iPhone SE: Apple finally releases its US$399 "budget" smartphone with an A13 Bionic chipset

The iPhone SE is here, the 2020 edition of it anyway. Announced via a press release like the MacBook Air and iPad Pro, the iPhone SE combines the body of an iPhone 8 with an A13 Bionic SoC. Unsurprisingly, the iPhone SE replaces the iPhone 8, which has now been removed from Apple.com. However, there is no direct replacement for the iPhone 8 Plus. Apparently, production is yet to finish for the iPhone SE Plus, meaning that Apple may announce this in a separate press release. 

Coming in black, white and (PRODUCT)RED, the iPhone SE features Touch ID, a 4.7-inch Retina HD display that supports True Tone and a 12 MP rear-facing camera. Apple states that the display has a pixel density of 326 PPI and a 1,400:1 contrast ratio. Operating at 1,334 x 750 pixels, the display supports the P3 colour space and is an IPS panel. Apple claims that the display has a 625 nit maximum brightness, too.  

Apple claims that the iPhone SE also has the "best single-camera system" in an iPhone. It is still selling the iPhone XR though, leading us to think that the iPhone SE has the 12 MP sensor from the iPhone 11. Keep in mind that Apple is yet to confirm this, and we can infer no definitive answer from the device's technical specifications.

Apple also states that the iPhone SE will last up to 13 hours of video streaming between charges. The device can charge from 0% to 50% in 30 minutes too, but only with an 18 W fast charger. That will set back US$29.00 though as Apple includes a 5 W charging brick in the box. The iPhone SE supports wireless charging too and is IP67 certified.

Pre-orders will start at 17:00 PDT or 13:00 BST on April 17. Apple is yet to confirm availability or pricing for India, though. The device will come with 64 GB, 128 GB or 256 GB of storage for US$399, US$449 and US$549, respectively. Orders will ship on April 24.