays are the popular choice now, with apps in particular making use of the extra space.

Ultimately, Apple’s given consumers a great choice here and actually for a half-decent price. The iPhone SE is a brilliant phone for those that want something smaller in their pocket and don’t care about tired design – and we suspect there will be quite a few of those buyers out there.