Apple iPhone SE review: A fantastic entry-level iPhone
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Camera and sample images
Camera and sample images
Unlike Apple’s newer iPhones, the iPhone SE only has a single camera on the back. It’s similar to the iPhone XR’s in that it’s a 12-megapixel f/1.8 camera. Apple won’t say but some have reported that the sensor is identical to the iPhone XR but the lens is different. The front-facing camera shoots at 7-megapixel, which, again, is similar to the iPhone XR.
However, the iPhone SE benefits from using the A13 Bionic’s advanced imaging processing. One of the highlights of the new imaging processing pipeline is Apple’s new Smart HDR algorithm which automatically adjusts highlights, shadows, and sharpness in specific areas of the photo. It can also automatically detect people and treat them differently from the rest of the photo. And on top of Portrait Mode, the iPhone SE also gets all of Apple’s Portrait Lighting modes, including the new High-Key Light Mono mode.
In well-lit situations, I think most people will struggle to tell the difference between photos taken by the iPhone SE and the iPhone 11 Pro. The more expensive iPhone 11 Pro has more detail but it’s not immediately apparent on the screen of your phone unless you zoom in on specific areas to investigate. It’s only in poor light that the difference becomes very apparent. That’s because the iPhone SE does not possess the cheat mode that is Apple’s fantastic new Night Mode or the company's new high-tech Deep Fusion camera feature. The short story is this: though Apple’s pricier iPhones take better photos, the iPhone SE is still a very capable shooter and is more than a match for comparably-priced Android competition.
Where the iPhone SE really excels, however, is in video. It can take 4K videos and at up to 60fps with optical and software stabilisation. Go see if any comparable Android phone can do the same. If you want better quality and colours, you can opt for an extended dynamic range mode, but in that mode, you are limited to 4K resolution at 30fps. Videos on the iPhone SE have great dynamic range, colours, and stabilisation, which are things that even flagship Android phones still struggle to do properly today.
Sample images
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