This is the iPhone SE for 2020. Priced from RM1,999 in Malaysia

Apple has officially announced the new iPhone SE and this is the 2nd generation model for 2020. This time the SE is slightly bigger and it is essentially an iPhone 8 with the processing power of an iPhone 11.

Upfront it gets a familiar 4.7″ Retina HD (1334×750 pixels) display and under the hood, it runs on Apple’s A13 Bionic chip with 3rd gen Neural Engine. The screen itself is similar to the iPhone 8 with TrueTone display and 625 nits of maximum brightness, however, it doesn’t support 3D Touch. In terms of build, it uses a combination of glass and aluminium design which is similar to the iPhone 8.

The rest of the specs are quite similar to the iPhone 8. The rear comes with a single 12MP camera that can shoot 4K videos at 60fps and there’s also optical image stabilisation. However, the new iPhone SE is capable of shooting extended dynamic range video up to 30fps and it supports QuickTake video and Stereo recording.

Meanwhile, the front comes with the same 7MP FaceTime HD camera that can record 1080p HD videos. There’s also a portrait selfie mode that can produce bokeh effects with depth control along with 6 portrait lighting effects.

This is also the only brand new iPhone that retains the classic home button with integrated Touch ID fingerprint sensor. This would be perfect during the MCO as Face ID can’t really work when you wear a face mask.

The device also supports Qi wireless charging as well as fast wired charging with an 18W USB-PD power brick that’s sold separately. According to Apple, it has a similar battery life as the iPhone 8. On the spec-sheet, the device is rated to last up to 13 hours of video playback.

In terms of connectivity, it can support 802.11ax WiFi 6 with MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0, Gigabit-class LTE and Dual-SIM (via eSIM). The new iPhone SE also gets IP67 rated dust and water resistance which means it can be submerged up to a maximum of 1 metre for up to 30 minutes.

Pricing and availability

Below is the iPhone SE 2020 pricing in Malaysia:

iPhone SE 2020
64GB – RM1,999
128GB – RM2,199
256GB – RM2,699

It is available in 3 colours – White, Black and Red. The device is already listed on the Apple Malaysia‘s website but you can’t buy it yet. Apple has not revealed the availability data for our local market but pre-orders will begin in first wave countries including Singapore starting this Friday, 17th April 2020 with stocks being available on the 24th of April.

Like the original iPhone SE, this is an affordable “compact flagship” alternative in Apple’s lineup. As a comparison, the iPhone XR that runs on an older Apple A12 Bionic chip is officially priced from RM2,899 for the 64GB model while the iPhone 11 starts from RM3,399 for the same storage capacity. Of course, the newer models will offer better camera capabilities especially with the iPhone 11 supporting Night Mode.