iphone se

While you wait for our full iPhone SE review, here are 10 things you need to know about Apple’s true iPhone 5S successor. 

After months of "will they, won’t they", Apple has finally unveiled its latest phone alongside a new iPad Pro 9.7. Nope, it’s not the iPhone 7, but the iPhone SE.
Special Edition? Small Enough? We’re not quite sure what the "SE" part of the name stands for, but it’s an exciting prospect if you’ve been longing for a true upgrade to the iPhone 5S. It might not sway buyers looking at the Samsung Galaxy S7 or LG G5, however.
Here are 10 things you need to know about the iPhone SE.
Video – iPhone SE in 90 seconds: All you need to know

1. iPhone SE display: It's small, iPhone 5S small

The iPhone SE isn’t Apple’s next flagship phone and it isn’t going to take the place of the iPhone 7.
Instead, it’s aimed at those who are after powerful performance in the body of a smaller phone. If you’ve been cradling your bruised, battered and beaten iPhone 5S for the past two years, refusing to upgrade to the "massive" iPhone 6S, then this is for you.

Just like the iPhone 5S and 5, the SE sports a 4-inch display. That’s much smaller than the 4.7-inch screen on the iPhone 6S and 5.5-inch version on the Galaxy S7 Edge. It’s positively tiny compared to the 5.7-inch display on the Nexus 6P.

2. In fact, it looks just like the iPhone 5S

Having a smaller screen means the phone itself is also far smaller than pretty much all of the competition. In fact, it looks almost exactly the same as the iPhone 5S. It has that boxy look, with matte sides and none of the curves we’ve come to expect from Apple’s devices.
The power button sits on the top, volume switches can be found on the sides and the headphone jack is along the bottom. Simple.
This is going to be the perfect phone for one-handed use – something we’ve always found difficult with larger handsets.
Since it's the same size as the iPhone 5/5S, it's also very likely that you'll be able to use the same cases for the iPhone SE.

3. iPhone SE camera: It has the same sensor as the iPhone 6S

It might mimic the iPhone 5S design-wise, but the iPhone SE certainly doesn’t have the insides of a near three-year-old phone.
On the rear of the device is the same camera that impressed us so much on the iPhone 6S. That’s a 12-megapixel sensor, complete with 4K video recording and the ability to capture those swanky Live Photos that, well, haven’t really set the world alight quite yet.
On the front there's a FaceTime HD camera, and it uses the screen as a True Tone flash.

4. There’s no 3D Touch

Even though Live Photos are making the jump to this smaller phone, 3D Touch won’t. The pressure-sensing screen tech that debuted with the iPhone 6S lets you dive into apps and menus with just a hard press, but it’s been ditched here.

5. iPhone SE Performance and specs: It matches the iPhone 6S for power

Tucked under that familiar metal body is an equally familiar set off internal components. There’s an A9 processor, unspecified amount of RAM (we hope 2GB) and the M9 motion coprocessor for collecting all that movement data. Apple claims the tech means the iPhone SE has double the CPU power and three times the GPU muscle of the iPhone 5S.
The hands-free "Hey Siri" feature is on board too, so you can bark and command the voice assistant to set an alarm while you’re still tucked up in bed.

16GB (really, Apple?) is still the base storage, but there’s a 64GB option available too, which will likely prove a hit with people who want to store more than one song, game and app on their phone.

6. NFC is onboard for Apple Pay

Apple Pay is easily the slickest mobile payment solution out there right now, so it’s great to see it being included on a smaller phone.
The embedded NFC chip lets you tap and pay wherever contactless cards are accepted, and on the London Underground.

7. It comes in four colours

Each of which we’re sure you can guess. Yep, the iPhone SE will ship in the four hues that have become synonymous with Apple’s phone line – Space Grey, Silver, Gold and Rose Gold.

8. iOS 9.3 is pre-installed

Following months of beta testing, the final version of iOS 9.3 was unveiled alongside the iPhone SE.
More than your typical "point" upgrade, 9.3 brings a few cool additions.
Night Shift is the standout one, an automatic control that will remove blue colours from the display before you go to sleep. This is meant to help your slumber, and is very similar to an app called F.lux.

9. iPhone SE battery life: How long will it last?

Battery life has long been an issue with iPhones. iPhone 6S Plus aside, none of Apple's devices are known for their stamina. Yet, Apple claims the SE should easily outlast your iPhone 5S.

10. iPhone SE price and release date: How much does it cost and when's it out?

If you were expecting the iPhone SE to act as Apple’s alternative to say the Nexus 5X when it comes to price, you’d be hugely mistaken. This is still a high-end phone, with a high-end price tag to match.
When it’s launched next week it will set you back $399, or $499 for the 64GB version. In the UK, it will cost £359 for 16GB and £439 for 64GB.

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