Apple has launched the iPhone SE on Monday, and will start shipping toward the end of this month to early April. The smartphone succeeds iPhone 5c, but it will replace iPhone 5s as the entry-level iPhone.
Let's see if the iPhone SE is worth upgrading from the iPhone 5s.
Display
The iPhone SE, as well as iPhone 5s, has a 4-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 640 x 1,136 pixels and 326ppi.
Processor And RAM
The iPhone 5s has a now-dated A7 processor. However, the iPhone SE runs on A9 processor and M9 co-processor - the same used in the iPhone 6s.
"The 64-bit A9 chip ... offers iPhone SE customers two times faster CPU and three times faster GPU performance compared to iPhone 5s, all with gains in energy efficiency for improved battery life," says Apple.
Apple does not officially disclose the RAM capacity of its devices. However, reports suggest that the iPhone 5s has 1 GB of RAM, while the iPhone SE has 2 GB of RAM.
Battery
Apple suggests that the battery in the iPhone SE offers better performance when compared to the iPhone 5s. The new iPhone can offer up to 50 hours of audio playback, 13 hours of video, 13 hours Wi-Fi browsing, 13 hours of LTE browsing, 12 hours 3G browsing and 14 hours of 3G talk time.
On the other hand, the iPhone 5s offers up to 40 hours of audio playback, 10 hours of video, 10 hours Wi-Fi browsing, 10 hours of LTE browsing, 8 hours 3G browsing and 10 hours of 3G talk time.
Camera
The iPhone 5s has 8-megapixel (f/2.2 lens) rear-facing and 1.2-megapixel front-facing cameras. The iPhone SE has a 12-megapixel (f/2.2) rear-facing camera and a 1.2-megapixel front camera.
"iPhone SE has an advanced 12-megapixel iSight camera featuring Focus Pixel technology for fast focusing, an Apple-designed image signal processor, advanced noise reduction, third-generation local tone mapping and better face detection, all resulting in sharper, more detailed photos like the ones shot on iPhone 6s," says Apple.
The iPhone maker introduced Live Photos in the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus. The feature takes a short 3-second video - 1.5 seconds before a photo has been shot and 1.5 seconds after clicking the snap - which brings life to photos.
iPhone SE users will have access to Live Photos.
Design
The iPhone SE has the same design and form factor as the iPhone 5s. Customers who like the iPhone 5s for its compact design may take a shine to the iPhone SE.
Touch ID
The iPhone SE as well as the iPhone 5s has Touch ID, which allows to easily unlock the handset.
The latest iPhone has top-end specs similar to the flagship iPhone 6s. The iPhone SE is definitely a worthy upgrade for iPhone 5s users, especially for those who prefer a smaller 4-inch phone.
The iPhone SE has a starting price tag of $399 and will be available starting March 31.
