April 2, 2022
Image Source: Apple
Image Source: Apple
The new 2022 iPhone SE has been out for almost a month now and it seems it now all of the hype about has settled down.
The iPhone SE now has three new features: the A15 Bionic Chip, 5G, and Photographic Styles. And since this phone has an A15 Bionic Chip, does this mean that this phone will later support FaceID? No, and I'll explain why Apple will hold from adding FaceID support to the iPhone SE.
The iPhone SE now has three new features: the A15 Bionic Chip, 5G, and Photographic Styles. And since this phone has an A15 Bionic Chip, does this mean that this phone will later support FaceID? No, and I'll explain why Apple will hold from adding FaceID support to the iPhone SE.
Hardware Limitations
The iPhone 13 and the iPhone SE both use A15 Bionic Chip, meaning similar processing speeds for streaming music, video, or gaming. This also means they both can use Apple's FaceID technology, right?
The correct answer is no, and it's due to the fact that the iPhone 13 has something the iPhone SE doesn't have: a TrueDepth Front-Facing Camera. The iPhone 13 technical specifications page on Apple's website show that the facial recognition system works with the TrueDepth Camera located inside the notch. The iPhone SE, on the other hand, has a simple front-facing 7MP camera.
It's unclear when Apple will announce a new FaceID that doesn't require the complex setup of the TrueDepth camera, but a feature like this will have to require a large amount of processing power. And theoretically, FaceID could work on the iPhone SE, but it would put a great amount of strain on the A15 chip, resulting in decreased battery life.
The correct answer is no, and it's due to the fact that the iPhone 13 has something the iPhone SE doesn't have: a TrueDepth Front-Facing Camera. The iPhone 13 technical specifications page on Apple's website show that the facial recognition system works with the TrueDepth Camera located inside the notch. The iPhone SE, on the other hand, has a simple front-facing 7MP camera.
It's unclear when Apple will announce a new FaceID that doesn't require the complex setup of the TrueDepth camera, but a feature like this will have to require a large amount of processing power. And theoretically, FaceID could work on the iPhone SE, but it would put a great amount of strain on the A15 chip, resulting in decreased battery life.
The iPhone SE is a Budget Phone
For the past few years, Apple has always marketed the iPhone SE as a budget phone; it usually kept a very old iPhone design but it had the brains of the latest phone. For example, the current 2022 iPhone SE model looks like an iPhone 8 but it has the brains of the iPhone 13. And compromises have to be made in order to get a cheap budget phone.
Apple, for example, will created a budget phone with the latest chip, but the phone will have to adopt a look from an old iPhone, have only a single rear camera, and high-end features like FaceID, better battery life, and advanced camera settings will not be available. This doesn't mean the next generations of the iPhone SE won't come with these features. The "high-end" features will become "normal" because they will be cheap to sell. For example, the next iPhone SE will adopt either the iPhone XS or iPhone XR and it will support FaceID, which will become cheaper for Apple to market.
Apple, for example, will created a budget phone with the latest chip, but the phone will have to adopt a look from an old iPhone, have only a single rear camera, and high-end features like FaceID, better battery life, and advanced camera settings will not be available. This doesn't mean the next generations of the iPhone SE won't come with these features. The "high-end" features will become "normal" because they will be cheap to sell. For example, the next iPhone SE will adopt either the iPhone XS or iPhone XR and it will support FaceID, which will become cheaper for Apple to market.
The iPhone SE is Still a Great Phone
Despite it not having more high-end features, the iPhone SE satisfies people who can't afford the iPhone 12 and 13. But the iPhone SE has some features that distinguishes it from other iPhones:
the iPhone SE and the iPod touch 7 are the only phones with home buttons that Apple sells, excluding the refurbished iPhone 8 models. And the SE is the only iPhone that supports TouchID.
the iPhone SE and the iPod touch 7 are the only phones with home buttons that Apple sells, excluding the refurbished iPhone 8 models. And the SE is the only iPhone that supports TouchID.