Apple surprised many by placing the newest A13 processor from the iPhone 11 range within the iPhone SE 2. However, the camera may be firmly in the realm of older tech, according to a new teardown of the mid-range handset.
Rumours have suggested the iPhone SE 2 may have borrowed the camera from the iPhone 8 or the iPhone XR handset and iFixit has reason to believe it might former. During its traditional teardown, the site found the iPhone 8 camera unit worked within the new iPhone SE and vice versa.
The sensor is physically smaller than the one within the XR and the site says any improvements in image quality over the iPhone 8 is “probably” down to the improved image processing capabilities of the A13 processor.
Apple hasn’t confirmed either way on the specific module it has deployed, but the weight of evidence does suggest the iPhone 8 camera is in play here. Given the overall iPhone 8 design is virtually identical to the iPhone SE 2, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the company went down this route.
Related: Best iPhone 2020
But what else can we learn from the ever-interesting iFixit teardown? Well the battery has the same capacity of the iPhone 8 (6.96 Wh), which is slightly-up on the original iPhone SE, but much lower than the larger iPhone 11. iFixit says many of the parts are cross compatible with the iPhone 8, but it’s not clear whether the battery is among them.
The site also says the 3D Touch pressure-sensitive display technology, which Apple has been phasing out from its iPhones, is gone here too. The site says this may have been a money-saving measure, in order to keep the cost of the iPhone SE 2 low $399/£419.
iFixit says the battery and the display, the two most commonly replaced, components are easy to access and replaceable given the correct knowledge and tools. Overall it gets a reasonably high repairability score of 6/10 from the site.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
