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Apple’s new iPhone SE is finally official – everything you need to know

Updated Apr 15th, 2020 11:23AM EDT
iPhone SE release date
Image: Apple

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  • Apple announced the long-awaited sequel to the iPhone SE on Wednesday morning.
  • Apple’s second-generation iPhone SE has a similar design to that of the iPhone 8, but with an A13 Bionic chip to match the performance of the iPhone 11 series.
  • The new iPhone SE starts at $399, with preorders going live Friday and shipments going out next week.
  • Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

Following months of rumors and speculation, Apple announced the iPhone SE early on Wednesday. As expected, the new model is a follow-up to the 2016 device of the same name, featuring a similar design to that of the iPhone 8 and a significantly lower price point than any of the iPhone 11 models.

At a glance, the 2020 iPhone SE looks strikingly similar to the iPhone 8. The new handset features a 4.7-inch display, a Home button with Touch ID, a single 12-megapixel rear camera, and the sizable bezels that Apple has done its best to eliminate in recent years. You might not be able to tell the difference between the iPhone SE and the iPhone 8 just by looking at them, but actually using them will be a different story altogether, as the iPhone SE is equipped with the same A13 Bionic system-on-chip that powers the entire iPhone 11 series of devices.

And while the iPhone SE’s 12-megapixel camera may look the same as the camera on the iPhone 8, Apple says the SE “uses the image signal processor and Neural Engine of A13 Bionic to unlock even more benefits of computational photography, including Portrait mode, all six Portrait Lighting effects and Depth Control.”

Much like the iPhone 8, the iPhone SE supports Qi wireless charging, and also lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack. That’s the bad news, but the good news is that the 2020 SE comes with Lightning headphones in the box. Plus, as with all new Apple hardware, you’ll get a free year of Apple TV+ if you buy an iPhone SE.

The iPhone SE was once expected to be unveiled during an event last month at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California, but the event was never even announced due to the novel coronavirus pandemic that shut down California and much of the rest of the US. Instead, Apple revealed both a new iPad Pro model and a cheaper MacBook Air via press release, which is the same way that the iPhone SE was announced today.

The new iPhone SE will start at $399 for the 64GB model, with a 128GB model for $449 and a 256GB for $549 also being offered, each available in black, white, or PRODUCT(RED) colors. Preorders for the phone go live on Friday, April 17th at 5 AM PDT / 8 AM EDT and shipments will begin to arrive on Friday, April 24th.

Jacob Siegal
Jacob Siegal Associate Editor

Jacob Siegal is Associate Editor at BGR, having joined the news team in 2013. He has over a decade of professional writing and editing experience, and helps to lead our technology and entertainment product launch and movie release coverage.