iPhone SE 4: Proving one iPhone camera is better than four Android cameras – can Apple pull it off?،
This isn’t how I usually start a story, but if you’re considering pulling the trigger on a new (or used) $400-500 iPhone in the coming months, you might want to reconsider your decision. Especially if the phone you’re eyeing is called the iPhone SE (2022), or even the iPhone 13.
If leaks and rumors are to be believed, the iPhone SE4 (2024) is expected to become official in spring 2024 (possibly March), and this is expected to be the biggest upgrade in the history of Apple’s mid-range “Special Edition” line.
But as I have already covered the iPhone SE4On a more global note, I’m now here to talk about a specific part of the phone that has become the center of attention when it comes to each new smartphone release: the camera.
Since my August story, one important detail about the iPhone SE 4 has changed a lot (at least according to an anonymous tipster), saying that Apple is now ready to equip the iPhone SE with what is essentially the same 48MP camera as the $800 iPhone15 instead of the same old 12MP shooter the company has been using for ages.
Why is this so important? Well, if you don’t care much about your cameras, it really isn’t. But if you do, you’ll be happy to know that the iPhone 15’s 48 MP camera is one of the biggest camera upgrades in Apple history, making it makes a potential addition to the lineup. iPhone SE quite exciting…
Moreover, soon, the Pixel 7a might no longer have the best camera in the mid-range smartphone segment. Oops.
Apple’s new iPhone SE 4 could have the same 48MP camera as the iPhone 15, potentially stealing the ‘best mid-range camera’ crown from the Pixel 7a.
With ultra-dated 12MP sensors on the back, the iPhone SE, SE 2, and SE 3 have never been about cameras. But the iPhone SE 4’s alleged 48MP shooter could finally change that.
I’ve never been a fan of the concept of multiple cameras on the back of a phone…
On the one hand, the zoom and ultra-wide sensors used by phone manufacturers are rarely of a similar quality to the main snapper, which creates inconsistencies – you always have to make a conscious choice about which device to use. photo best suited to which scenario. In many cases, the color adjustment of different cameras can also be inconsistent. Not to mention, seeing 3-5 camera sensors on the back of a phone is just… weird – sure, it’s “the norm” today, but I still find it weird. In short, I imagine that the best camera on a smartphone has a single, large sensor. with variable zoom and variable aperture, giving you a consistent experience at all times, and a cleaner rear design that better represents what smartphones are becoming, namely real cameras.
And while my single-camera dream solution doesn’t seem feasible yet (which is why high-end flagships still need multi-camera setups), I’d say the same doesn’t apply/doesn’t apply. should not apply to budget and mid-range phones. , who must reduce their costs to achieve a certain price target.
The iPhone SE 4’s unique 48 MP camera can make it the best mid-range camera phone on the market.
Could the iPhone SE 4’s single Apple camera be better than four Android cameras? Highly probable.
Sure, they all come with ultra-wide cameras, which is handy, but I’d say having a single flagship-grade main snapper would provide a more premium experience in this price segment.
In more practical terms, if your additional cameras are of poor/average quality compared to the main sensor, you will most likely resort to using the main camera in most cases anyway, especially in bright conditions medium/low. This makes the remaining cameras a bit useless AND takes away the ability to have a better main camera, which you use 90% of the time.
Not to mention, focusing 100% of your attention on creating the best possible camera would give phone makers enough time and resources to develop better algorithms, image processing, and tuning to give you the best smartphone camera between $300 and $500 possible.
In the context of iPhone SE4transitioning from a single 12MP camera to a much more premium 48MP sensor instead of a 12+12MP dual camera setup would also help Apple mid-range phone perform a trick called “sensor cropping”, giving you a 2x optical quality zoom “camera” without the need for a 2x sensor which could make the phone more expensive (while performing worse in low light).
I’ve always thought it was more practical to have a zoom camera instead of an ultra-wide camera, so having a single high-quality sensor that can act as a telephoto lens would be my preference (unless you can have both, of course).
Don’t even get me started on the extra 2-5MP “depth” and macro sensor in budget and mid-range phones, which are there to make you believe you’re getting more bang for your buck, when you actually don’t. This is really not the case. . This is simply an optical illusion (pun intended).
Why the iPhone SE 4’s alleged 48MP camera will be better than the iPhone 14’s dual 12MP cameras
Simple math: If the iPhone SE 4 ends up having the same 48MP camera as the iPhone 15, that would mean it has a (much) better camera than the iPhone 14.
And even though I think iPhone SE4 has a pretty good chance of stealing the Pixel 7a’s crown for “best mid-range camera phone” (due to Apple’s video quality and incredible photos coming out of the iPhone 15’s 48MP snapper), it It’s probably fair to mention the iPhone 14 – the most obvious Apple-made competitor to the upcoming iPhone SE4.In a word, if we think about iPhone SE4 As having the exact same 48MP camera as the iPhone 15, it’s a very simple call to make – I’d choose the iPhone 15’s unique 48MP camera over the 12+12MP cameras of the iPhone14 any day.
Don’t get me wrong, having an ultra-wide angle camera is sometimes very handy, but this year the image processing of the iPhone 15 is on a whole new level compared to that of the iPhone 14:
- Apple’s latest 48MP camera takes 24MP shots by default, which are industry-leading in sharpness and detail; no more terrible Apple processing, which was there to make 12MP photos look artificially sharp
- You get the super useful 2x optical zoom from the high-resolution sensor in photos and videos, as well as in Portrait mode, which is almost like having an extra camera (or at least a second focal length).
- Apple’s upgraded Portrait mode algorithm (exclusive to iPhone15) does an amazing job of separating your subject from the background, which isn’t exactly the case with older iPhones
- The improved HDR algorithm in the iPhone 15’s 48MP camera is a real game-changer when taking photos in difficult lighting conditions, like when the sun is behind you, or when taking photos of lights lively.
iPhone SE 4 or Pixel 7a – which will be the best mid-range camera phone of 2024?
Don’t underestimate the power of the A16/A17 that Apple should bring to the iPhone SE 4. This should result in a monumental jump in quality compared to the photos and videos coming out of the iPhone SE 3.
Overall, with Apple’s continued lead in video quality, it’s pretty easy to predict that the iPhone SE4 will take the best videos in the $400-500 price segment. But with Apple’s alleged move to a 48MP camera with per-sensor crop and improved image processing, the iPhone SE could finally become the default recommendation for the best camera phone in the mid-range.
That title currently belongs to the awesome Pixel 7a, which offers an exceptional camera setup for the price, but if the iPhone SE4 rumors are true, the Pixel’s ultra-wide-angle camera could very well end up being the only reason to opt for Google’s budget camera champion over the iPhone SE (2024).
