Pity the poor owners of the original iPhone SE. They’ve waited four long years for this refresh, with Apple no doubt hoping they would instead shell out on an iPhone 11 or iPhone XR. But with iPhone sales declining recently, Apple evidently felt the need to appeal to people unwilling to spend more than £600 on a new handset.

Hence, an all-new version of the iPhone SE, small in size as well as in pricetag. The previous SE was an impressive package, managing to fit most of the best qualities of the larger iPhones into a compact frame, and Apple is hoping to repeat the trick here.

Apple iPhone SE (2020) review: Design

In terms of design, the new iPhone SE duplicates the appearance of the iPhone 8 to the millimetre and gram. It’s 138mm tall, 67mm wide, 7.3mm thick and weighs 138g. Glass panels sandwich an aluminium frame and it’s available in black, white and “Product Red” colours (a portion of funds raised from the Product Red phone contribute to the Global Fund to combat COVID-19).

All the buttons and external features are in the same place as the iPhone 8 too. The single camera sits at the rear in the top left corner, the volume buttons and Do Not Disturb switch are on the left edge, while the power button is on the right. The Lightning connector on the bottom is flanked by a pair of speaker grilles and the Touch ID button on the front is haptic instead of mechanical – note this phone’s IP67 rating against water and dust.

Apple iPhone SE (2020) review: Display

When you’ve spent the past two years looking at phones with edge-to-edge displays, a handset with honest to goodness bezels at the top and bottom comes as a shock. No matter how much we try to love the smaller size (it’s nice to operate a phone with one hand again) there’s no denying that a bigger screen is much better for watching TV and movies, and playing games on. That dinky screen makes it more fiddly to type out emails and social media messages too.

Still, what’s here is pretty good. It’s an IPS panel measuring 4.7in across the diagonal and it has a Retina-class resolution of 750 x 1,334 with a pixel density of 336ppi. That, incidentally, is the same as the original iPhone SE’s 4in screen and the iPhone XR with its 6.1in screen.

It’s also good from a technical standpoint. We measured it with the office calibrator and found that peak brightness settled at 571cd/m2 and contrast at 1,427:1 – both solid figures. Colour performance is as good as ever from Apple, with sRGB coverage hitting 95.5% and the average Delta E at a healthy low of 0.96.

Apple iPhone SE (2020) review: Specs and performance

With the same Apple A13 Bionic chip as its more expensive siblings, although half as much RAM at 3GB, you’d expect a performance boost over the older iPhone SE. And, at triple the speed in Geekbench 5’s multicore test, it certainly delivers. What’s most eye-opening, however, is how much faster this phone is than Android rivals at a similar price - specifically the £349 Google Pixel 4a.

While our Pixel 4a review is still in progress, we can reveal that the SE’s single-core and multi-tasking scores of 1,330 and 3,291 handily doubled those achieved by the Pixel 4a, which is extremely impressive.

In short, the iPhone SE is easily the most powerful hardware in a phone costing less than £500. It’s also worth noting that it’s more than a match in raw performance terms for the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 phones such as the Oppo Find X2 Pro.

Sadly, there’s one crucial area where the new iPhone SE can’t match its competitors and that’s battery life. With the same tiny 1,821mAh power pack as the original iPhone 8, stamina suffers badly. The SE only lasted 11hrs 35mins in our fairly undemanding video-rundown test, which is better than the iPhone 8 but worse than the original iPhone SE.

Apple adds fast 18W charging this time around, which takes the phone from flat to 50% in 30 minutes, but when most flagships are lasting more than 20 hours in this test, it’s impossible not to be disappointed by this result.

Apple iPhone SE (2020) review: Camera

In stark contrast to flagship phones with their ridiculous haul of cameras, the iPhone SE offers only two: one 7-megapixel f/2.2 selfie camera and a 12-megapixel f/1.8 main camera at the rear. The specifications are the same as the iPhone 8, although the power of the A13 Bionic processor means image quality is much improved.

There’s neither Deep Fusion low-light mode nor night mode, but the photographs we’ve grabbed with the 2020 iPhone SE have been good across the board. Perhaps most notably, Apple’s portrait mode brings out the best from the 12-megapixel sensor, providing all the same lighting effects as you get in the pricier iPhones.

Still, it can’t match the iPhone 11 Pro Max’s incredibly sharp images. For instance, even in its strong suit of portraits, the iPhone SE’s skin textures are softer and the hairs not as sharp. As a general rule, the iPhone 11 produces crisper details and a richer palette of colours.

Surprisingly, in low light, the iPhone SE holds its own against the iPhone 11 Pro Max. Although there’s clearly more noise in the SE’s images, it isn’t overly distracting and colours are still nice and neutral.

Perhaps more impressive than this, however, is how good the iPhone SE’s video capture is. The phone’s A13 Bionic chip really comes into play here, enabling Smart HDR to keep exposures even, and it can apply image stabilisation to 4K footage recorded at 60fps.

The video quality is simply sumptuous, with plenty of detail, stabilisation that’s smooth without looking overly artificial and a frame rate that ensures your home movies look great in most situations.

In short, there is nothing else that can compete with the iPhone SE’s video-capture capabilities at this price. Despite the lack of ultra-wide-angle and zoom options, you’re getting a top-quality camera here.

Apple iPhone SE (2020) review: Verdict

On the face of it, the iPhone SE is little more than a warmed-up iPhone 8 – a hotchpotch of parts old and new that shouldn’t really work together. It has a tiny display and it looks old-fashioned with those enormous bezels. And, yet, there are many reasons you might consider it.

It has a great camera and amazing performance, it’s smaller and lighter than most phones released today and it’s the cheapest iPhone by a considerable distance. We haven’t even mentioned the fact it supports Wi-Fi 6, which is a notable inclusion in such a well-priced phone. The fly in the ointment is desultory battery life, which makes it impossible to award the phone a full five stars.

Still, if you have less than £500 to spend (the 128GB version still costs only £469), just don’t get on with bigger phones or simply must own an Apple handset, the updated iPhone SE is well worth considering. It may be the cheapest iPhone, but it’s mightily impressive.

Apple iPhone SE (2020) specifications

It looks as though Apple could launch the iPhone SE 2 in June if filings at the Eurasian Economic Commission database turn out to be legitimate.

French news source Consomac uncovered that a new device that will run iOS 11 is on the horizon. 9to5Mac rationalises that it's probably not going to be an iPhone 11 so soon after the launch of the iPhone X and iPhone 8, it probably isn't another version of the iPhone X and it's unlikely the previously rumoured 6.1in and OLED models will be pushed forward to the summer.

It could possibly be an interim update of the iPhone X with some internal tweaks, although there's little more than speculation (and a little bit of hope) to support this claim.

The previous iPhone SE was announced way back in March 2016, so two years later, it's definitely time for the low-cost device to experience an overhaul and to address the gap in the budget market for those who can't afford the iPhone X or even iPhone 8.

So, what can we expect to see from the iPhone SE 2? The device will need to be low-cost, like its predecessor. The chassis will probably be the same aluminium model as its sibling, but its processor may be upgraded - potentially to Apple's SoC A10. We'd expect the screen to stay around the 4in mark rather than getting any larger and we may see a few minor other upgrades.

Although the predicted launch is June, Apple isn't one for announcing new iPhones at its annual developer conference. Therefore, we think the company will most probably offer a much smaller-scale announcement for this year's WWDC rather than the big fanfare usually surrounding iPhone launches.

In terms of pricing, the previous iPhone SE is still available from 349 - substantially less than the company's flagships or even its mid-range devices. This will probably increase slightly to account for general inflation, but we wouldn't imagine it to cost much more than 400.

Apple's iPhone SE feels like a charming throwback to the olden days of smartphones, when everyone was pushing to make devices smaller and smaller. Before the days when mammoth 6in-plus screens were commonplace, when phones over 4.5in were designated as 'phablets', 4in devices like the iPhone SE ruled the roost.

Those days are past now, and instead, smaller phones have almost entirely disappeared in favour of models with 5in or 6in screens - sometimes more. For those that want a smaller device, there aren't that many options, leaving the iPhone SE as one of the few modern devices they can go for.

The iPhone SE might look adorably pint-sized compared to recent flagships, but can it still hold its own against the (figurative and literal) big boys?

Design

One of the principal advantages that the iPhone SE has is that it's one of the smallest premium smartphones still on the market. While most manufacturers (including Apple) have continued to release bigger and bigger devices, the iPhone SE is still a petite and highly pocketable 4in.

This may seem like a trivial matter, but for those who aren't so keen on carting around a mammoth 6in slab in their pockets, there are virtually no phones in the 4-5in range. The Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact is one of the only devices to come close to its size, but even that is a considerably larger device. If you've got small hands, the iPhone SE is still likely to be one of the most comfortable options to use.

The SE uses the same casing as 2012's iPhone 5, so it's not particularly flashy or eye-catching. With that being said, however, it's far from unattractive. The clean, precise lines of the chassis and the machined, industrial look of its aluminium frame give it a classic, almost retro aesthetic. The iPhone 5 was a good-looking phone when it came out 5 years ago, and it hasn't gotten any less so with age.

Another benefit to re-using the iPhone 5's chassis is that Apple has been able to pass on the savings in design and manufacturing costs, making the iPhone SE the cheapest iPhone by some considerable distance. In fact, it's not far off the pocket-friendly price of mid-range devices like the HTC U11.

Display

The screen, on the other hand, has not aged quite so well. While it makes for a pleasingly miniature footprint, the fact is that a 4in screen just doesn't give you all that much room to do things. Typing and swiping isn't much of a problem, provided you've got small hands, but watching videos or doing anything that requires precise, detailed interactions is going to be a challenge. Editing documents or composing long emails, for example, isn't going to be a particularly pleasant experience.

Its colour accuracy and brightness are still among the best around, so display quality is on form. Unfortunately, there's also the 1136 x 640 resolution. Even the cheapest budget phones are sporting 720p displays these days, and the iPhone SE looks noticeably less impressive than its 1080p rivals, despite the fact that it only has to cover a 4in panel.

Another fairly big difference between the iPhone SE and later generations is that the SE lacks 3D Touch. We missed the innovative pressure-sensitive screen of more recent iPhones a lot, but its absence from the SE isn't exactly surprising. It would have made the phone more expensive and potentially increased its bulk too.

Performance and battery life

You might expect, given that the iPhone SE is now more than a year and a half old, that its performance might be a little disappointing compared to more recent phones. After all, its A9 CPU and 2GB of RAM makes it underpowered by today's standards.

And true enough, it lagged substantially behind subsequent iPhone generations in our benchmarks. The iPhone 8 Plus's Geekbench score was roughly double that of the SE, for example.

However, you may be surprised to learn that the iPhone SE can absolutely still hold its own against cutting-edge Android flagships. It wasn't far behind the Pixel 2 in Geekbench 4's multi-core tests, and comfortably exceeded its single-core score. It achieved similar successes over the XZ1 Compact as well.

There's more good news when it comes to the battery life, as the iPhone SE's battery life is still remarkable. Although it doesn't hold the record, it's up there with the best, and it even managed to last longer than both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 Plus by more than two and a half hours in our tests.

Camera

If your principal interest in the iPhone range is for photography, you'll be pleased to learn that the iPhone SE's camera is still excellent despite being a couple of generations behind Apple's main line. The main 12-megapixel sensor still produces bright, sharp shots with plenty of detail and accurate colours - the only let down is that the front camera is still saddled with a paltry 1.2-megapixel snapper, so say goodbye to high-quality selfies.

Aside from that the camera is perfectly acceptable. Low light and HDR performance aren't nearly as good as subsequent iPhones, of course, and advanced features like portrait mode remain absent, but for general purpose shots, it's still a great camera.

Verdict

In all the excitement surrounding the latest and greatest Apple product, it's easy to forget about the lowly iPhone SE. This little device still has a lot going for it, though. It's the cheapest iPhone by far, for example, starting at around half the price of the iPhone 8.

It's also the only major phone that's available in a 4in form-factor, so if you're someone that prefers a smaller device, it's basically your only option. Thankfully, you don't have to compromise on power if small is what you're after, as the iPhone SE can still keep up with modern Android flagships. Battery life and camera performance is still excellent, too.

If you're after an iPhone without the footprint or the price tag of the newest models in Apple's line-up, the iPhone SE is still well worth your time. It may be pushing two years old, but don't count it out just yet.

Verdict

Despite its age, Apple's smaller iPhone is still a heavyweight when it comes to performance and value. It's also one of the only smaller phones you can get your hands on.

Apple's 'budget' iPhone SE has been around since 2016, meaning it has missed the yearly refresh the Cupertino company gives its smartphones.As such, the iPhone SE is due an update, with it looking likely that 2018 will see the debut of the iPhone SE 2.

Apple naturally keeps tight-lipped about all of its products so we are not likely to hear anything official about the next iPhone SE until at least Spring 2018.But there are plenty of rumours about the specification, feature and potential release date of the iPhone SE 2, which we have rounded up for your reading pleasure.

iPhone SE 2 latest news

24/11/2017: Apple will release the follow-up tothe iPhone SEin the first half of 2018, according to a Taiwanese news website.

AlthoughEconomic Daily Newshasn't revealed any details about the next-generation budet iPhone SE, except that it's likely to be manufacturedby Taiwanese manufacturer Wistron at its factory in Bengaluru, India, the iPhone SE 2 is likely to take onboard some of the new features launched alongsidethe iPhone 8.

However, Indian websiteTekz24has previously revealed the low-end handset will run on Apple's A10 Fusion chip, boasting 2GB of RAM and available with 32GB and 128GB storage.

Other rumoured features include a 12-megapixel rear camera, a 5-megapixel front-facing camera and a beefier battery with a capacity of 1,700 mAh. It's likely to keep the same form factor though, with a 4-inch display rather than the larger 5.5-inch screen seen on the iPhone 8.

The design is likely to undergo a bit of an overhaul though, if the most recent iDevices are anything to go by. It's unlikely we'll see an edge-to-edge display like the more premiumiPhone X, but it could launch onto the market with a sleeker overall feel.

This is the second rumoured we've heard regarding the follow up to the iPhone SE, with another news source - Focus Taiwan also suggesting the device will launch at the beginning of next year. This would also seemingly coincide with the anniversary of the original iPhone SE's launch, which was unveiled on the 26 March 2016.

The iPhone SE is due an update, as Apple hasn't refreshed the range greatly since it was launched two years ago. It has boosted storage to 64GB and 128GB though, so maybe we'll see a wider variety of storage options launching with the iPhone SE 2.

Price

The iPhone SE launched with a 379 price tag for the 16GB version, while the larger 64GB model hit 429.

We would expect the iPhone SE 2 to be of a similar price, possibly a little more expensive due to currency inflation, but not likely to be more than 50 higher than its predecessor.

Given the demands put on storage, we would not be surprised to see Apple drop the 16GB model and adopt 32GB as the entry-level or simply only offer a 64GB handset.

Specs and hardware

Apple needs to make the next iPhone SE standout from its predecessor and embrace a solid dose of modern design. This could see it adopt an all-screen design similar to the iPhone X, though we hazard a guess and say it will not have the fancy sensor leaden screen notch that houses the iPhone X's Face ID technology.

An all-glass design could make an appearance, but it is just as likely the iPhone SE 2 will have an aluminium rear machined to Apple's usual high-standards.

Beneath the chassis, Apple is likely to put either its A10 chip found in the iPhone 7, thereby using up any surplus slices of silicon and keeping the handset's price down.

Or it could put its A11 Bionic chipset into the iPhone SE 2 in a bit to make another handset that has plenty of power to run advanced augmented reality apps, something Apple has been looking to push lately with the iPhone 8, iPhone X and its ARKit development tools.

RAM will probably sit between 2GB to 4GB, while as mentioned on-board storage will likely come in 32GB and 64GB guises.

Display

The display is likely to be where the iPhone SE 2 stands out. Various signs point towards it measuring in at 4.2-inches rather than 4-inches, but we would be surprised to see that get stretched to around 4.7-inches if Apple embraces a bezel-less display.

At that size, the iPhone SE 2 will probably sport a 1920 x 1080 resolution Retina display, which KGI Securities analyst and all-round Apple guru Ming-chi Kuo predicts will be be of LCD-TFT construction rather than feature a more expensive OLED screen.

That being said, there a good chance the iPhone SE 2 will still have a home button to incorporate Apple's Touch ID fingerprint scanner, and given the home buttons iconic status, Apple may not be ready to leave it behind as it has done with the iPhone X. Rather precision engineering will see Apple slim the bezels and dimensions of the iPhone SE 2 to incorporate a larger display without sacrificing other beloved features.

Battery

If Apple increased the display size of the iPhone SE 2, the it will likely increase the battery size as well.

The original iPhone SE had a battery with a 1,640mAh capacity and that is expected to rise to 1,700mAh, though Apple could push the battery capacity a little bit further.It is likely there will be enough electrical juice on tap to keep the iPhone SE 2 going for a good day's worth of solid use.

Camera

The iPhone SE has a 12MP rear-camera and a 5MP front-facing camera, and its successor will reportedly have the same configuration.

However, Apple has been improving the cameras in its iPhones, so we can expect to see proper upgrades and possibly a dual rear-camera array, similar to that of the iPhone 8 Plus, after all Android phones for the same price now sport such camera setup.

Even if not much is improved on the hardware side, we would expect Apple to have given its software a nip and tuck to delver better smartphone photo results over the capabilities of the iPhone SE.

Features

As it is the entry-level version of the iPhone family, the iPhone SE 2 is not likely to be flush with features.

Face ID will almost certainly not make an appearance, but it would not be beyond the realms of imagination for the handset to have wireless charging like the iPhone 8.

AR-centric features are also a strong possibility, if Apple puts an A11 Bionic chipset into the new iPhone SE, likely working in tandem with the handset's cameras and potentially larger display.

Colours

In the unlikely case that the iPhone SE 2 has an all-glass design, then it will likely ape the Silver and Space Gray colours of the iPhone X.

If is has a more traditional aluminium construction, then the iPhone SE 2 will probably have the same colours of its predecessor; Space Grey, Silver, Gold and Rose Gold.

No doubt more details and snippet of information will crop up as we enter 2018, but until then there is still plenty to mull over on what exactly the iPhone SE 2 will look like and when it will make its debut.

iPhone news

27/03/2017

Court overturns iPhone 6 ban in China

A ruling preventing Apple from selling the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in China has been overturned by a Beijing court following a 2016 patent dispute, reports BBC News.

Little-known Chinese manufacturer Shenzhen Baili last year claimed that the Apple smartphones violated design patents it held for its 100C handset.

The Beijing Intellectual Property Office subsequently ruled in favour of the Chinese firm, noting infringements relating to the exterior design of the handset.

On appeal, however, Apple and reseller Zoomflight were granted permission to continue selling the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus while the case continued.

The Beijing Intellectual Property Court has now ruled that the iPhone 6 did not infringe on Baili’s design, concluding that there was not enough evidence to prove a violation had occurred. The court added that consumers could “easily distinguish” between the two smartphones.

Despite the ruling, Apple’s further request to have the patent stripped from the Chinese company was denied.

At the time of Baili’s initial victory in 2016, The Wall Street Journal noted that the firm “barely exists” and had been absent from the market for “at least a year”.

However, the company’s legal team has said it plans to appeal the ruling, according to TechCrunch.

26/01/17

iOS 10.2.1 doesn't fix 6s battery drain

The latest update for iOS (10.2.1) still does not provide a fix for the battery drain issue that has been plaguing a number of iPhone 6s handsets.

The "30% bug" – which causes devices to suddenly shut down despite having a significant amount of battery life remaining – seemingly first appeared with the arrival of iOS 10.1.1, with the ensuing iOS 10.2 seemingly only making the problem worse.

Apple had suggested a software fix could provide a solution for the issue – and many iPhone owners were hoping that would arrive with the final version of iOS 10.2.1.

Affected users will now have to wait several weeks to see if iOS 10.3 will resolve the problem instead.

Apple has, however, opened up a replacement program for "a very small number of iPhone 6s devices" that were made between September and October 2015. Users can determine whether their device is eligible by entering the handset's serial number at Apple's website.

Last week, Apple denied any plans to extend this battery replacement program to the older iPhone 6 models. According to Appleinsider, one source said: "We constantly evaluate service statistics. There are no plans or grounds for a wide iPhone 6 battery exchange program at this time."

04/01/17

iPhone SE knocked off top selling smartphone spot

The iPhone SE is no longer the bestselling smartphone in the UK, according to the latest data from Kantar WorldPanel ComTech.

That accolade now belongs to Apple's latest flagship device, the iPhone 7, but the SE and 6s do still remain in the top three.

Dominic Sunnebo, business unit director for Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Europe, said: "In Great Britain, as in the US, iPhone 7 was the top selling device, pushing the previous top device (iPhone SE) to third, while iPhone 6s remained the second best-selling device."

For the three months ending October 2016, Apple accrued 44% of the UK smartphone market thanks to the increased sales - marking a 4.5% rise over the same period in 2015.

The iPhone 7 also topped the chart in the US with 10.6%, while the iPhone 6s continued to perform strongly in second place. The Samsung Galaxy S7 completed the top three.

The report also reveals that, with the exception of Germany, iOS achieved year-on-year growth across the big European markets (Great Britain, France, Italy and Spain) - with Apple's operating system accounting for 21.2% of smartphone sales, though Android made up 75.2%.

26/04/16

Customers snubbing newer iPhones, says research

With Apple set to announce its Q1 results later today, it’s being reported that the firm will report it’s first-ever decline in iPhone sales.

According to new research, the newest iPhone flagship models, the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, are not selling as well now as the then-new models iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus sold a year ago.

Fortune reports that the two newest models comprised 61 percent of new iPhone sales in the first quarter, compared to a 78 percent share for the comparable models in the first quarter of last year, according to a customer survey by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP).

It says that experts predict Apple to have sold approximately 50m iPhones in Q1, the company’s second fiscal quarter of 2016, which would represent an 18 percent decline from a year earlier.

Back in the first three months of 2015, Apple sold more 61m iPhones, which was a 40 percent increase from 2014.

However, there is some good news for the manufacturer regarding its iPad sales, which have been slipping for several years. The newest and most expensive models are selling well, with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro off to a strong start, CIRP said, capturing 20 percent of all iPad sales.

“The 12-inch iPad Pro appears to have succeeded in attracting a significant share of iPad sales,” says Mike Levin, co-founder of CIRP. “While iPad sales may be softening over time, the flagship models, the Pro, Air 2 and mini 4, are more dominant in the iPad sales mix.”

iPhone SE vs iPhone 6s: how do they compare?

After months of speculation, Apple finally announced a new iPhone this week – the iPhone SE. Prospective users will immediately notice a familiar design – a smaller 4inch display reminiscent of the older 5s – but how does Apple’s newest creation compare to the last year’s iPhone 6s?

Screen and Display

The most obvious difference between the models is the size of the screen, with Apple reverting back to the 4in versions we last saw on the iPhone 5s.

Screen resolution has been reduced from 1334 x 750 to 1136 x 640 but, due to the smaller screen size, the SE retains the same 326ppi pixel density present on the 6s. Contrast ratio is also down from 1400:1 to 800:1.

One particularly notable feature missing from the new model is Apple’s 3D Touch – meaning users will not be able to take advantage of a pressure-sensitive screen.

Processor and Hardware

Apple has retained the A9 processor present in the 6s – meaning this latest offering provides the same powerful capabilities as its flagship predecessor. Apps and games will run just as efficiently.

Battery power stumbles slightly in comparison, however, with capacity estimated to be around the 1642mAh mark.

In what may also prove to be a stumbling block for some, the SE doesn’t offer the same storage options as previous models - handsets are only available in 16GB and 64GB models. This does come with a drop in price, however, with the handsets set to cost £359 and £439 respectively.

Apple Pay is again supported and includes the same NFC capabilities as the iPhone 6 range.

Camera

A feature that is sure to please fans of smaller handsets is the rear-facing camera.

Such an important feature of the modern smartphone, the iPhone SE holds its own alongside its larger counterparts – boasting the same 12MP that helped make the 6s a popular upgrade.

Video can also be captured up to an impressive 4K resolution and slow-motion at 1080p (at a maximum frame rate of 240fps).

Case

Ditching the larger, curved design of the 6s, Apple has opted for a square-shaped handset with the SE. The aluminium body is now flanked by matte-finish edges and is lighter than the previous models – weighing in at just 113g.

Despite the different style of the new phone, there is no change in terms of colours – gold, silver, grey and rose gold are all still available.

Rumours had been flying about a sequel to the iPhone SE ever since Apple released the original device in 2016 to serve as an intermediary between the classic iPhone 5 and the iPhone 6s.

Apple put an end to the speculation last month when it released the second-generation iPhone SE, resembling the 2017 iPhone 8 rather than iPhone 5's compact chassis. Beyond seemingly impressive internals, the biggest surprise was its mid-range price tag.

With the iPhone 8 still a viable handset, however, how does Apple's latest device compare against its cut-price predecessor?

Display

The 4.7in display fitted into the iPhone SE is identical to that fitted into both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8. The size of the screen, as well as the underlying technology powering the display, is unchanged between these models.

Users won't see any improvements on the display fitted into the 2017 handset, or its predecessor for that matter, but these devices certainly boasted displays that were vibrant and bright for their time, said to reach 625cd/m2.

We should note, while it doesn't stack up against the razor-sharp OLED display fitted into the iPhone 11 Pro, which peaks at a staggering 1,200cd/m2 maximum brightness, it's a perfectly competent panel and comparable to a string of mid-tier Android rivals.

Design

With the hardware fitted into the 2nd-gen iPhone SE based in the iPhone 8's chassis, the dimensions and weight are unchanged on the 2017 device.

The stylish handset features the same slimline metallic chassis of the iPhone 8 with rounded edges. This is a significant departure from the square edges of the original iPhone SE, which was housed in the iPhone 5's chassis.

As with the iPhone 8, the 2020 iPhone SE features a lightning port and no 3.5mm headphone jack, as well as a built-in microphone and stereo-speaker at the base of the device.

The Home button, fitted with a Touch ID sensor, also returns for the first time since the iPhone 8's release three years ago, while the volume buttons, ring/silent trigger and side button are unchanged.

Camera

The rear cameras fitted into both the iPhone 8 and iPhone SE are incredibly similar at face value, and both are fitted with a 12MP lens with f/1.8 aperture with 5x digital zoom as well as a host of features. The same is true for the front-facing camera fitted into both devices.

The iPhone SE, however, includes a number of additional features, essentially the tools featured in the Xs, XR and 11 series. These include a Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and depth control, as well as six lighting effects enabled by its upgraded processor. The iPhone SE also includes Smart HDR, as opposed to the iPhone 8's Auto HDR, which allows a software-based 'neural engine' to generate the best photograph by using context.

While shooting video presents a largely identical experience, with both devices allowing up to 4K shooting at 60fps and 3x digital zoom, there are a handful of additional tweaks, including QuickTake video and stereo recording.

Connectivity

While the iPhone SE, as with the iPhone 8, features just a single lightning port in terms of hardware connectivity, the biggest changes are in terms of networking.

The most significant improvement is the iPhone SE's compatibility with high-speed Wi-Fi 6 as well as gigabit-class LTE, meaning the device is ready to be swept up in the wave of the possibility that Wi-Fi 6 represents. The Fira de Barcelona, host to Mobile World Congress (MWC), for example, has fitted Wi-Fi 6 into some of its conference halls in order to turn the grounds into a 'smart venue' with Wi-Fi roaming and frictionless sign-in.

Performance and battery life

The iPhone SE is fitted with the same blistering mobile CPU fitted into the power-packed iPhone 11 and 11 Pro. This is in addition to a quad-core Apple GPU and 3GB RAM.

While one would expect this device to match up to the breakneck scores registered in our performance testing, the inclusion of 3GB RAM versus 4GB fitted into the latest edge-to-edge iPhones probably means the 2nd-gen SE won't be able to make the most of the A13 Bionic chip. Nevertheless, Apple has forged a reputation for building outstanding mobile CPUs, normally a generation ahead of the latest processors fitted into Android devices, so the iPhone SE is sure to leave you far from disappointed.

Apple claims the iPhone SE's battery can as long as the iPhone 8's battery, approximately 13 hours with video playback, although we can't be sure to stand by this claim until we're able to fully examine the device.

Retail options

The most staggering part of the iPhone SE's launch its lower-than-expected price tag, a strategic decision by Apple to capture a share of the mid-tier market. It's even priced lower than the iPhone 8 today, identical in most ways and inferior in others, although this device can no longer be purchased directly from the manufacturer.

The 128GB model of the second-generation SE, for instance, retails at £391 exc VAT, which is about the same as the Oppo Reno 2 - a fantastic mid-range Android smartphone.

With the iPhone SE, however, buyers will receive the same CPU fitted into the iPhone 11, in the shell of the gorgeous iPhone 8. The only difference is that Apple has ditched its space grey, silver and rose gold finishes in favour of traditional black and white, and the iconic red coating.

Verdict

While many may have been tempted to take advantage of the iPhone SE's release to snap up a cut-price iPhone 8, we'd recommend avoiding that at all costs. Not only is the second-gen iPhone SE fitted with latest Apple CPU, but also features a broader array of photography and video options, as well as Wi-Fi 6 compatibility.

While the iPhone 8 is certainly packed with sufficiently powerful specs and is reasonably priced three years following its launch, if you're looking for a mid-budget iPhone that doesn't necessarily include an edge-to-edge display, the 2020 iPhone SE is a no-brainer.

Apple has announced a 4in iPhone, dubbed the iPhone SE.

Fans have been waiting for Apple to bring out a new 4in smartphone to match the form-factor of previous fan favourites such as the iPhone 4s and iPhone 5 models for around a year and a half.

The company upped the size of its handsets with the release of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, leaving many smaller-handed customers frustrated with the larger screen sizes.

It seems that Apple has listened to its users, however, and customers can now upgrade to a brand new, smaller iPhone.

iPhone SE: at a glance

• Apple announces 4in iPhone at special event on 21 March
• New model dubbed 'iPhone SE', standing for Special Edition
• Powered by latest A9 and M9 processors
• Features 12MP camera, 4K video recording, and always-on Siri
• Starting price of 359, with 16GB and 64GB storage tiers
• On sale in stores and online now

iPhone SE: Latest news

03/08/2016:The iPhone SE is saving Apple while sales of its flagship iPhone device fall, with executives saying the device is attracting new customers.

During a third quarter earnings call, CEO Tim Cook said: "Our initial sales data tells us the the iPhone SE is popular in both developed and emerging markets. The percentage of iPhone SE sales going to customers who are new to iPhone is greater than we've seen in the first weeks of availability for other iPhones launched in the last several years.

"We had a very successful global launch of iPhone SE and demand outstripped supply throughout the quarter," he continued. "We brought on additional capacity and we are able to achieve supply [and] demand balance as we enter the September quarter."

The device, a throwback to Apple's four-inch smartphones before the iPhone 6 increased their size, appears to be an important phone for bringing people into Apple's iOS ecosystem.

28/04/2016: Demand for the iPhone SE has been "very strong", and is exceeding Apple's expectations, the company's chief executive Tim Cook said in its second quarter earning call this week.

The four-inch iPhone which is composed of parts from iPhone 5s, 6 and 6s has been in short supply since its release last month, according to Apple.

Some reports claimed early sales had been lacklustre. Apple is still yet to give any official figures, but it currently lists the delivery time for new iPhone SEs at two to three weeks, indicating that the company isn't yet meeting demand for its slim handset.

"We're working hard to get the iPhone SE into the hands of every customer who wants one, as quickly as possible," said Cook during the call.

The iPhone SE is Apple's cheapest model in its iPhone line, costing 359 for the 16GB version.

Though demand may be high for its latest smartphone model, Apple reported its first ever decline in iPhone sales this quarter, and its forecast for the third quarter of 2016 is that that trend will persist.

27/04/2016:Despite posting disappointing revenues from its iPhone segment as a whole for the second quarter of 2016, Apple has claimed the iPhone SE is bucking the trend.

CEO Tim Cook said during an earnings call that demand for the device is "very strong" and higher than the company had expected.

Cook claimed that the SE puts Apple in a better position to attract new customers as it offers powerful internal specs at an affordable price, adding that the device is struggling to keep up with demand.

"We're thrilled with the response that we've seen on [the iPhone SE]. It is clear that there is a demand there even much beyond what we thought. That is really why we have the constraint that we have," said Cook.

12/04/2016: The iPhone SE may have a number of hardware issues as users complain of Bluetooth audio problems.

According to a report by MacRumours, not only are early adopters of the device reporting problems with the phone when paired to a vehicle or wireless headset, but there are also issues with GPS voice navigation.

Users reportdistorted, staticky, or inaudible phone calls when using an iPhone SE over Bluetooth. The Bluetooth problem affects all iPhone SE models running iOS 9.3 or 9.3.1,the publication said. Identical issues have been found with a number of car manufacturers too.

At present, it remains unknown whether the issue stems from hardware or software faults. Basic troubleshooting by users has yieldedno successful resolution of the issues encountered.

05/04/2016: The iPhone SE costs Apple just $160 (113) to manufacture, a report has revealed.

Consumer analyst firm IHS took apart Apple's new mid-tier smartphone and estimated the material and manufacturing cost of the device (see below), which retails starting from $399 (359) for the 16GB version.

The phone is comprised of an assortment of parts from previous models of the phone, including the iPhone 5s's casing, the same secondary camera and LTE reception as the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6s's A9 processor.

Commenting on its breakdown, Andrew Rassweiler, senior director of cost benchmarking services at HIS, said: "Despite its physical resemblance to the iPhone 5s, the resulting product is far superior. In fact, the only significant trade-offs a consumer would make with the iPhone SE against the iPhone 6s is smaller size and lower screen resolution."

Despite this lower manufacturing cost, HS has estimated that Apple makes approximately $89 in incremental profit for each iPhone SE 64GB sold when compared with the iPhone SE 16GB.

31/03/2016:The iPhone SE goes on sale in the UK and worldwide today. Those who pre-ordered on 24 March will start to have their devices delivered to them in the morning (indeed, a number of people in Japan and New Zealand have already been posting pictures of theirs) and, once shops open, those who didn't will be able to stroll in and buy one in person (but expect crowds!). For more information on pricing, click here.

The first teardown of the iPhone SE has also appeared, courtesy ofChipworks. The website didn't find very much in the way of new technology, with most of it having come from the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s, except a Texas Instruments 338S00170 power management IC, Skyworks SKY77611 power amplifier module, Toshiba THGBX5G7D2KLDXG NAND flash, APCOS D5255 antenna switch module and AAC Technologies 0DALM1 microphone.

30/03/2016: More pre-orders of the iPhone SE are being made by current Android phone users than iPhone owners, according to research carried out by Slice Intelligence.

"Only 35 per cent of iPhone SE buyers purchased an iPhone online in the past two years, and 16 per cent of them were previously Android users. By comparison, 49 per cent of iPhone 6s buyers upgraded from a previous iPhone, and 10 per cent replaced an Android device they bought online within the past two years," the report said.

Slice has suggested this could help grow its "maturing" (read "plateauing") iPhone customer base.

The research firm does also acknowledge, though, that this is very early data, so things could change once it arrives in shops tomorrow.

21/03/2016:Apple has launched a brand new 4in iPhone - the iPhone SE.

The long-awaited device was unveiled today, alongside new straps for the Apple Watch and a new 9.7in iPad Pro, at the company's Cupertino headquarters.

Bearing strong similarities to the iPhone 5s in terms of design, the main improvements arrive in the form of internal upgrades.

The iPhone SE is fitted with Apple's latest A9 and M9 mobile processors, and the company is claiming that the new model equals the performance of the iPhone 6s - one of the most powerful phones we've ever tested.

It's got the iPhone 6s' excellent 12MP iSight camera too, which brings TrueTone flash and 4K video recording.

The new model also sports a longer battery life, and 300 per cent greater GPU performance than the iPhone 5s, along with adding features like support for Apple Pay and always-on 'Hey Siri' functionality.

The device will be available to order from 24 March, and will arrive in stores on 31 March. Prices start from 359 for the 16GB model, rising to 439 for the 64GB model.

There's no middle ground this time; the company has abandoned the 32GB option completely.

21/03/2016:More than a third of iPhone users are still using a 4-inch device, according to research from data analytics company MixPanel.

The stats reveal that 36.67 per cent of active Apple devices are made up of 4-inch models of the iPhone, reports 9to5Mac, including the iPhone 5s (18.85 per cent), the iPhone 5c (4.98 per cent), the iPhone 5 (7.84 per cent), the iPhone 4S (3.86 per cent) and the iPhone 4 (1.51 per cent).

This bodes well for the rumoured release of Apple's smaller, cheaper iPhone SE, which marks a return from the company to the 4-inch size.

9to5Mac's own audience survey gleaned similar results, with 35.32 per cent of respondents saying they plan to upgrade to the new iPhone SE, 11.06 per cent from a larger iPhone.

Additionally, 12.25 per cent of 15,000 readers said they would upgrade as long as the 4-inch phone's specs were upgraded to match phones such as the iPhone 6 and 6s.

21/03/2016: Apple is expected to announce a smaller, cheaper iPhone at its press conference today, and analysts predict it could curb the recent decline in phone sales for the Cupertino company.

Expected to front a four-inch screen and be named iPhone SE, Apple's new phone will represent its second bid to court the mid-tier markets with a cheaper device.

Analysts have suggested that this new phone may give the pioneering tech company a much-needed boost in its bid for growth in the emerging markets of Indian, the Middle East, and Africa, Reuters reports.

"The iPhone SE provides a new incentive to upgrade for iPhone holdouts who don't want a large-screen phone," analyst Bob O'Donnell of TECHnalysis Research told Reuters.

He added that a less expensive iPhone may appeal to emerging markets customers, but is not a dependable hit, as it may still be pricier than competitors running Google's Android system, and many in larger screens are already taking off in emerging markets.

The return to a more compact four-inch screen comes after Apple's move towards larger screen sizes with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in 2014.

Ahead of Apple's announcement, technology research firm IDC has said it expects an uptick in sales of devices running Android this year, which it believes with account for almost 83 per cent of smartphones sold worldwide. It foresees iPhone sales falling slightly, making up 15 per cent of new sales.

Apple's previous attempt to gain ground in the mid-tier smartphone market was with the iPhone 5c in 2013. Sporting colourful plastic bodies, rather than the chic metal of its cousin, this model did not take off in emerging markets.

As is typical of the company, Apple has remained shtoom on any details about its coming conference. But you can find out what to expect from the conference here.

IT Pro will be the covering the event live today when it begins at 5pm GMT.

10/03/2016:The release date of the iPhone 5se could be imminent, according to IT Pro sources.

People familiar with the situation have told IT Pro that large enterprises are struggling to source bulk orders of the iPhone 5s from carriers including Vodafone.

SMBs making low-volume orders are apparently not affected, nor are individuals seeking to make single in-store purchases.

However, one source, who asked for his identity to remain secret, told IT Pro that the likely reason for the supply chain hold-up is that the iPhone 5se will launch within the next few weeks.

It is thought the iPhone 5se will replace the iPhone 5s when it is launched, with the rumoured debut of the device coming alongside the rumoured iPad Air 3 either next Tuesday, 15 March, or next Friday 18 March.

A separate source who wished to remain anonymous, but who has vast experience in bulk ordering devices for enterprise employees, confirmed to IT Pro thatsuch supply chain difficulties are a reliable indicator of the imminent launch of a new iPhone.

Vodafone and Apple both declined to comment.

iPhone SE:release date

The rumours were true - Apple's long-awaited 4in iPhone refresh came as part of a special event hosted at the company's Infinite Loop campus on 21 March.

Customers can order the device from 24 March, and the device will be available in-store from 31 March.

As expected,the iPhone 7didn't make an appearance. The new flagship iPhone is expected to debut in September.

Instead, the event centred around a smaller, 'Special Edition' iPhone. This new model will effectively act as a replacement to the iPhone 5s, which was previously the only 4in device left in the company's portfolio.

This was heavily predicted beforehand; the biggest clue, as IT Pro exclusively reported, is that bulk shipments of the iPhone 5s were faced with difficulties in the run-up to the event, with one explanation given as suppliers potentially running down stock ahead of the SE's launch.

iPhone SE: name

Previous rumours suggested the new phone would be dubbed the iPhone 5se, leaving the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus as a separate flagship line.

However, it now transpires that the company has foregone its existing brand hierarchy altogether, and simply christened it the 'iPhone SE'.

This brand will presumably exist separately from the existing release cadence of the iPhone range, updating every couple of years rather than annually.

iPhone SE: specs and features

Naturally, the iPhone SE's most notable feature is its 4in form-factor. However, that doesn't mean Apple's going to scrimp on quality, and the device is up to Apple's usual high standard.

As such, it includes the company's latest A9 and M9 processors. It touts the same performance as the iPhone 6s, and double the performance of the iPhone 5s, rising to 3 times as much in the case of GPU performance.

In terms of other features, the SE has NFC capabilities for Apple Pay, a Lightning port for charging and data transfer, and an always-on Siri voice assistant. It will be available with 16GB and 64GB of storage, ditching the 32GB allocation altogether.

It also packsin the 12MP camera from the iPhone 6s, which is one of the best smartphone cameras we've seen yet, and includes 4K recording capability.

iPhone SE: price

The iPhone SE costs 359 for the entry-level 16GB model. If you want the beefier 64GB version, you can expect to shell out 439.

There is no price variation by colour.

Small-fingered smartphone users rejoice Apple has finally released a new 4in iPhone. Yet apart from a rose gold colour, the iPhone SE looks almost identical to the 2013 5s. There are plenty of differences, as well as similarities, between the two phones though.

Latest News

19/04/2016:Apple has rejected a request from federal law enforcement officials to help extract data from an iPhone belonging to a confessed methamphetamine trafficker, reports USA Today, because they have not yet attempted every other method to bypass the device's security code.

"The government has utterly failed to satisfy its burden to demonstrate that Apple's assistance in this case is necessary," Apple wrote in a 45-page legal brief filed in response to the request.

"The government has made no showing that it has exhausted alternative means for extracting data from the iPhone at issue here."

This is the latest case of Apple vs law enforcement, after the company fought the FBI over a request to override its passcode software on an iPhone used by San Bernardino terrorist shooter Syed Farook.

Authorities want Apple to help gain access to data that may reveal further evidence related to the drug trafficker's arrest.

Case and screen

As already mentioned, the casing of the iPhone SE is effectively identical to the 5s with the same dimensions and weight of 113g. The chamfered edges are apparently now matte instead of reflective, which may help with the chipping we've seen on weathered, veteran 5s phones.

There's a new rose gold colour, the same shade introduced with the iPhone 6s, alongside the silver, gold and grey colours that were available on the 5s when it first launched.

It's also worth noting the presence of NFC in the iPhone SE. Combined with its Touch ID fingerprint reader, the SE can be used for Apple Pay unlike the iPhone 5s.

The 4in screen unsurprisingly retains its 1136x640 pixel resolution, as well as the same 800:1 contrast ratio of the 5s. The latter is somewhat disappointing given the 1400:1 contrast ratio of the 6s. There are other display improvements though - Apple claims the SE's screen is just as bright as the 6s display.

Of course, the big deal here is the 4in size. This will make the SE a lot easier to hold and use for people with small hands.

Processor

One of the big differences between the SE and its predecessor is the processor. While the 5s is based on the 1.3GHz A7 dual core processor, the SE is based on the same 1.8GHz dual core A9 chip found in the 6s. This is a significant upgrade as the A9 is one of the fastest smartphone processors currently available.

The amount of memory is unknown though. While we hope the SE will have the same 2GB as the 6s, it's entirely possible that it will only have 1GB like the 5s. iOS generally runs well on devices with less memory (although older devices always end up struggling at some point), but more RAM would be preferable both for multitasking and future proofing.

Camera

Another substantial difference between the two 4in phones is the rear-facing camera. The 5s' eight-megapixel camera with a f2.2 aperture still holds up very well today, but the SE's camera should be a noticeable upgrade. Although the aperture remains the same, the flexibility offered by the increased 12-megapixel resolution, the bigger pixels on the sensor and improved noise reduction should still result in noticeably better photos.

The SE can record slow motion video at a maximum frame rate of 240fps compared to 120fps on the 5s. While slow motion video is capped at 1080p, standard footage can be recorded up to 4K resolution on the SE. You'd obviously need a 4K TV or PC monitor to see it in its full glory, but the A9 processor should be able to edit that footage without any trouble.

Extras and unknowns

The SE's use of Bluetooth 4.2 instead of Bluetooth 4.0 found in the 5s shouldn't make much difference. Its move from 802.11n to 802.11ac should boost hefty local file transfers though and potentially internet access speeds if your broadband connection is fast enough to saturate your 802.11ac router.

The biggest unknown is battery life. The 5s just managed to last 24 hours in everyday use and we'll be keen to see if the SE will be able to match this. Its battery will almost certainly be the same as the 5s', possibly slightly larger. Apple claims battery life will actually be longer due to the more efficient A9 processor, but that remains to be seen.

Latest iPhone SE news

31/03/16

iPhone SE ships today

The iPhone SE goes on sale in the UK and worldwide today.

Meanwhile, a report suggests that more pre-orders of the device are being made by current Android phone users than iPhone owners.

The research carried out by Slice Intelligence says and reported here by IT Pro says: “Only 35 percent of iPhone SE buyers purchased an iPhone online in the past two years, and 16 percent of them were previously Android users. By comparison, 49 percent of iPhone 6s buyers upgraded from a previous iPhone, and 10 percent replaced an Android device they bought online within the past two years.”

23/03/16

iPhone SE: More details

According to reports from Ars Technica, the iPhone SE sports 2GB of RAM, better than the iPhone 5s and on par with the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus and, surprisingly, the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro.

It has also been confirmed that the “SE” in iPhone SE stands for “Special Edition”. According to the Independent the name was confirmed to a journalist by Phil Schiller, Apple’s head of marketing. This is possibly the first time that the initials on an Apple product has been disclosed. In the past, Apple never went on record to disclose the “C” in the iPhone 5c or the “S” that marks out every other iPhone release.

According to BGR, the iPhone SE is just as powerful as the iPhone 6s and the Galaxy S7, both of the latter cost considerably more than Apple’s latest creation.

It said that aside from screen size and resolution, the iPhone 5SE and iPhone 6S are almost exactly the same. It said in tests between the iPhone 6s and Galaxy S7, the former blew the latter out of the water, and expected the iPhone SE to do likewise.

21/03/16

Apple launches the iPhone SE

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) has revealed its latest iPhone, the iPhone SE, which serves as a replacement for the iPhone 5S.

The smartphone will also be the cheapest, going on sales on 31 March for $399. UK pricing is yet to be announced.

Sources recently told Channel Pro sister title IT Pro that large enterprises are struggling to source bulk orders of the iPhone 5s from carriers including Vodafone.

The 4-inch iPhone SE sees Apple come back to the 4-inch form factor first seen with the iPhone 5 in 2012. However, the innards are more in line with the iPhone 6s, boasting an A9 64-bit processor and M9 motion co-processor. This will allow the phone to feature always-on Siri functionality.

It also sports a 12-megapixel camera capable of taking 4K video and 1080p video up to 60fps and slo-motion video up to 240fps. There is also an HD front-facing camera with a new type of flash, called True Tone, which claims to take better selfies.

The new iPhone SE also features Apple Pay, faster Wi-Fi (802.11ac) and Voice over LTE. Apple claims that 4G on the iPhone SE is 50 percent faster than on the iPhone 5s.

Battery life is also got a boost with the new phone having 12 hours of video and 50 hours of audio. The one thing that appears to be missing from the spec sheets for the latest iPhone SE is 3D Touch.

The iPhone SE will come in capacities of 16GB and 64GB will come in space grey, silver, gold and rose gold, the latter being available on a 4-inch iPhone for the first time.

Apple also announced the release of iOS 9.3. This will be a free update to the iPhone and promises updates to CarPlay system for in-car entertainment connectivity, secured notes and Night Shift, which reduces the amount of blue light emitted by the screen at night, thus reducing the impact of reading the display at night. There is also better visualisation of health data collected by the Health app. This includes more information on sleep, weight and workout tracking.

See also:

Stone Group joins Academia, XMA and Insight on new Apple education framework

Apple has unveiled the iPhone SE - a 4in alternative to its flagship iPhone 6s and 6s Plus phablets.

Fans have been requesting a return to handsets like the iPhone 4s and 5s over since Apple launched its larger iPhone 6 range, with the new iPhone SE stacking up against its bigger stablemates surprisingly well.

Display and body

The biggest difference between Apple's flagship iPhones and the new iPhone SE is obviously the size. The new model marks the company's first return to the older 4in size since the iPhone 5s, two generations ago.

For many, the 4.7in display of the iPhone 6 and 6s is just too large, hence why a return to form was so highly requested. However, while the screen has shrunk in size, Apple has ensured that it doesn't also drop in quality, and both devices have high pixel densities of 326ppi.

The SE is virtually identical to the 5s in terms of appearance. It's still got flat, chamfered edges, rather than the iPhone 6's rounded curves, and it's even got the exact same weight and dimensions.

Which one you prefer is ultimately a matter of personal taste, but in our experience, the iPhone 6's larger size makes it that touch more slippery to hold than the 5s and thus the SE, especially for those with smaller hands.

Price

The iPhone SE is touted as being Apple's most affordable new iPhone yet, clocking in at just 359 inc VAT for the 16GB option. While that's still not cheap compared to some Android competitors, it's a remarkable steal considering that the SE supposedly has the same performance as the 6s.

The 16GB 6s model, by contrast will set you back 539 inc VAT - a clear 200 more expensive. You can save some money by opting for the 459 iPhone 6, but you'll still be paying over 100 more than you would for the SE, and you'll almost certainly be getting slower performance too.

If the iPhone SE's performance is as good as Apple claims - and there's no reason to suspect otherwise - it really is a rather phenomenal deal.

Processor and storage

Given the iPhone SE's size and price-point, many manufacturers may have been tempted to skimp on the device's internal components. In this case, however, Apple has outdone itself, squeezing the iPhone 6s' A9 and M9 processors into the SE.

The company is claiming the iPhone SE delivers equal performance to its flagship stablemate the iPhone 6s, and double that of the iPhone 5s. Given this, we'd imagine it has the same 2GB RAM allocation as the 6s, although we won't know for sure until we can fully test it.

Given the more powerful processor, the SE is almost certain to outperform the iPhone 6, if only because it has a smaller, lower resolution screen to drive. While the iPhone 6 is still a very capable smartphone, it'll likely be outsped by the new arrival.

Apple consistently produces some of the best-performing devices on the market, and we'd be surprised if this changed significantly with the iPhone SE, but we won't be able to form a truly accurate comparison until we can run our own benchmarks.

Annoyingly Apple has not retained the 5s' 32GB storage option. Instead, it's followed the iPhone 6's lead in jumping straight from 16GB to 64GB. It's a shame one of the richest and most powerful technology companies, so adept at wringing every last drop of value out of its component suppliers, can't drive economics of scale down low enough to raise the base level of storage.

Camera, wireless and battery

As the iPhone SE is essentially a diminutive iPhone 6s, it carries all the key connectivity features you'd expect from its big brother. It's got NFC with built-in Apple Pay support and 802.11ac Wi-Fi.

It's also got the iPhone 6s' superlative rear camera, which will be a relief for any photographers. The snapper on the 6s is one of the best we've tested, and includes a 12MP sensor, high quality slow motion video, a reasonably flattering True Tone flash and 4K video recording.

Apple claims the SE has roughly the same battery life as the iPhone 6s too, but we can't verify this without testing. The screen is smaller, and therefore less power-hungry, but there's also less room to fit a battery into, so we'll have to wait and see.

Preliminary conclusions

The iPhone SE is what iPhone 5s fans have been wanting for years -- all the upgrades and innovations of the 6 and 6s, fitted into a more comfortable 4in package. If you like the look of the more recent iPhones on paper, but find them tricky to actually use, you should be very excited indeed.

In an unusual move, Apple updated its iPhone line mid-cycle this year. It introduced the iPhone SE, a lower-cost and compact alternative to the iPhone 6s that directly replaces the iPhone 5s.

It's a smaller, more affordable iPhone than the lead models. It may also entice buyers who wouldn't have considered buying the iPhone 5s because it was old'.

Like any iPhone, the iPhone SE is not a budget phone, though. But then neither is the Samsung Galaxy S7, the latest Android smartphone from Cupertino's arch rival. Oddly, Samsung hasn't offered a mini' version of its Galaxy flagship range since the S5 Mini leaving us to compare Apple's small, single-handed phone against Samsung's bigger, two-handed titan.

Pricing and availability

There's quite a disparity in price when buying SIM-free. The iPhone SE starts at 395 inc VAT, the Galaxy S7 569 inc VAT. It's not an entirely fair comparison, though, because at that price the Galaxy S7 has 32GB of storage while the iPhone SE has 16GB.

There's also a 64GB version of the SE available for 439, still cheaper than the 32GB Galaxy S7.

Casing and screen

These phones do not have entirely brand-new casings. Both use a predecessor's blueprint. The iPhone SE looks a lot like the iPhone 5s and the Samsung Galaxy S7 looks very similar to the Galaxy S6.

Even so, they are both expensive-feeling devices. The iPhone SE's casing uses mostly aluminium while the Galaxy S7 uses aluminium alloy for its sides and Gorilla Glass 4 for its front and back panels.

Even though the iPhone SE is based on a casing from 2012, with a relatively wide screen surround and chamfered edges, it is still much smaller than the Galaxy S7. The width and thickness of a phone largely determine how big it feels in the hand, and the iPhone SE is smaller in both respects.

It's 7.6mm thick and 58.6mm wide. The Galaxy S7 is 7.9mm thick and 69.5mm wide, more than a centimetre wider. The SE's smaller dimensions are no surprise as Apple was looking to update its smallest iPhone.

Like the iPhone 5s, the iPhone SE has a sharp 4in IPS LCD display with a 1,136 x 640 pixel resolution. It's a small-screened phone aimed at people with small hands.

The S7 has a much larger 5.1in screen using a Super AMOLED panel. This has a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels. While the difference in sharpness will be imperceptible to most, the S7 should have far better contrast.

Unlike the more expensive iPhones, the iPhone SE does not have a pressure-sensitive "3D Touch" screen. It's also not water resistant like the S7 which has full, flap-free IP68 waterproofing. Both phones have a fingerprint scanner as part of the Home button.

Both phones have 802.11ac Wi-Fi and NFC. However, while the Samsung Galaxy S7's NFC can be used to pair with compatible headphones and wireless speakers, the iPhone SE's NFC chip is currently only used for Apple Pay.

Apple has the advantage on this particular point: Apple Pay is accepted fairly widely in the UK while Samsung Pay and Android Pay are launching soon' in Britain.

Battery, storage and performance

The Galaxy S7 brings back the microSD slot missing from the Galaxy S6, letting you augment the 32GB/64GB internal storage cheaply. This is doubly beneficial now that 128GB microSD cards are cheap (from 40), while 128GB phones are certainly not.

As ever with iPhones, the SE's storage is non-expandable, with a still-fairly-weighty 80 difference between the two 16GB and 64GB models.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 in the UK has an octa-core Exynos 8890 CPU with four cores clocked at 2.3GHz and four lower-power cores at 1.6GHz. In other territories the phone uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, which is a slightly less powerful quad-core processor.

The iPhone SE uses the same processor as the iPhone 6S, a dual-core Apple A9. The S7 has 4GB RAM, where the iPhone SE probably has 2GB. The A9 in the 6s is far more powerful than it looks on paper, keeping up with the Exynos for the most part. Even so, we'll have to wait and see how the SE's A9 compares in our benchmarks.

One of the key claims made of iPhone SE is that it lasts longer than the iPhone 5s between charges. Just as Apple doesn't talk about RAM much, it doesn't reference mAh figures. However, the SE is almost certainly in the 1600-1700mAh range. The Samsung Galaxy S7 has a much larger 3000mAh battery.

We'll have to wait for an iPhone SE review unit to run our benchmarks, but comparing the battery life scores of the S7 and 5s in our tests give us an idea of what to expect. The S7 lasted just under 18 hours in our video playback rundown test, while the 5s managed a shorter but still respectable 14 and a half hours.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 supports inductive Qi and PMA wireless charging standards. We don't think this is of much use, unless you have a physical impairment in your fingers that would make cable plugging and unplugging difficult, as you still need a cabled charging plate.

More useful is fast charging using the bundled Samsung Fast Charge plug. This charges the phone to 80 per cent very quickly, in well under an hour, by increasing voltage from 5V to 9V. Apple currently offers no similar tech for its phones, but the relatively small battery cells in the SE should keep charge times reasonably short.

Camera and sensors

2016 has seen several phone-makers actually reduce the sensor resolution of their rear cameras as part of efforts to improve low-light performance. 12 megapixel sensors are used in both the iPhone SE and Samsung Galaxy S7.

The Galaxy S7 has an on-paper advantage when it comes to camera sensors, even though the iPhone SE uses the same sensor as the more expensive iPhone 6s. First, its sensor is larger, at 1/2.6 inch to the iPhone's 1/3 inch. It sensor pixels are therefore larger too. The S7's are 1.4 microns across, the iPhone SE's 1.22 microns. With the iPhone 6s, Apple claimed a variety of techniques help compensate for the smaller sensor and the 6s camera does, for the most part, hold up against the S7's. It'll be interesting to see if this is also the case for the SE.

Samsung's lens has a wider aperture of f/1.7 to the iPhone's f/2.2 and optical image stabilisation. This will further increase the light that reaches the sensor. The iPhone SE has "Auto Image Stabilization", but it is software and accelerometer-based, not hardware that actually moves the lens/sensor to compensate for movement. Only the much larger iPhone 6 and 6s Plus phablets have true OIS.

While both phones have on-sensor phase detection autofocus, the S7's phase detection covers the whole sensor, the whole field of view, while the iPhone SE only offers PDAF at certain (unspecified) points.

The iPhone SE's selfie camera doesn't match the iPhone 6s forward facing camera. It uses a basic 1.2-megapixel sensor where the Galaxy S7 has a larger, higher-resolution 5-megapixel sensor with a fast f/1.7 lens.

Both phones have a display flash feature, which drives the screen's brightness to its limits in order to act like a near-field flash.

Preliminary Conclusions

The Samsung Galaxy S7 is better specified than the iPhone SE on paper in some areas, most notably when it comes to the camera.

However, the iPhone SE is a much more pocketable and easier to hold phone, which is its whole reason to exist beyond its sub-iPhone 6S price. Plus, for the most part, its specification's are mostly on par with those of the 6s.

Apple has launched a new 4in iPhone and new 9.7in iPad Pro, as well as the general availability of iOS 9.3, new Apple Watch bands and new features for Apple TV.

Here we round up the key points of each of the announcements made, for the last time, at the Town Hall theatre at its Infinite Loop campus in Cupertino.

iPhone SE

The iPhone SE was the most widely rumoured device to appear at the 21 March event, and Apple didn't disappoint.

The 4in device was the first hardware announcement of the night and is, aesthetically, quite similar to the iPhone 5s that it replaces, except it is available in rose gold and gold as well as silver and "space gray". It retains the 5s' circular volume buttons and appeared to have roughly the same dimensions.

But it's what's on the inside that's interesting. The device has many of the same specifications as its larger siblings, the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, including the flagship Live Photos feature, A9 chip, 12-egapixel camera, and NFC for Apple Pay.

The iPhone SE is available to pre-order from 24 March. More details of the new iPhone's specs, features, price and availability can be read here.

iPad Pro

No, you're not experiencing dj vu, Apple really did announce the iPad Pro again this evening - only this time, it's a 9.7in screen rather than the 12.9in behemoth that launched last year.

Other than the size difference, there's not a lot to say about the new iPad Pro: it's the same as the original, but smaller. The one notable exception is the True Tone display. This means the screen of the iPad Pro 9.7in will adapt not just to the brightness of ambient light, but to its warmth too, behaving more like objects such as paper, which reflect light, and reducing eye strain.

It will also work with Night Shift, the new feature in iOS 9 that adjusts the amount of blue light emitted by the device's screen after sundown. Exposure to blue light from the screens of electronic devices has been blamed for causing sleep disruption, although the evidence for this is far from conclusive.

As for the fate of the long-rumoured iPad Air 3, your guess is as good as ours. The iPad Air 2 remains on the market for the time being, so the 9.7in iPad Pro isn't a replacement for that, but with a new iPad just announced it seems that this may be the end of the line for the Air range.

New Apple Watch straps

As predicted, new straps for the Apple Watch made an appearance at the event on 21 March. As well as additions to the existing Sport, leather and Milanese Loop band ranges, Apple also introduced a new Woven Nylon range. While strictly speaking nylon is a plastic, this range is effectively the fabric band option without being made of natural textiles.

iOS 9.3 general release

After months of beta testing, the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system, iOS 9.3, is now generally available for all users with a compatible device to download. More information on iOS 9.3 is available here.

Apple TV tvOS

Having once been the poor relation of the Apple device family, Cook once again lavished some attention on Apple TV, introducing an updated tvOS for the set top box.

The latest version of the operating system, tvOS 9.2, makes Siri the default mode for text input, including dictating sign-in credentials, introduces folders for grouping apps - handy if you have a long list - and provides better input control for the Apple TV remote, so it is less likely to accidentally register accidental inputs as commands.

Apple vs FBI

Apple's event comes just one day before the company's mammoth legal showdown with the FBI, and CEO Tim Cook didn't let the opportunity pass him by to make a comment about the case.

Opening the event on the topic, Cook said Apple has "a responsibility" to oppose the US government, adding that the company's executives "owe it to our customers, and ... to our country" to fight for encryption.

The end of 1 Infinite Loop

This, Tim Cook confirmed, is the last event to be held at Apple's Infinite Loop campus in Cupertino. The company is building a new headquarters in San Jose, which will be completed and ready to move into in 2017. You can read more about the new building and see some amazing drone footage of the site at our sister site, Alphr.

Apple 21 March event Live Blog: as it happened

The iPhone has been so incredibly popular and lucrative that it has made Apple one of the most powerful and profitable companies ever. But such silver clouds always have a dark lining. The last financial quarter was the first time iPhone sales didn't rise, leading some to predict that this was peak iPhone'; the beginning of the end, where the saturation of smartphone markets in the developed world would inevitably impact the sales of the iPhone - and therefore Apple's incredible profits.

It's one heck of a backdrop against which to launch the iPhone SE, the long-rumoured 4in successor to the iPhone 5s. The lack of a numbered name disguises the fact that this is effectively the casing of an iPhone 5s filled with the guts and specs of an iPhone 6s. It has the same A9 processor, 12 megapixel camera and Apple Pay-enabled NFC chip as Apple's current flagship.

It's unrealistic to expect one phone to turnaround the financials and prospects of an entire product line, no matter how good it may be. But that doesn't mean the iPhone SE is unimportant.

The fact that Apple was willing to release the 4.7in and 5.5in phablet iPhone 6 and 6 Plus phones back in 2014 showed that Tim Cook's Apple is willing to listen to its customers and their desires in a way that Job's Apple never really did. Mollifying those small-handed customers who shunned Apple's bigger phones and carefully nursed their iPhone 5s is another sign that Apple does listen and can respond to differing customer needs.

That'll be important if Apple wants to make headway in unsaturated smartphone markets that aren't dependent on customers merely replacing their existing phones. Although Apple has touted the iPhone SE as the cheapest new phone that it's ever released, the UK price of 359 inc VAT for the 16GB model is still unaffordable for many in burgeoning markets like India, Turkey, Brazil and, of course, China.

Apple will almost certainly never release a truly budget phone, as many foolishly hoped back when it first launched a lower priced phone in the shape of the iPhone 5c. Apple won't jeopardise its profit margins too much to reach new customers, but will carefully combine old and new technologies to make an aspirational product that's only slightly out of reach instead of massively out of reach. And it is willing to dabble in flexible instalment payment plans independent of the cellular networks, as it has done in the US. Combining the two could be a potent combination that could boost sales.

With its newfound sense of responding to customer desires, Apple may even do what it has never done before and release more regional iPhone variations, despite the potential impact this may have on its infamously slick supply chains and economies of scale. A dual-SIM iPhone may be unheard of until now now, but it could become a reality to appeal to markets where that feature is desperately important, such as the burgeoning Indian market.

Apple will have to fight harder for every iPhone sale than it ever has before, but we probably haven't seen peak iPhone' quite yet.