The iPhone Special Edition (SE) is a smartphone designed and marketed by Apple Inc. as part of the iPhone series of devices. It was unveiled on March 21, 2016, at Apple's Cupertino headquarters, and was released on March 31, 2016. Despite chronologically succeeding the iPhone 6 family's launch, the iPhone SE serves as a successor of the iPhone 5S. It maintains the 4-inch screen size and largely identical design to the 5S, but includes selected hardware upgrades from the larger iPhone 6S model, including its updated processor, rear camera, and support for iOS 10 and iOS 11 software features, such as Apple Pay, always-on Siri activation, and Live Photos. It also features a new color in Rose Gold along with the standard Space Gray, Silver and Gold. The model was re-released with new improved options on March 24, 2017.
The iPhone SE was received positively by critics, who noted its familiar form factor and design, improved hardware over previous 4-inch iPhone models, as well as its overall performance and battery life.
Video IPhone SE
History
The previous major redesign of the iPhone, the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, resulted in larger screen sizes. However, a significant number of customers preferred the 4-inch screen size of the iPhone 5 and 5S; the 5S was the second-most popular iPhone after the 6, ahead of the 6S. Apple stated in their event that they sold 30 million 4-inch iPhones in 2015. Furthermore, the 5 and 5S design was regarded as having "long been the golden child of Apple phone design and a benchmark for phones in general,". The iPhone 5 was described as "elegance rooted in the way the aluminum and glass work together. It felt streamlined, yet substantial, which is different from iPhone 6, which feels substantial in size alone. Plus, unlike the ubiquitous rounded corners of the 6, iPhone 5 didn't really look like anything else on the market at the time."
Maps IPhone SE
Specifications
Design
The exterior design of the iPhone SE is nearly identical to that of the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5, with the exception of matte-chamfered edges and an inset stainless steel rear Apple logo. Like the iPhone 6S, the iPhone SE is available in space gray, silver, gold and rose gold finishes. Apple stated that cases designed to fit the 5 and the 5S will also fit an iPhone SE, as the three phones have exactly the same dimensions.
Hardware
The technology specifications of the iPhone SE are similar to the iPhone 6S. This meant that at its launch, the iPhone SE was more powerful than the existing iPhone 6 despite the SE debuting as the entry-level offering while the 6 was the midrange offering in the lineup, which was rectified in September 2016 when the 6 was discontinued and its midrange slot given over to the 6S.
As with the 6s, the iPhone SE incorporates the Apple A9 system-on-chip (SoC) with an M9 motion coprocessor and supports near field communication for Apple Pay. The A9 SoC on the iPhone SE outperforms the one on the 6S thanks to the SE's smaller screen and fewer pixels; for comparison, the iPhone SE has a GeekBench score of 2400 on the single core and 4069 on the multi core which compares to the iPhone 6S's score of 2316 on single core and 3922 on multi core. The SE's 4-inch Retina Display at 326 ppi is the same as the preceding 5S. Unlike the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, the SE does not include 3D Touch, nor the updated faster second-generation Touch ID sensor from the 6S and 6S Plus, or its barometer.
On launch, it was released in models with either 16 or 64 GB of internal storage; on March 21, 2017, Apple announced that these models would be replaced by new improved models at the same launch price points, releasing on March 24, 2017.
It features the same 12 megapixel, with pixels 1.22µm in size, rear-facing camera as the 6S and 7, with the ability to record 720p at 30 frames per second, for normal video recording and up to 240 fps for slow motion. It also features 1080p at 120 or 60 fps and 4K at 30 fps, as well as faster focus. Despite the upgraded rear camera, it does not feature the same front-facing camera, instead using a 1.2 megapixel sensor with f/2.4 aperture, but benefiting from the improved image signal processor in the A9 chip, and support for the software "Retina Flash" feature (which allows the display itself to be used as a flash on the front-facing camera).
In North America, the iPhone SE comes in two hardware models: the A1662 model sold unlocked by AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, and the A1723 model sold by Sprint or Canadian carriers.
Software
iPhone SE shipped with iOS 9.3, supporting iPhone 6 and 6S-exclusive features such as Apple Pay, Live Photos, Retina Flash and always-on Siri voice activation.
Reception
Lauren Goode of The Verge considered the iPhone SE to be "a much-improved, well-designed, small phone with great battery life" and a "kickass upgrade" for existing owners of the 4S or 5S models, noting the device's familiar form factor, high performance (going as far as considering the screen size itself to be the only hindrance to multitasking and certain apps), and improved battery life. The camera's quality and functionality were also praised, arguing that the iPhone SE was a "completely pocketable and powerful little consumer camera" that outperformed other smartphones in its price range. Giving the device an 8.7 out of 10, Goode argued that "the iPhone SE is not a tiny little engine of innovation. It's today's tech in yesterday's phone body. As with anything, we should be wary of giving too much praise to something that's just doing its job."
CNET was similarly positive, considering the iPhone SE to be a "great choice at the small end, with no compromises", albeit recommending that purchasers avoid the 16 GB model; the iPhone SE was the last iPhone model that offered 16 GB as its lowest storage capacity; this option was phased out on both the iPhone 7, and later the SE. CNET also lauded Apple for accomplishing the task of adapting the 6S's hardware to three different form factors; the smaller SE, 4.7-inch 6S, and 5.5-inch 6S Plus. Consequently the iPhone SE is more powerful than the existing iPhone 6 despite the SE debuting as the entry-level offering while the 6 was the midrange offering in the lineup, which was rectified in September 2016 when the 6 was discontinued instead of being moved to entry-level and its midrange slot given over to the 6S. Apple's move to phase out the older iPhone 5S and 6 (along with their A7 and A8 SoC, respectively) earlier, rather than produce them for three years like earlier iPhones, allowed them to simplify their manufacturing and software support.
Timeline of models
See also
- List of iOS devices
- History of iPhone
- Comparison of smartphones
References
External links
- iPhone SE - official site
Source of article : Wikipedia
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