Apple brings back iPhone SE, looks like a repackaged iPhone 8

After tons of leaks, rumours and renders, Apple has finally launched its new budget iPhone, the iPhone SE. The smartphone was initially expected to be called the Apple iPhone 9 or the iPhone SE2. However, the company decided to go old school with the naming scheme. While the older SE is already gone, this one will kill the iPhone 8 and force Apple to bring the prices of the iPhone 7 series even lower.

Apple has priced the smartphone quite aggressively considering the iPhone 11 Pro sells for over Rs. 1 lakh here in India. The all-new iPhone SE is priced at Rs. 42,500, where it goes right against brands like OnePlus and Samsung. However, the smartphone is priced at $399 in the United States, which roughly converts to Rs. 30,500.

In the US, the Apple iPhone SE 2020 goes right against the Google Pixel 3a and it might even manage to outsell a lot of Samsung, OnePlus and Huawei smartphones.

Apple iPhone SE 2020 will be offered in three colour options, Black, White and Product Red. In terms of the storage, users can pick among 64GB, 128GB and 256GB options.

In terms of the specifications, the Apple iPhone SE (2020) comes with the A13 Bionic chipset, which also powers the flagship iPhone 11 series. Unlike the costlier models, this one skips on FaceID to bring back the beloved TouchID fingerprint scanner. The new Apple device sports a 4.7-inch Retina HD display.

On the optics front, the iPhone SE sports a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera with f/1.8 aperture at the back. The camera features bundled in are Portrait mode, Portrait Lighting effects and Depth Control and monocular depth estimation. Upfront, the handset features a 7-megapixel selfie shooter.

Just like the iPhone 8, the new Apple iPhone comes with a glass back design, which also adds room for wireless charging. The smartphone also supports fast charging, which will require the user to pick an additional power brick with USB PD support.

Also Read: Apple iPhone 11 series shortage in India: Here's what it means for you

In my opinion, the iPhone SE 2020 will set a new trend for Apple and will beat brands like OnePlus, Realme and Samsung in the sub-50k segment. It is a great option for Indian consumers who usually end-up buying older iPhones due to smaller pockets.

But, it is also worth noting that even the iPhone XR is available for under Rs. 50,000. While it does come with an older processor, it brings in a larger display, nearly bezel-less design, FaceID and more.