This Is the iPhone SE 2020: As Powerful as the iPhone 11 for Less Than RM2,000

It’s been expected for quite some time now, but here it is: the second-generation iPhone SE is finally official. While it doesn’t look particularly modern – it shares the same chassis as the iPhone 8 – the iPhone SE 2020 is one serious smartphone; it has the same processing power as the latest iPhone 11 for a fraction of the price.

You definitely read that right. Under the hood of the new iPhone SE is none other than Apple’s A13 Bionic chip, the very same one that powers the iPhone 11 smartphones. The best part is, you’ll only have to fork out RM1,999 for the iPhone SE right here in Malaysia.

Of course, that’s for the 64GB variant. If you want the more practical 128GB option, it’ll cost you RM2,199 – that’s only RM200 more for twice the amount of storage. If you want even more space, you can opt for the 256GB model for RM2,699. Three colour options are available: White, Black, and Product Red.

So what’s the caveat with the iPhone SE? Well, for one, it doesn’t look particularly sleek with thick bezels at the top and bottom of the 4.7-inch 1334 x 750 IPS screen. After all, this is the very same chassis used by the iPhone 8, which was released back in 2017.

In fact, you can think of the iPhone SE as the iPhone 8 with a much more powerful processor and camera. Speaking of which, the new SE sports a singular 12MP f/1.8 camera with optical image stabilisation. Naturally, there are no ultra-wide angle or telephoto sensor to be found here, which isn’t surprising given the relatively low asking price of this device – by Apple’s standards, that is.

Nonetheless, Apple proudly claims that the iPhone SE’s sole 12MP camera is the “best single-camera system ever in an iPhone.” We’ll have to put this to the test ourselves, but given Apple’s expertise when it comes to mobile photography, we’re inclined to take the Cupertino company’s word for it.

Other specifications of the new iPhone SE include a 7MP f/2.2 front-facing camera, Touch ID fingerprint sensor, battery life that’s “about the same as iPhone 8,” and an IP67 rating, allowing it to be submerged up to 1m for 30 minutes.

For the Malaysian market, the iPhone SE 2020 is priced from RM1,999. However, even though the local pricing of the compact smartphone has been revealed, it remains to be seen exactly when it will start shipping. Rest assured, we will keep a close eye on the local availability of the new iPhone SE.