[iPhone SE3 Review] Nostalgic 'Old-School Vibes'... 'Latest Performance' Without Lag

'No Innovation' VS 'Cost-Effective Smartphone'
Smooth Gaming Performance Is an Advantage
Old Design and Lack of Night Mode Are Disadvantages

Playing the high-spec game 'Genshin Impact' on the iPhone SE3. One advantage is that there is almost no heating. Photo by Cha Min-young

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] Apple's budget smartphone 'iPhone SE3' has reached its third week since launch. As the third iPhone SE series, the market has expressed both fatigue over the 'lack of innovation' and praise as a 'cost-effective (performance-to-price ratio) smartphone.'

The first impression of the iPhone SE3 was a 'vintage iPhone.' It closely resembled the 'iPhone 8' first released in 2017. The demo unit was in the popular 'Midnight' color among carrier sales, showing a subtle black hue. It boasted a compact 4.7-inch design with a thin body that fit perfectly in one hand. The device itself was very lightweight. However, fingerprints easily showed on the rear glass with the Apple logo.

When the screen was turned on, the thick bezel was distracting. It evoked memories of the old iPhones as well as the nostalgic 'iPod Touch.' Despite the small 4.7-inch screen and wide bezels limiting the amount of information displayed, it was thin and light. Below the home button was a familiar Touch ID fingerprint recognition system.

We compared the bezel-less design of the iPhone XS (left) with the bezel-equipped iPhone SE3 (right).

The biggest advantage is the smooth gaming environment. I tried running the mobile version of the high-spec game 'Genshin Impact.' Even after playing for over 20 minutes, there was almost no heating. The lag (stuttering) that repeatedly occurred every few minutes when playing on the 'iPhone XS' was absent on the SE3. This is thanks to the 'A15 Bionic chip,' the same mobile application processor (AP) used in the SE3's flagship line, the iPhone 13. However, the battery capacity is small, making it difficult to enjoy long gaming sessions outdoors.

The rear 12-megapixel camera excels at portrait photography and captures daytime landscapes well. True to Apple's strength in portraits, it focused on contrast and contour details, which is positive. On the other hand, night shots failed to accurately reproduce both the color and texture of subjects. The corners also felt somewhat blurred. When zooming in, the image quality noticeably deteriorated.

Despite somewhat outdated design and insufficient camera performance, the SE3 is worth considering for gaming enthusiasts. Especially for those who desire the 'old iPhone' feel or want an iPhone smaller than the 5.4-inch screen 'iPhone 12 Mini,' the SE3 is a perfect fit.