Apple Releases Budget Friendly iPhone SE2

Apple has launched its second ‘most affordable’ iPhone device, which has been officially called the ‘second-generation iPhone SE.’

The new smartphone had been expected to arrive in March, and the new device is the second budget iPhone from Apple, after it launched the original iPhone SE back in 2016.

The launch of the new device comes after a collapse in smartphone sales in February, when Strategy Analytics reported that global smartphone shipments had dropped 38 percent year-on-year in that month to 61.8 million devices.

iPhone SE

Apple announced the smartphone at a very competitive starting price of $399.

The UK price is likely to £399, and comes with 64GB, 128GB and 256GB models.

However, it should be remembered that the starting price of the original iPhone SE was £359 back in 2016.

Apple said it will begin taking orders for the phone on its website on Friday, with delivery of devices expected to start 24 April.

Colour wise, users get a choice of black, white and red.

Apple also said that next cheapest iPhone, the iPhone 8, will be retired, upon which the second generation SE was based.

SE Specs

So what is under the hood of the new budget friendly smartphone?

The new device features a 4.7-inch Retina HD display, housed in a “aerospace-grade aluminium and durable glass design with an all-black front.”

This screen is paired with Touch ID housed in the familiar Home button. Apple has opted not to include its facial recognition system to unlock the device.

Powering the device is the Apple-designed A13 Bionic (found in its most recently premium models), but it is clear that Apple have trimmed back on the camera options, as it features a single 12-megapixel, f/1.8 aperture wide camera.

There is cinematic video stabilisation on the front and rear cameras, and the rear camera supports video capture at 4K up to 60fps.

“The first iPhone SE was a hit with many customers who loved its unique combination of small size, high-end performance and affordable price; the new second-generation iPhone SE builds on that great idea and improves on it in every way — including our best-ever single-camera system for great photos and videos — while still being very affordable,”explained said Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing.

“iPhone SE features the industry-leading performance of A13 Bionic that enables great battery life, takes stunning Portrait mode and Smart HDR photos, shoots amazing videos with stereo audio, is great for games and super fast web surfing, and is built with the same industry-leading security features our customers expect. We can’t wait to get iPhone SE into customers’ hands,” said Schiller.

The second generation iPhone SE is water- and dust-resistant with an IP67 rating for water resistance up to 1 meter for 30 minutes.

The iPhone SE is wireless-charging capable with Qi-certified chargers and also supports fast-charging, giving customers up to 50 percent charge in just 30 minutes.

All well and good, but lets talk about the elephant in the room.

There is still no 5G capability, although the new device does offer Wi-Fi 6 and Gigabit-class LTE, as well as Dual SIM capability thanks to the eSIM option, which “provides the flexibility for users to have two separate phone numbers on a single device while travelling abroad or for use as a business line.”

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