MacRumors

The UK's National Health Service (NHS) is moving forward with plans to create an app for tracking coronavirus exposure that does not rely on APIs created by Apple and Google, reports the BBC.

Apple and Google's coronavirus tracking solution is decentralized for privacy purposes, while the UK wants a centralized solution. In the UK's version, the app logs data when people are near one another, using a computer server to determine who to send alerts to when a person is diagnosed with coronavirus.

Apple and Google's coronavirus API, by contrast, does not involve a central computer for routine collection of data and determination of contacts. Instead, only when a person has tested positive for coronavirus and consents to having their data uploaded to servers run by Apple and Google does information leave the user's phone. Once the user identifies his or herself as having tested positive, their anonymized identifiers will be added to the list downloaded by all other users, where any previous contact will be determined on-device.

The decentralized approach prevents government entities or malicious people from using server logs to track individuals and identify social interactions, but the NHS argues that a centralized approach will provide more insight into how COVID-19 spreads and it will allow for more control over who receives notifications.

"One of the advantages is that it's easier to audit the system and adapt it more quickly as scientific evidence accumulates," Prof Christophe Fraser, one of the epidemiologists advising NHSX, told the BBC.

"The principal aim is to give notifications to people who are most at risk of having got infected, and not to people who are much lower risk. It's probably easier to do that with a centralised system."

The UK has been pursuing its own tracking solution since before Apple and Google announced plans to build a coronavirus tracking solution that can be utilized by governments and health agencies worldwide.

Both the Apple/Google tracking APIs and the UK's separately developed app use Bluetooth, but without using the Apple/Google API, the NHS's app has to work around Bluetooth privacy limitations that prevent apps from accessing Bluetooth when running in the background.

According to the NHSX (The NHS's digital innovation unit), its engineers have found a way to make the app work "sufficiently well" on iPhones even when the app is not active on the screen. The solution involves waking the app up in the background each time the iPhone detects another device running the same software, with the app then executing code before returning to a dormant state.

This is more battery intensive than Apple's solution, which allows Bluetooth-based communication to happen in the background without an app needing to activate.

Several other countries were also pursuing contact tracing apps that did not use Apple and Google's technology, but have since agreed to adopt the decentralized tracking APIs. Germany, for example, was creating its own app that would use a centralized server design, but Apple refused to support Germany's plan and it saw heavy criticism from scientists. Along with the UK, France is also pursuing a COVID-19 tracking app that uses a centralized server, and has even asked Apple to ease Bluetooth restrictions.

Australia recently released a COVIDSafe app that does not use Apple's APIs, and issues with Bluetooth and Low Power Mode can prevent it from working. The app has to send push notifications to people to remind them to open it every once in a while, and it can cease to work if there are too many other Bluetooth apps running. It also results in more battery drain than normal, and in some situations, such as on public transport, users are instructed to leave the app open and running.

Apple and Google plan to debut their exposure notification APIs in a beta capacity this week, which will allow public health authorities that have begun developing apps to deploy them. Last week, the two companies announced a number of privacy-focused changes to further protect users and prevent location-based tracking.

iFixit has published its full teardown of the new iPhone SE, confirming that the device has many similar or identical components as the iPhone 8, including the display, battery, cameras, Taptic Engine, SIM tray, and more.

The new iPhone SE appears to have the same 12-megapixel rear camera sensor as the iPhone 8, with the benefit of the A13 chip's improved image signal processor, as Rene Ritchie mentioned earlier this month. iFixit also found that the front-facing camera sensor on the new iPhone SE and the iPhone 8 are interchangeable.

While the new iPhone SE and the iPhone 8 have virtually identical display assemblies, Apple has removed the 3D Touch module from the iPhone SE. iFixit even tested the new iPhone SE with an iPhone 8 display and found that 3D Touch still did not work, suggesting that the feature is disabled at the software level on the device.

The teardown also confirms reports that the new iPhone SE has a 1,821 mAh battery capacity, identical to the iPhone 8.

The new iPhone SE has been available to order on Apple.com since April 17 and began arriving to customers on April 24. Pricing starts at $399 for 64GB of storage, with 128GB and 256GB options available for $449 and $549 respectively.

Apple plans to launch its iPhone 12 lineup this year, but mass production of the devices will be delayed by around a month due to the global health crisis, according to The Wall Street Journal. The report claims that Apple is also slashing the number of iPhones that it plans to make in the second half of this year by as much as 20 percent.

Apple typically unveils new high-end iPhones in September. While a one month delay to production does not sound significant enough to impact that timeframe, rumors suggest that at least one model might not be available to order until October or November.

Apple is planning four 5G-enabled iPhones, including one 5.4-inch model, two 6.1-inch models, and one 6.7-inch model, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and other sources. All four models are expected to feature OLED displays, flatter edges like recent iPad Pro models, and a smaller notch. High-end models are also expected to feature a LiDAR sensor.

Economic Daily News on Monday revived rumors that this year's 5G iPhone will feature under-display fingerprint scanner technology.

According to a machine translation of EDN's Chinese-language report, touch panel maker GIS, OLED display maker BOE and Qualcomm are collaborating on the ultrasonic technology, which could feature in at least one of the high-end models in Apple's ‌5G iPhone‌ lineup.

EDN was a source of rumors last year that one of Apple's 2020 iPhones could have an under-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanner. Those reports claimed that Apple would use Qualcomm's ultrasonic fingerprint sensor technology in at least one iPhone model set to be released in 2020, although the timeframe could be pushed back to 2021.

Those rumors also lined up with reports last year from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Barclays analysts, Bloomberg, and others who said they expect Apple to release an ‌iPhone‌ with both Face ID and under-display fingerprint authentication in 2020 or 2021.

However, rumors and leaks this year have not indicated that the technology will feature in 2020, and well-connected Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman recently said he does not expect under-screen fingerprint technology in an ‌iPhone‌ this year, suggesting Apple may have decided to push back the technology to 2021. The only other recent mention of fingerprint technology was by an anonymous Twitter account with a fairly accurate track record that said Apple is developing a new iPad Air with under-the-screen Touch ID.

There are currently two types of under-display fingerprint sensors, including optical and ultrasonic. Optical variants rely on light from a smartphone's display to create a 2D image of a fingerprint, while ultrasonic variants make use of high-frequency sound to generate a 3D image of a fingerprint.

Qualcomm already supplies ultrasonic fingerprint sensors for some Samsung smartphones, but future iPhones could potentially use an even more advanced version of the technology that works across the entire display.

Apple is expected to offer four iPhones in three different sizes this year: A 5.4-inch ‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌, a 6.7-inch ‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌, and two 6.1-inch iPhones. One 6.1-inch model and the 6.7-inch model will be higher-end iPhones, while the other 6.1-inch ‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌ and the 5.4-inch ‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌ will be lower-end models and successors to the ‌‌iPhone‌ 11‌. Apple is expected to launch the new models in the fall.

Germany said on Sunday it will use Apple and Google's decentralized contact tracing API, reversing course on its original intention to use its own solution to track the spread of coronavirus.

Last week, the German government said it would use its own home-grown technology for smartphone-based tracing of infections, based on a design that would hold personal data on a central server.

According to Reuters, however, Apple refused to support Germany's original solution, which came in for heavy criticism from scientists, not just for its mass surveillance style but because of issues with the system's methodology.

Germany as recently as Friday backed a centralised standard called Pan-European Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing (PEPP-PT), which would have needed Apple in particular to change the settings on its iPhones.

When Apple refused to budge there was no alternative but to change course, said a senior government source.

In their joint statement, Chancellery Minister Helge Braun and Health Minister Jens Spahn said Germany would now adopt a "strongly decentralised" approach.

Apple and Google on Friday disclosed a series of changes to their upcoming COVID-19 contact tracing initiative, with a focus on even stronger privacy protections and accuracy.

Apple and Google are now referring to "contact tracing" as "exposure notification," a secure system that is intended to notify a person of potential exposure, augmenting broader contact tracing efforts that public health authorities are undertaking.

Other countries that have been at odds with Apple and Google's initiative include France and the United Kingdom, both of which intend to use government-designed apps for contact tracing.

France has gone so far as to ask Apple to remove a Bluetooth limitation in iOS so that its app can work on iPhones, but the limitation is an intentional security feature and Apple is unlikely to compromise its software, especially as it is developing its own solution.

Apple and Google are targeting this week for the release of the seed version of iOS and Android operating system updates, which will support these APIs to enable testing by public health authority developers. The software update will support iOS devices released in the last four years, dating back to the iPhone 6s and ‌iPhone‌ 6s Plus.

Apple and Google revealed plans for its exposure notification initiative on April 10. The joint effort will use Bluetooth to alert users when they have potentially come in close contact with someone who later tests positive for COVID-19, on an opt-in basis.

In this week's App Recap, we've compiled a list of several apps released recently that are worth checking out. We've also compiled a second list highlighting some apps that received major updates this week.

New Apps

• Cosmicast ($7.99) - Cosmicast, a new semi-skeuomorphic podcast player available for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Apple Watch, has a very simple and intuitive interface. As podcasts are playing, podcast artwork spins in the center of a digital vinyl record and easy speed and play/pause controls are conveniently located at the bottom of the screen. The app also features an adjustable sleep timer and chapter markers that makes using the app even easier. Users can also have the option to change the app's icon with tens of different choices. Cosmicast is one of the latest apps to take advantage of Apple's universal purchases feature, so buying the app once will allow you to have access to it across all of your devices.
• Incognito - Private Browser (Free) - Incognito is a new browser built for ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ with user privacy in mind. After each session, all cookies and web data are discarded. The app touts having no ads, no third-party trackers, and the ability to keep your web history and bookmarks locked with a passcode or disabled altogether. Although the app is free to download, it can only be used for 14 days under a free trial before users must pay a one-time fee of $1.99 to have lifetime access to the app.
• Pager: Alerts for Reddit (Free) - Pager is an app available for both ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ that allows to you create and set custom alerts for content on Reddit. The app allows users to create monitors that match post titles and usernames, so you can be notified when your favorite artist releases new music or be alerted when a news story is released within seconds.

App Updates

• Darkroom - Darkroom, a popular camera editing app for ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌, was updated this week with a new feature that allows users to edit videos as well as photos. With the new update, all of Darkroom's photo editing tools can now be used with videos. Video editing is a feature that is included in the app's Darkroom+ subscription option, which is priced at $3.99 per month, $19.99 per year, or a one-time fee of $49.99.
• GameClub - Subscription-based iOS gaming service GameClub last week brought open world RPG Aralon Sword and Shadow back to the App Store. The game has received substantial upgrades to graphics since its early days on the ‌App Store‌, so fans of the original version will definitely enjoy the improvements.
• Messenger Kids - Messenger Kids, a Facebook app available for ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌, was launched in over 70 new countries this week and debuted several new features. Among the new features is Supervised Friending, which gives parents the option to allow their kids to accept, reject, or add or remove contacts. Additionally, Facebook is now allowing parents approve other adults to connect their child with other children through group chats.
• Twitter - Twitter this week updated its Mac app to let users set timelines to automatically stream new Tweets, thus removing the need to manually refresh. To enable the new feature, users just need to simply enable the "Pin to top" toggle in their timeline settings.

iFixit today shared a new report detailing which parts from the new iPhone SE can be replaced with those from the ‌iPhone‌ 8. This comes just days after a teardown video shared on Thursday by a Chinese YouTuber also highlighted many of the similarities between the two devices.

The report mentions that the 2020 ‌iPhone‌ SE's cameras, SIM tray, Taptic Engine, and the display assembly are all swappable with ‌iPhone‌ 8 parts. However, it is worth noting that True Tone functionality will be lost with any ‌iPhone‌ screen swap without access to a screen programmer.

The report also mentions that although some parts are very similar between the two devices, they aren't interchangeable. The home button is not interchangeable, so iFixit recommends substituting an aftermarket version of the home button or going directly to Apple in the event of a repair. The batteries on the ‌iPhone‌ 8 and ‌iPhone‌ SE look identical, but the report notes that the ‌iPhone‌ SE's battery logic board connector differs from that in the ‌iPhone‌ 8 and the two won't fit together.

iFixit was overall impressed with how the new ‌iPhone‌ SE uses several parts that many repair shops already have. iFixit's full teardown of the 2020 ‌iPhone‌ SE is currently in progress and is set to debut on Monday.

While the iPhone SE and Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro making their way into customers' hands were the biggest news this week, we also saw a ton of rumors about Apple's upcoming product line.

Confusion about Apple's plans for its AirPods lineup continues to reign, with conflicting rumors on models and timing, while we also saw some new rumors about a 23-inch iMac and an 11-inch iPad coming later this year. We also got an update on Apple's plans to start shifting its Macs over to its own chips, a major move for the entire Mac ecosystem.

Read on for all of the details on these stories and more!

Hands-On With Apple's New iPhone SE

Apple's new iPhone SE went up for pre-orders last week and is now available. We went hands-on with Apple's latest budget phone, so be sure to check out our article and video overview.

Similar to our own experience, early media reviews praised the iPhone SE for packing some of Apple's latest technology into a tried-and-true design, all at a budget price. It likely won't appeal to users already on Apple's recent flagship devices, but for those upgrading from an older phone or just getting their first iPhone and on a budget, the iPhone SE is a fantastic option.

If you're thinking about picking up an iPhone SE, check out some of the best early deals, and read through our guide comparing it to the iPhone XR, Apple's other current lower-priced option.

And if you're a fan of clever Apple ads, Apple's got a new one for the iPhone SE featuring the oddly satisfying task of peeling off the protective film from a new iPhone.

Finally, while there have been some rumors of a larger "iPhone SE Plus," most rumors had indicated it won't appear until next year, and noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is now even saying that it likely won't launch until the second half of 2021, later than his original estimate of the first half of the year.

Hands-On With Apple's New Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro

In addition to the iPhone SE, the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro has also started making its way into consumers' hands this week, and we've gone hands-on with the new accessory to share our thoughts on it.

As with many of the other early reviews, we've found the Magic Keyboard to be a powerful accessory that greatly enhances the iPad Pro's usability, although some will be turned off by the high price tag and its heft, which makes a combined iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard heavier than a MacBook Air.

Still, given the differences between the iPad and Mac platforms, those looking to do serious work with an iPad may be interested in investing in the clever Magic Keyboard that lets you do more than ever with the iPad Pro.

And just like for the iPhone SE, Apple's got clever new ad for the Magic Keyboard, entitled "Float," which features a colorful hummingbird investigating the iPad Pro setup.

New AirPods Allegedly Ready to Launch, Possibly Next Month

AirPods rumors have been all over the place, and several reports over the past week haven't done much to clear up the confusion.

Last weekend, Jon Prosser reported that updated AirPods are "ready to go" and will probably launch alongside an updated MacBook Pro sometime next month.

Just a couple of days later, hit-or-miss Taiwanese news site DigiTimes claimed that updated AirPods with the same design as the current AirPods Pro but without active noise cancellation have been pushed back from a May launch to the second half of the year or even early 2021.

And as if that wasn't enough, Ming-Chi Kuo has weighed in to claim that the third-generation AirPods won't begin mass production until the first half of 2021 and should look similar to the current model, while updated AirPods Pro won't arrive until late 2021 or early 2022. He does see some new earphones coming later this year, but believes these will be a Beats product rather than part of the AirPods lineup.

Lower-Priced 23-Inch iMac and 11-Inch iPad Models Rumored to Launch in Second Half of 2020

A report out of China this week claimed we may see some new sizes for a couple of products in the second half of the year, notably including a 23-inch iMac.

The report also claims that there will be a new 11-inch iPad, although there's some confusion about whether the report is referring to an iPad or an iPad Air.

Well-connected Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman also held a Periscope session where he said that Apple is planning a "substantial" iMac refresh this year, while also touching on a number of other product updates including a 14-inch MacBook Pro, a smaller HomePod, an updated Apple TV, an AirPower-like charging mat, AirTags, and more.

Bloomberg: Apple's First ARM Mac to Launch by 2021 With 12-Core Processor

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman this week also added some more details to his long-standing claim that Apple is working to launch Macs based on its own ARM-based chips rather than Intel processors. He claims Apple is working on three different Mac processors based on the A14 chip that will be found in flagship iPhones later this year.

Gurman says the first Apple-designed Mac chip will include a total of 12 cores, including eight high-performance cores and four energy-efficient cores designed for specific tasks. Apple is said to be considering chips with even more cores in the future.

Apple Music Launches on 2018 and Later Samsung Smart TVs

Apple has been busy working with smart TV manufacturers to roll out Apple TV apps on their platforms, allowing users to access video content from Apple's ecosystem, but that effort is now expanding to music.

Samsung this week became the first smart TV manufacturer to launch a dedicated Apple Music app, releasing it for many models from 2018 and later.

We went hands-on with the new Apple Music app, finding it to perform smoothly and closely mirror the Apple Music app included on Apple TV set-top boxes.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Apple in April 2020 unveiled the iPhone SE, a new low-cost iPhone that marries the design of the iPhone 8 with the super fast A13 chip in the iPhone 11, all for a super low $399 price tag.

If you have an older iPhone, like an iPhone 6s, iPhone 7, or an even earlier iPhone, you may be wondering whether it's worth the upgrade to a newer device. In a nutshell, the answer is yes, but we'll walk through the reasons why in the guide below.

Key iPhone SE Features

• Same design as iPhone 8
• Glass body
• 4.7-inch display
• A13 Chip
• Single-lens 12-megapixel camera
• Touch ID
• Wireless charging
• Fast charging

Feature Comparisons and Upgrades

Same (non Plus) Size and Design

The new 2020 iPhone SE is identical to the design that Apple used for iPhones released in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, so those upgrading to the SE from the iPhone 6, 6s, 7, or 8 can expect a device that's the exact same size, weight, shape, and design.

The 2020 iPhone SE features a 4.7-inch LCD display, thick top and bottom bezels, and a Touch ID Home button with faster Touch ID responsiveness than was available in many of the original iPhones with Touch ID.

In older iPhones, the Touch ID Home button was an actual button, but as of the iPhone 7, Apple has been using a buttonless button. The button feels like it's pressing down thanks to haptic feedback, but it's actually solid. It won't feel too different from the button on the iPhone 6 and 6s, but it will have less squish.

Those upgrading from a "Plus" device like the iPhone 6s Plus will not be able to get a device in the same larger 5.5-inch size, as there is no "Plus" version of the iPhone SE at this time.

Colors have shifted, with the iPhone SE available in white, black, and (PRODUCT)RED, but black and white are similar to the well-known silver and space gray colors. There is one major, notable difference in the design of the iPhone SE compared to older phones - the iPhone SE features a glass front and back with an aluminum band sandwiching the two pieces together, while the iPhone 6s and other similar iPhones (with the exception of the iPhone 8) had an aluminum body.

Aluminum is much more durable than glass, so those upgrading to an iPhone SE from an older phone should be aware that the new iPhone is more fragile and can easily shatter if dropped without a case onto a hard surface.

For those coming from an original 2016 iPhone SE, the new iPhone SE is a good deal larger, but it is, unfortunately, Apple's smallest phone. The 4-inch form factor has been retired, and it's unlikely that Apple will revive it.

No Headphone Jack

If you're planning to upgrade to the iPhone SE from an iPhone 6 or 6s, then you need to know that there is no headphone jack on the iPhone SE. Apple removed the headphone jack from the iPhone with the iPhone 7, and subsequent iPhones have not included a headphone jack.

That means if you have wired headphones that use the 3.5mm headphone jack, you'll need an adapter that lets them connect to the Lightning port on the iPhone or you'll need to transition to a Bluetooth-based solution like the AirPods.

Haptic Touch Instead of 3D Touch

If you're upgrading from an iPhone 6s, 7, or 8, you might be used to the 3D Touch feature that lets you access hidden menus and other features when pressing a finger down on the iPhone's display.

The iPhone SE doesn't have 3D Touch, but it does have something similar - Haptic Touch. Haptic Touch isn't quite the same thing because there's no pressure sensitivity, but it acts in the same way and can accomplish the same tasks.

More Water Resistance

The first iPhone that was advertised as being water resistant was the iPhone 7, so if you have an iPhone 6 or 6s, water resistance is a major bonus feature that you'll get when you upgrade because you won't need to worry about using the iPhone in the rain, accidentally dropping it in a puddle, and other accidental liquid exposure.

The iPhone SE has an IP67 water and dust resistance rating, which means it is impervious to dust and can withstand being dunked in water up to one meter deep for 30 minutes. Waterproofing isn't always permanent and Apple does not cover water damage with its warranty, so it's still best to keep it away from liquids. If there is accidental exposure, though, the iPhone SE will most likely come out unscathed.

Wireless Charging

A glass body might sound like a downside when it comes to durability, but it does enable a feature that older iPhones didn't have - wireless charging. Wireless charging allows the iPhone SE to be charged using any Qi-based wireless charger, which is handy because there are tons of these chargers on the market now.

Wireless charging means an iPhone can be set down on a Qi-based wireless charger to initiate charging, with no need to hassle with the Lightning port and a cable. Wireless charging maxes out at 7.5W so it's not the best solution if you need power quick, but it's perfect for trickle charging during the day or charging the iPhone on a night stand at night.

Faster Charging

When you're in a hurry and have an iPhone that's close to dead, a feature like the iPhone SE's fast charging can come in handy. The iPhone SE can charge to 50 percent within 30 minutes using a USB-C to Lightning cable and an 18W+ power adapter.

You might already have a USB-C power adapter on hand if you have a recent Mac or iPad (any Mac or iPad power adapter that's USB-C can charge your iPhone with the right cable), but otherwise these components need to be purchased separately because the iPhone SE ships with a 5W power adapter and a standard USB-A to Lightning cable.

Luckily, USB-C cables and appropriate 18W chargers can be picked up pretty cheaply on Amazon.

Top of the Line Processor and Speed

If you have an iPhone 6, 6s, or 7, it's probably starting to feel slow, especially if you've upgraded to iOS 12 or iOS 13, which have features designed for more modern iPhones.

The iPhone SE, with the same A13 Bionic chip that's in the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro, is much, much faster than the chips used in Apple's older iPhones because chip technology has come so far in the last few years. Using an iPhone SE after using an older iPhone will be the most notable change because everything will feel smoother, speedier, and more seamless with no lag and other hiccups that you might be used to.

Apps will open faster, games will perform better, webpages will load quicker in Safari, you'll be able to open up the camera faster and snap a picture, and it'll just generally feel quicker regardless of what you're doing.

The A13 Bionic chip is the fastest smartphone chip that Apple has released. Just look at benchmarks comparing the iPhone 11 (which has the same chip as the SE) with the iPhone 6, 6s, 7, and 8. It's an incredible difference that you will be able to feel in day to day usage.

According to Apple, the iPhone SE's CPU is up to 2.4x faster than the A9 chip in the iPhone 6s, and the GPU is up to 4x faster. Note: If you have a 2016 iPhone SE and are thinking of upgrading, the processor in that device is the A9 that was in the iPhone 6s.

Improved Camera with Portrait Mode

Apple's older iPhones (with the exception of the iPhone 7 Plus and 8 Plus) all had single-lens rear cameras, and the same is true of the 2020 iPhone SE. It's equipped with a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera that isn't quite as good as the wide-angle camera in the iPhone 11, but it's close.

Though there's still a single-lens camera, Apple is using improved sensor technology in its modern iPhones, which means you're going to see better photos from the iPhone SE than you see from the iPhone 6s and other older iPhones. The camera in the SE is better than the camera in the iPhone 8, and seems to be similar to the camera in the iPhone XR.

People coming to the 2020 iPhone SE from an older iPhone can expect bright, vivid photos with true-to-life colors and Smart HDR support, which means much better detail in the areas of the photos that are bright and dark. It's not as good as the flagship iPhones at low light photography (there's no Night Mode), but it's a notable improvement over older devices.

That said, if photography is what you're going for, you might want to take a look at the iPhone 11 as it has two-lens setup with an ultra wide-angle lens, but for every day use, the SE works great. It's a fantastic smartphone camera at its price point.

The A13 chip in the iPhone SE lets it perform some computational photography tricks, enabling multiple features that were absent from older iPhones. The aforementioned Smart HDR is powered by the A13, and it also adds Portrait Mode for creating portrait images of people with artfully blurred backgrounds and Portrait Lighting for adjusting the lighting in those photos.

As for video, the iPhone SE offers a lot for the asking price. It's able to shoot 4K video at 60fps, the same as Apple's flagship iPhones, with optical image stabilization and some other useful features like QuickTake video for capturing a quick video by holding down the shutter button while in photo mode.

When it comes to the front-facing camera, there are definite improvements over the 1.2-megapixel camera in the iPhone 6, the 5-megapixel camera in the iPhone 6s, and the 7-megapixel camera in the iPhone 7. The iPhone SE also uses a 7-megapixel camera but with the A13 chip, it can do Portrait Mode and the image quality is much improved thanks to Apple's software algorithms.

More Storage Space

Apple has increased the base amount of storage that entry-level models get in its recent iPhones, and the iPhone SE is available with 64, 128, or 256GB of storage space. If you plan to take a lot of photos, it may be worth paying an extra $50 for the 128GB model, especially if you're planning to keep the iPhone SE for several years to come.

When originally released, the iPhone 6 and 6s were limited to 16, 64, and 128GB storage options, while the iPhone 7 was available with 32, 128, or 256GB of storage. If you opted for an iPhone with a lower storage tier like 16GB, the upgrade to a minimum of 64GB will be a huge relief because you won't need to manage photo storage and app installations as closely.

Good Battery Life

The iPhone SE offers about the same battery life as the iPhone 8, lasting for up to 13 hours when watching video on device, 8 hours when streaming video, and 40 hours when listening to music.

It's not as good as the battery in the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro, which lasts much, much longer, but it's going to be a solid improvement for most people coming from older iPhones with batteries that have degraded over time.

Faster WiFi and LTE

The iPhone SE supports Gigabit LTE and it works on more than 25 LTE bands, which is a major improvement over the iPhone 6 to the iPhone 8. Gigabit LTE means faster upload and download speeds on a cellular connection, while more LTE band support means that if you travel, your iPhone is more likely to be able to work in another country.

The iPhone SE also supports WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0, the most modern Bluetooth and WiFi specifications. WiFi 6 is faster than the WiFi 5 protocol that has been around for many, many years now, and while it's not used everywhere yet, it's definitely a feature you want on a phone that you're going to be using for several years to come.

The iPhone SE offers up to 3.2x faster cellular speeds than the iPhone 6s, and up to 38 percent faster WiFi speeds, but real-world speeds will vary as these statistics are based on theoretical maximums.

Dual-SIM support is also included so you can use a secondary SIM when traveling without needing to swap out the SIM, or you can set up two phone numbers on the same phone - one for work and one for personal use.

eSIM support, also exclusive to newer iPhones, makes it easier to switch between different carriers.

Tech Spec List

Our tech spec comparison covers some of the basic features of the iPhone SE compared to similar features in the iPhone 6, 6s, or 7, providing an at-a-glance overview of what's improved. Some specs, such as battery life, aren't able to be compared as older iPhones have degraded batteries and differences in battery life due to software upgrades over the years.

Other Considerations

Trade-Ins

If you have an iPhone 6s, 7, or 8 (or their Plus versions) you can trade them in to Apple when purchasing a new SE to get a discount.

Apple offers up to $80 for an iPhone 6s in good condition, dropping the $400 price of the iPhone SE to $320. Apple offers up to $100 for an iPhone 6s Plus, $120 for an iPhone 7, $150 for an iPhone 7 Plus, $170 for an iPhone 8, and $250 for an iPhone 8 Plus.

Apple even takes old smartphones from companies like LG, HTC, Samsung, Google, and more, so Android users switching over to an iPhone can get a discount too.

Ongoing iOS Support

Apple provides software updates for iPhones long after release, and even the iPhone 6s, manufactured and sold in 2015, is continuing to get the most recent software. But Apple does stop offering new updates after approximately four years, so the iPhone SE and the iPhone 6s are likely nearing their support end dates and probably won't be able to upgrade to iOS 14 this fall.

The iPhone 6 is already stuck on iOS 12 and doesn't have iOS 13 available, so getting modern software and the latest software capabilities is another reason to upgrade from an aging iPhone 6, 6s, SE, or 7.

The A13 chip in the 2020 iPhone SE is the same chip as the iPhone 11, which means Apple is going to support it for years to come. It will get a good four years of updates, which is great news for those who like to hold on to their iPhones for a long time.

Bottom Line

The 2020 iPhone SE is, without a doubt, the best value smartphone that Apple has ever released. It keeps up with the modern flagship devices when it comes to processing speed, and while the design is dated, it's still going to appeal to those who like smaller iPhones and prefer Touch ID to Face ID.

iPhone users who have held on to their iPhone 6, 6s, 7, 8, or even an earlier phone for size preference or cost purposes should take a good look at the iPhone SE because it offers solid hardware at an affordable price, and it is a significant upgrade over older iPhones.

The iPhone SE is the ideal device for those who are looking for a good deal and for those who like to keep their iPhones for many years because it's going to keep getting software updates for years to come, thanks to future proofing with the latest A-series chip and perks like WiFi 6.

Guide Feedback

Have a question about the upgrading to the iPhone SE from an older iPhone that we didn't cover in this guide or see an error or something that we left out? Send us an email here.

The iPhone SE had its official launch day today, with the first orders arriving to customers this morning. We picked up one of the new (PRODUCT)RED ‌iPhone‌ SE models and checked out the design and features in our latest YouTube video, which is worth watching if you're thinking of making an upgrade from an older ‌iPhone‌.

Despite the "‌iPhone‌ SE" name that hails back to the original ‌iPhone‌ SE that was released in 2016, the new ‌iPhone‌ SE looks identical to an ‌iPhone‌ 8, which means it has a larger 4.7-inch display than the 4-inch display included with the original SE.

At 4.7 inches, the ‌iPhone‌ SE is now Apple's smallest ‌iPhone‌, which may be a disappointment to some users who preferred the 4-inch form factor. The ‌iPhone‌ SE's design is one that Apple first introduced in 2014 with the ‌iPhone‌ 6, so this is a six-year-old form factor, and compared to newer iPhones, it's dated, but Apple has added some design tweaks to make it seem fresher.

Like the ‌iPhone‌ 8, the ‌iPhone‌ SE is made from two panes of glass sandwiching an aluminum frame. The all-glass design allows for wireless charging, but it does make the phone more vulnerable to drops than earlier iPhones that had aluminum backs.

Design wise, the ‌iPhone‌ SE has thick top and bottom bezels, with all models featuring a black face plate that minimizes the bezel design better than the white face of some prior models. There's a Touch ID Home button, and along with being Apple's smallest ‌iPhone‌, the ‌iPhone‌ SE is also the only ‌iPhone‌ with ‌Touch ID‌ in the current lineup.

Since it's the only ‌iPhone‌ with ‌Touch ID‌, it's the ‌iPhone‌ of choice for people who just don't like Face ID, and for those who want the familiarity of the biometric authentication method that they've used for years now.

Like its successors, the ‌iPhone‌ SE has no headphone jack and it does away with 3D Touch, adopting the Haptic Touch used in the newer ‌iPhone‌ models. With the loss of these features, though, it gains Qi-based wireless charging capabilities and fast charging, allowing it to charge from 0 to 50 percent in 30 minutes with an 18W+ power adapter and a USB-C to Lightning cable.

The new ‌iPhone‌ SE also has one of the best features from Apple's flagship devices - the A13 Bionic chip. It's the fastest chip ever in an ‌iPhone‌, and it puts the ‌iPhone‌'s CPU and GPU power on par with Apple's much more expensive iPhones. There's 3GB RAM in the ‌iPhone‌ SE, and the base model starts at 64GB, way up from the 16GB starting storage of some of Apple's older devices. For an extra $50, 128GB of storage is available, and there's also a 256GB storage tier for those who have a lot of photos or music.

When it comes to the camera, it's a little confusing. Apple isn't using hardware from the ‌iPhone‌ 11, and the SE appears to have the same single-lens camera as the ‌iPhone‌ 8, but with software improvements and computational photography techniques added by the A13 along with hardware tweaks, the ‌iPhone‌ SE takes better pictures than the ‌iPhone‌ 8 (and all of the older iPhones).

It has Portrait Mode and Portrait Lighting capabilities for both the front and rear-facing cameras despite the lack of multiple lenses, plus it has Smart HDR, optical image stabilization, and other built-in software features that put out some crisp, vivid images that are close to on par with the flagship iPhones.

Photos aren't as good as the photos you get with an ‌iPhone‌ 11 or 11 Pro because there's not as much versatility in focal length and there is no support for Night Mode. The ‌iPhone‌ SE struggles more in low and ultra-low lighting conditions compared to Apple's pricier iPhones.

When it comes to video, the ‌iPhone‌ SE can record 4K video at 60 fps, which is a killer feature in a smartphone at this price point. Videos recorded with the ‌iPhone‌ SE look great. We'll be doing an in-depth comparison between the cameras of the ‌iPhone‌ SE, ‌iPhone‌ 8, and ‌iPhone‌ 11, so make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors for that video.

The ‌iPhone‌ SE sports Gigabit LTE (on par with ‌iPhone‌ 11) and WiFi 6 support, and with the A13 chip, this is a phone that Apple has designed to work well for several years to come. It will get software updates right alongside the 2019 flagship models, and for those who have held on to an ‌iPhone‌ 6 or 6s for years, the ‌iPhone‌ SE is positioned to last just as long.

There are no bells and whistles with the ‌iPhone‌ SE, and it has an outdated design with ‌Touch ID‌, thick bezels, and single-lens camera, but it is a super fast meat-and-potatoes smartphone that's an incredible deal at $399. Have you picked up an ‌iPhone‌ SE? Let us know in the comments.

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple Watch launching on April 24, 2015. To mark the occasion, below we reflect on some of the key features added to the Apple Watch over the last five years.

• 2015: The original Apple Watch was quite slow and relied heavily on a paired iPhone, but it laid the foundation for the future of the device. Available in 38mm and 42mm sizes, the original Apple Watch introduced everything from the Digital Crown scroll wheel to Activity rings. The original lineup included the since-discontinued 18-karat gold Apple Watch Edition, priced up to $17,000.
• 2016: Equipped with a dual-core S2 chip, the Apple Watch Series 2 was up to 50 percent faster than the original Apple Watch. Other new features included a built-in GPS, water resistance up to 50 meters for swimming, and a two times brighter display. Apple also introduced a Series 1 model that was essentially the original Apple Watch with an S2 chip.
• 2017: Series 3 marked a major step forward for the Apple Watch with LTE cellular connectivity on select models, allowing for users to make phone calls, send messages, stream Apple Music, and more without needing an iPhone nearby. Series 3 models also featured an up to 70 percent faster S3 chip, a barometric altimeter for measuring elevation, and a W2 chip that made Wi-Fi up to 85 percent faster and up to 50 percent more power efficient.
• 2018: Series 4 marked the arrival of two major health and safety features in Fall Detection and the ECG app. Apple also increased the casing sizes and shrunk down the bezels around the display, resulting in larger 40mm and 44mm options. And with the 64-bit S4 chip, performance became up to two times faster.
• 2019: Apple Watch Series 5 was a relatively iterative refresh, with new features including an always-on display, a built-in compass, 32GB of internal storage, and international emergency calling on cellular models.

Looking ahead, rumors suggest that Apple Watch Series 6 models will feature sleep tracking, blood oxygen level monitoring, faster performance and Wi-Fi connectivity, further improvements to water resistance, and possibly even a form of Touch ID.

Today is the fifth anniversary of the original Apple Watch, which has soared in popularity since its 2015 launch. To celebrate the device's anniversary, designer Imran Chaudhri, who worked on the original Apple Watch team, shared some interesting tidbits about its development on Twitter (via TechCrunch).

Chaudri shared a reproduction of his original sketch for the Apple Watch's Home screen, with the circular icon shape inspired by the clock of what was originally called the dock. Prior to launch, the Digital Touch feature was known as Electronic Touch, for its potential as a "new form of emotional connection." The "ink" for drawing on the watch face was inspired by Chaudhri's graffiti days.

The very first Apple Watch prototype was built using a 6th-generation iPod Nano strapped to an Apple Watch band, created to demonstrate Siri and the Notification Center as key early Apple Watch features.

Many other interesting little tidbits were included in Chaudhri's reflections:

• The butterflies in the Apple Watch Motion face were dead when they were captured in images to prevent harming live butterflies. Chaudhri owns the blue one.
• The mechanism for the Loop straps was an evolution of velcro speedmaster straps worn by Apollo astronauts.
• The Solar Watch face was created as a way for Muslims observing Ramadan to quickly see the position of the sun.

The Apple Watch has undergone multiple changes over the course of the last five years, transforming from a device entirely reliant on the iPhone to an LTE-equipped watch with its own App Store that can be used in lieu of an ‌iPhone‌.

Major features have been added and refined over the years, with major leaps in processing power and the addition of health and connectivity features like the aforementioned LTE capabilities, GPS, ECG functionality, irregular heart rate notifications, fall detection, emergency calling, and more.

In the future, rumors suggest the Apple Watch is going to get even more helpful features like monitoring of blood oxygen level and sleep tracking, which will make it even more indispensable than it is today.

As a result of feedback from officials around the world, Apple and Google today have disclosed a series of changes to their upcoming COVID-19 contact tracing initiative, with a focus on even stronger privacy protections and accuracy.

• Apple and Google are now referring to "contact tracing" as "exposure notification," which the companies believe better describes the functionality of their upcoming API. The system is intended to notify a person of potential exposure, augmenting broader contact tracing efforts that public health authorities are undertaking.
• Keys will now be randomly generated rather than derived from a temporary tracing key, making it more difficult for someone to guess how the keys are derived and use that information to try and track people.
• Bluetooth metadata will be encrypted, making it more difficult for someone to try and use that information to identify a person.
• Exposure time will be recorded in five minute intervals, with the maximum reported exposure time capped at 30 minutes.
• The API will include information about the power level of the Bluetooth signal in the data that is exchanged between phones. This can be used in conjunction with the RSSI ("Received Signal Strength Indication") to more accurately estimate the distance between two phones when contact was made.
• Apple and Google will allow developers to specify signal strength and duration thresholds for exposure events.
• The API will now allow for determining the number of days since the last exposure event to better determine what actions the user should take next.
• The API's encryption algorithm is switching from HMAC to AES. Many devices have built-in hardware for accelerating AES encryption, so this change should help performance and efficiency on phones.

Further changes to the API specifications will be made over time based on continued feedback from public health authorities.

Apple and Google are targeting next week for the release of the seed version of iOS and Android operating system updates, which will support these APIs to enable testing by public health authority developers. The software update will support iOS devices released in the last four years, dating back to the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

Apple and Google revealed plans for this exposure notification initiative two weeks ago. The joint effort will use Bluetooth to alert users when they have potentially come in close contact with someone who later tests positive for COVID-19, on an opt-in basis. The companies have shared an updated FAQ for users with more details about the system.