Apple announced its new iPhone SE at the Peek Performance event, which is regarded as a more affordable version of its flagship lineup. The phone features an updated quad-core A15 Bionic chip and supports 5G cellular standards. Nevertheless, the phone retains the home button under the screen for Touch ID and has a single rear camera.
The new iPhone SE is available in red, black, and white, and includes a 4.7-inch Retina HD display covered with glass, which the company claims is the strongest glass on a smartphone front and back. However, this is not the same glass found on the back of the iPhone 13.
The iPhone SE also comes with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance. The company promises improved battery life thanks to the efficiencies from the A15 Bionic and iOS 15. Despite having a single 12-megapixel rear camera with an f/1.8 aperture, the company stated that the iPhone SE includes a new camera system, adding features seen in the iPhone 13 such as Photographic Styles, Smart HDR 4, and Deep Fusion for better image processing.
Similar to the iPhone 13 series, the iPhone SE is made from some recycled materials. According to the company, it incorporates 100% recycled rare earth elements in the Taptic Engine and audio magnets, 100% recycled tungsten in the Taptic Engine, and 100% recycled tin in the solder of the main logic board. Additionally, the company has changed its packaging to eliminate the use of external plastic wrapping.
The iPhone SE is available in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB storage options, with prices starting at $429 in the United States. Customers in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and more than 30 other countries and regions can pre-order the iPhone SE starting from Friday, March 11, with availability beginning Friday, March 18.
