iPhone SE 2022 review: Ageing, but going strong with Apple A15 Bionic chip

iPhone SE 2022 is strictly for people with a liking for compact form factor. A silver lining is performance and an unsaid promise that the phone will hold its relevance in foreseeable future

American technology giant Apple recently refreshed its entry-level smartphone, the iPhone SE, with a new processor – Apple A15 Bionic. Though similar to the last generation model with regard to design, which looks underwhelming due to small screen footprint and thick bezels, it goes strong with all the improvements the new chip brings to the table. Among other things, the Apple A15 Bionic brings significant improvement in both processes and graphics performance. Moreover, it makes the smartphone future-proof by enabling support for the 5G network.

Starting with performance gains, the iPhone SE 2022 edition handles everyday operations with ease and does a good job with regard to heavy-duty tasks. Graphics performance is good too, be it for resource-intensive gaming titles or video editing apps like Adobe Premiere Rush. While the iPhone SE 2022 edition delivers a stellar performance, not all of it translates to improved user experience simply because the phone does not utilise the chip to the max of its potential. Take for example the phone’s HD resolution screen of 60Hz refresh rate. It is bright and colourful but lacks sharpness and smoothness. For a chip that powers the iPhone 13 series, it is capable of powering a pixel-rich display of enhanced refresh rate but here, on the iPhone SE 2022 edition, it is underutilised.

Underutilised it may be, but the A15 Bionic in the iPhone SE 2022 edition has its advantages. Foremost, it makes the phone future-proof. The iPhone SE 2022 edition will receive about the same operating system (iOS) updates as the premium iPhone 13 series. Besides, the chip enables 5G network support. Therefore, it will be relevant when the next-generation mobile network becomes operational in the country. On-battery time is another parameter where the A15 Bionic proves beneficial. Despite the performance gains, the phone does not compromise on the battery efficiency. Compared with the last-generation model, the 2022 edition has about two-hours extra battery life. Not much, but still a fair improvement for a smartphone that weighs about the same as last-gen model. On a side note, the iPhone SE 2022 edition is not a smartphone you can use all-day on a single charge, especially if you are a power-user.

Apart from the gains enabled by A15 Bionic chip, the iPhone SE 2022 edition is the same as the last-gen model. It has a premium glass-metal construction with ceramic shield protection on the screen and back cover. The smartphone is IP67-rated for protection against water and dust damages. It has dual stereo speakers. The audio output through speakers is top-notch, especially while playing games and streaming music and videos. Device security and screen unlock mechanism is controlled by a fingerprint scanner (Touch ID) embedded into the home button.

Imaging is covered by a single 12-megapixel camera sensor on the back and a 7MP camera sensor on the front. Though the sensors are carried forward from the last-gen model, their performance is better, especially of the rear camera sensor. It will not be wrong to say the iPhone SE 2022 has a versatile single camera system, which is good for stills, videos, and portraits. The camera struggles in low-light environments, but otherwise it impresses with neat contours and clean bokeh in portraits, rich contrast and dynamic range, and smooth 4K videos at up to 60 frames-per-seconds.

Verdict

At Rs 43,900 for the base model with 64GB on-board storage, the iPhone SE 2022 is a compelling smartphone to get into the Apple ecosystem. It is, however, not the one to experience the best of Apple and its ecosystem. That said, the iPhone SE 2022 is strictly for people with a liking for compact form factor. A silver lining is performance and an unsaid promise that the phone will hold its relevance in the foreseeable future.