Apple will release the 3rd generation "iPhone SE" on March 18th. In the previous report, we will introduce the ability of the entry model of 5G compatible iPhone equipped with the same latest A15 Bionic chip as the iPhone 13 series. [Image] New iPhone SE supports 5G high-speed connection ■ Inheriting design / size / home button The new 3rd generation iPhone SE, which will undergo a model change for the first time in 2 years, is reserved by each communication carrier in addition to the Apple Store We have started accepting orders. The 64GB model will be sold at the Apple Store for 57,800 yen (tax included). Looking at the cheapest model, it looks like the price has increased by 8,000 yen from the second generation iPhone SE. In addition to 5G support, the major evolutions such as the evolution of the camera, the improvement of toughness performance by strengthening the main body glass material, and the improvement of battery life are worth more than 8,000 yen. The third-generation iPhone SE also inherited the 4.7-inch Retina HD display. It may have added a heat treatment design that is required for 5G support, but it kept the same size feeling as the 2nd generation machine. The mass of the 3rd generation aircraft is 4g lighter, and although the difference is slight, it reminds us that the iPhone SE is lighter. This time, I got a model with a body color of midnight and a built-in storage of 256GB. The charm of Midnight is its delicate shade that is slightly bluish when exposed to light. Aviation grade 7000 series aluminum alloy is used for the side frame. The glass on the top and back is tough tempered glass that is also used on the back of the iPhone 13 series. In response to the expectations of iPhone SE users who prefer to use their familiar smartphones for a long time, the new-generation model has improved "ruggedness" as well as performance. The home button with a built-in Touch ID fingerprint sensor is inherited by the 3rd generation iPhone SE. From iOS 15.4, iPhones equipped with the face recognition system Face ID will also be able to unlock the screen while wearing a mask, so the author redesigned the iPhone SE at this timing and the front of the main unit I expected to pass the guidance to the home button of. However, it seems that there are still strong voices from users not only in Japan but also in the world asking for an iPhone with a home button. ■ Advantages of installing the latest A15 Bionic chip Let's unravel the advantages of installing the A15 Bionic chip in the new iPhone SE. Comparing the processing performance of the chip with the iPhone 8 equipped with the A11 Bionic chip released in 2017, the iPhone SE has achieved a CPU speed of about 1.8 times and a GPU speed of about 2.2 times. Especially if you are using an iPhone earlier than the iPhone 8, you can take this opportunity to buy a new iPhone SE and feel the comfort of operation. The author also touched the actual machine and got a response that the response was improved from the start of the application to the playback of the content. Verify enhanced battery performance! The A15 Bionic chip is equipped with a 16-core Neural Engine that mainly performs AI processing. Its processing performance is about 26 times faster than the iPhone 8 with the A11 Bionic. Its true value is well reflected in the "translation function of iOS 15" introduced in the series "iPhone TIPS" by Atsushi Takahashi. To use the translation function, set General> Language and Region> Text Recognition Display to "On" from the iOS settings. When you start the iPhone camera and point the lens at the subject of the text, an icon is displayed at the edge of the frame, and when you tap the icon, you can use "live text" that recognizes the text and automatically converts it to digital text. Unfortunately, this function does not yet support automatic recognition of Japanese text, but it is still convenient at this point because it allows you to scan English documents with the iPhone camera for quick translation and web search. In some cases, Japanese can also recognize characters on a word-by-word basis and translate them into English. The new features of iOS 15 with these AI processes worked crisply on the new iPhone SE. ■ 5G support was still comfortable 5G has gradually expanded its connection area even in Japan, and there are more situations where you can realize the benefits of high-speed, large-capacity communication. The 5G communication supported by the 3rd generation iPhone SE is limited to the Sub6 frequency band, and the theoretical communication throughput is slightly inferior to the 4x4 MIMO of the iPhone 13 series, but it supports 2x2 MIMO, but it still exceeds 4G LTE. The benefits of communication speed and stability are likely to be sufficient. When I measured it in the neighborhood where 5G area conversion was completed, the average communication speed of 100-120Mbps was stable on the downlink side. Like the iPhone 13 series, the iPhone SE has a smart data mode that automatically switches to a 4G LTE connection to save battery when you don't get a noticeable speed when connecting to 5G. Enter mobile communication from iOS settings and select the main line mobile communication plan. Select "5G Auto" from "Voice Calls and Data". Perhaps the default is 5G Auto, but if "5G On" or "LTE" is selected, the battery will drain faster, or even if you have a 5G contract, you will feel the speed. It may not come out. Let's check the settings. ■ Long-lasting battery The 3rd generation iPhone SE is equipped with a power-efficient A15 Bionic chip, optimized for other task processing such as 5G communication. Therefore, the continuous drive time by the built-in battery is improved from the previous model. The new iPhone SE also supports Qi-compatible wireless charging, but doesn't support Apple's own MagSafe. However, I was able to charge wirelessly with a genuine MagSafe charger. Of course, the magnet is not fixed loosely, and it is not as easy to use as the iPhone 13 series, so be careful. Insert a SIM card into your iPhone SE and check your battery life for the day. According to the specifications, the 3rd generation iPhone SE can be expected to be used continuously for about 2 hours for video playback and about 10 hours for audio playback compared to the 2nd generation machine. Complete 100% charge before going to bed. After waking up, from 95% of the remaining amount, I tried to use the iPhone heavier than normal times, such as taking pictures / videos with the camera, playing music / video contents, playing games, etc. on that day as well as verifying the review. The remaining amount was 40% around 18:00 in the evening and about 20% around 22:00 in the evening. Although the iPhone 13 Pro that I usually use lasts longer, it seems that I can enjoy a smartphone life that does not feel much stress due to the low battery even with the iPhone SE. What is the camera performance you care about? ■ The usability of the camera has also been raised. The iPhone SE camera is probably the old and new model, and the optical system has not changed, but computational photography-related functions that make use of the latest ISP of the A15 Bionic chip have been added. With Deep Fusion, which brings out detailed information, and Smart HDR 4, which contributes to improving color and contrast and reducing background noise, you can enjoy stable photography. The photos taken outdoors in the daytime are not so inferior to the iPhone 13 Pro series. For movie shooting, the optical image stabilization is stabilized and the dynamic range when shooting at 30 fps is expanded. On the other hand, HDR video shooting and cinematic mode compatible with Dolby Vision have been differentiated as functions unique to the upper iPhone 13 series. Even more disappointing is that the iPhone SE doesn't have a night mode that allows you to take bright, colorful photos even in the dark. Because it's an entry-class iPhone, many users will find it reliable to take beautiful pictures even in dark places. However, when I actually took a test shot, the new iPhone SE enjoyed stable photography even in dark places thanks to the high-performance ISP of the A15 Bionic chip. The 3rd generation iPhone SE is also equipped with a "photograph style" function that allows you to take pictures with adjusted tones and warmth while keeping the skin of the person being the subject in a natural color. It can be used not only on the main side but also on the front camera, so I want to make use of it for self-portrait shooting. It is also useful when you want to take delicious food. ◇ The iPhone SE is a smartphone that fits perfectly in the pockets of jackets and pants, and has an excellent one-handed operation feeling. Around this time, I often enjoy games and e-books on my iPhone, so a large 6-inch screen is indispensable. However, after spending some time with the iPhone SE, this size also seems comfortable. The iPhone SE with the latest A15 Bionic chip should be comfortable with the features and services added by the iOS update for the foreseeable future. The selling price of the Apple Store is much more affordable than the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 12 mini, so I think it's easy to recommend it as the first 5G compatible iPhone.
Atsushi Yamamoto
