Apple’s new iPhone SE features 5G, a faster CPU, and more

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Apple

As expected, Apple took the stage in a streaming product event today to announce a new version of the company’s cheapest iPhone, the iPhone SE.

Like its 2020 predecessor, the new SE closely resembles the iPhone 8 first released back in 2017. To keep the cost down, the new SE still has a home button and a fingerprint reader, other modern iPhones. But it’s got some newer things on the inside. Namely, it has Apple’s A15 system-on-a-chip, which was previously seen in 2021’s flagship iPhone 13.

The new device comes in three colors: Midnight, Starlight, and Product RED. Apple says the new SE is 1.8 times faster than the iPhone 8, it has a 12MP camera and IP67 dust and water resistance, and Apple promises “better battery life.”

Additionally, the new phone has a 5G modem, which Apple brought to its lineup for the first time in 2020 with the iPhone 12. You’ll have to live somewhere with robust 5G coverage to reap the rewards, but if you do, you can in some cases expect faster file transfer speeds and lower latency on cellular data networks.

There’s a 4.7-inch retina LCD, making the new SE one of the smallest phones on the market. The SE currently shares the “small, one-handed phone” space with Apple’s iPhone 13 mini, but rumor has it that Apple will drop the mini from its 2022 flagship phone lineup, so the new iPhone SE might be the only option for users who prefer smaller phones.

The new phone starts at $429. Pre-orders start this Friday, and the SE ships on March 18.

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