A Great Camera
It remains a bit unclear how much the camera in the iPhone SE has been upgraded over the 2017 iPhone 8 in terms of the physical hardware, but there’s no doubt that the A13 chip in the new iPhone SE makes it an entirely new ballgame compared to what came before.
A recent analysis of the new iPad Pro leads us to believe that, despite the spec sheets being very similar, Apple has in fact added a larger sensor to the iPhone SE camera, making it more on par with the one found in the iPhone XR. The iPhone SE specs do tellingly note “Autofocus with Focus Pixels” as a key new feature, which would be required to support the new Portrait Mode features, and was not something found on the iPhone 8.
So in the very least, you’re getting the same rear camera as the iPhone XR, plus the added power of the A13 chip, for $200 less.
Yes, the iPhone 11 still provides an extra ultra-wide lens, and it doesn’t look like the iPhone SE will support features like Deep Fusion and Night Mode, but it’s also almost less than half the price of the iPhone 11. If you’re a serious mobile photographer, even the iPhone 11 probably won’t be enough for you, but for most people who are only snapping casual pictures, the iPhone SE offers a fantastic single-lens camera, especially at this price.