iPhone SE (2022) Review: smart or maybe a little too easy?

There’s not much wrong with taking it easy on yourself. The iPhone SE (2022) is an incredibly smart way from Apple to not only introduce consumers to the devices, but also to get even more out of the well-known design. But is there such a thing as too easy?

Over the past few days, I’ve been able to extensively test the iPhone SE (2022). I replaced my iPhone 13 Pro with the model Apple announced last week and got to work. You can read my findings in this review.

Why the iPhone SE (2022)?

An older model iPhone with specifications of the current top: the idea of ​​​​the iPhone SE (2022) is anything but new. Apple first started using it in 2016. The American company took the design of the iPhone 5S with the Special Edition (SE) and provided it with specifications of the iPhone 6s. A concept that caused such success that the company gave it another try in 2020. This time with the design of the iPhone 8 and the internal specifications of an iPhone 11.

Despite the outdated design, I was a big fan of the smartphone. At the time, the target group had already been running around with a first SE for four years and iOS was finally made accessible in this form. The device was powerful enough for everyday tasks and the A13 Bionic chip gave the battery life and the camera system the necessary upgrades. Again a success story from Cupertino, so.

However, we did not know at the time that a mini-version of the iPhone 12 was being worked behind the scenes. Just as compact as an SE, but with the same design (and specifications) as an iPhone 12. An ideal middle ground that unfortunately turned out not to be very successful. Not only because of disappointing things such as the battery life, but also because the target group was already equipped with the new SE earlier that year. Time for a new model, then.

A design that is actually no longer possible

Anyone who has followed the SE model of 2020 a bit knows that there was a lot of commentary about its design. Where the first-generation Special Edition iPhone wore a design from two years earlier, in 2020 we got a model that was three years old. A line that Apple continues with the iPhone SE (2022), but unfortunately not in the positive way.

The iPhone SE (2022) has been given the same design as its predecessor and is thus based on the iPhone 8 from 2017. A smartphone that in turn adopted the design of the iPhone 7, which in turn took a lot of inspiration from the iPhone 6 from 2015. While in 2020 we could already speak of an outdated design, the same tactic in 2022 is almost impossible to justify.

The compact design is still very appealing this year, but the thick screen edges and a physical home button feel like something that belongs to the past. That certainly also applies to the 4.7-inch screen, which is just above 720p and has a refresh rate of 60Hz. It is possible to work with and the quality is certainly not bad at times. But compared to other smartphones in the price range, the device really lags behind the competition.

The iPhone SE (2022) dominates

That just doesn’t apply to everything. On the contrary. The iPhone SE (2022) manages to leave the competition miles behind in some areas. The smartphone owes this entirely to the A15 Bionic chip: the same chipset that can also be found in the iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro and Pro Max.

With the addition of 1GB of extra RAM and this particularly efficient, powerful SoC, you have a smartphone that can handle all tasks. Playing games or even editing a short video is possible. iOS 15 runs like a charm and will continue to do so in the coming years thanks to this composition.

That A15 Bionic chip also ensures that the iPhone SE (2022) is economical in terms of energy consumption, but to be honest I don’t see a very big difference. The end of the day can be reached, but a screen time of around three and a half / four hours is a bit the maximum. If you perform heavier tasks, such as navigating or gaming, you will logically not achieve this.

The battery can be charged with a maximum power of 20W via the cable and a maximum of 7.5W when you charge wirelessly. Not very bad for an iPhone, but compared to the rest of the market.

The camera system

The camera system of the iPhone SE (2022) is also of a completely different order than other smartphones in the same price range. Like the SE (2020) and the iPhone 8, this model has a 12-megapixel main camera. Little has changed in terms of hardware, but the A15 Bionic has the biggest influence on the software.

In addition to supporting features like Photographic Styles and SmartHDR4, the camera system also takes excellent photos. Both during the day with good lighting, and in the evenings where it is less good. The lack of a night mode is present and a second lens wouldn’t hurt either. But in general, there is no smartphone around €500 that can deliver such quality. Not even in the field of video.

Balance is hard to find

That is, in a nutshell, a bit of the story of the iPhone SE (2022). The smartphone is not consistent. There are certain areas where it really dominates the competition. Think of the camera system, the incredibly powerful A15 Bionic chip and the long support. I mean, the $529 iPhone SE has a more powerful chip than the $1249 Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. So it is possible.

Only you deliver so much in some areas that you have a smartphone in your hands that is very much behind. For example, look at the thick screen edges, the limited screen and the battery life. These are things that companies such as Samsung, OnePlus, Google and Xiaomi are much better at tackling.

iPhone SE (2022): smart or maybe a little too easy?

I fully understand that Apple has a certain target group in mind with the iPhone SE (2022), but I doubt whether this is the right way to reach them. Thanks to the A15 Bionic chip, the smartphone makes a really good impression, especially in terms of the camera. It shows what Apple is capable of and that these parts don’t have to mean a $1000 price tag.

On the other hand, Apple makes it easy by using an old design again. Apart from the A15-Bionic and the 5G support, the smartphone has little to nothing new to offer with the iPhone SE (2022). A good picture of how things are with the iPhone in 2022, but very easy.

A little too easy, if you ask me.