Apple may give its smallest and cheapest iPhone an update next week. The tech giant is holding an event on March 8, during which Apple …
Apple may give its smallest and cheapest iPhone an update next week. The tech giant is holding an event on March 8, during which Apple is rumored to release a new version of the iPhone SE. (Here’s how the iPhone SE 3 could compare to its predecessor.) The last iPhone SE debuted in 2020. With its iPhone 11 Pro -level performance, affordable price and compact design, the 2-year-old phone already brings a lot of value for the price. But there are still many ways Apple could improve the iPhone SE, especially since Samsung and Google are bringing attractive features like multilens cameras to their less expensive phones. The iPhone 11’s new, cheaper $499 (£489, AU$849) price could also make the $399 iPhone SE a tougher sell for those who want a more cost-effective Apple device. Read more: Apple Watch SE vs. Series 7: Why Apple’s Cheaper Watch Could Be the Better Value If Apple’s next budget-friendly iPhone becomes a reality, here are improvements we’d like to see. The iPhone SE’s wallet-friendly price means that the phone makes some compromises, particularly when it comes to the camera. And if Apple keeps the next iPhone SE’s pricing as competitive as the 2020 version’s, that probably won’t change much. But we’d at least love to see a higher-resolution front-facing camera for clearer video calls and selfies. The current iPhone SE has a 7-megapixel front camera like the iPhone XS. The iPhone 11 and newer devices have a 12-megapixel front camera with a wider field of view, as my colleague Patrick Holland mentions in his review. While the iPhone SE’s rear camera lacks the dual-lens setup that’s become common on most phones — even on budget devices — its single-lens wide camera is still capable of producing impressive images. But now that the COVID-19 pandemic has made making video calls on our mobile devices the norm, it would be great to see the front camera get an upgrade that brings it closer to Apple’s pricier phones. Read more: Is Buying an iPhone 13 Worth It? Let’s Compare the Last 5 Years of Apple’s iPhones One of the best things about the iPhone SE is that it runs on the same processor as the iPhone 11, ensuring that it won’t feel sluggish too soon and will be capable of handling new features.
