The year 2020 will be remembered as the year when the world is turned upside down. It is the year when staying at home makes you a hero, when the skies clear thank to the lack of pollution, and when Apple released an iPhone that is cheaper than some Android phones.

Just last night, Apple announced the second-generation iPhone SE. It is small, it looks like an iPhone 8, but it packs the same punch as the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11Pro Max. All for RM1,999.

Just think about it. For less than RM2,000 we are getting the latest and greatest mobile processor Apple has to offer on a smartphone paired with the highly lauded iPhone camera. It sounds hyperbolic, but the iPhone SE is really that good. On paper at least.

The device will not hit store shelves until next week. So, most of my opinion is based on the current iPhone 11 series.

Anyway, an iPhone SE for RM1,999, what’s the catch?

The body is said to be a glass and aluminium sandwich complete with bezels, a forehead, and a chin. I don’t expect the phone to be tough, but most people are going to slap on a case to protect it anyway.

The face of the second-generation iPhone SE looks like an iPhone 8, just imagine a classic iPhone. There’s no notch, and there is a home button that also doubles as a fingerprint reader. Very retro.

The screen is the smallest among the current generation iPhones, measuring 4.7in across. This is compared to the 6.5in on the 11 Pro Max, 6.1in on the 11, and 5.8in on the 11 Pro. The iPhone SE also sports a more traditional 16:9 ratio display compared to the 19.5:9 of it’s larger counterparts.

We are also getting a lower resolution Retina HD display with True Tone. However, that is fine because of the size of the screen. Nevertheless, it still supports Dolby Vision and HDR10.

On the inside, the iPhone SE reads like the iPhone 11 series. The brains is an A13 Bionic, which is currently Apple’s best for smartphones. This means we don’t have to worry about performance and capabilities for at least a few years.

It’ll play any game in the App Store and Apple Arcade too. Not to mention access to the whole Apple ecosystem of exclusive apps and features.

Surprisingly, the iPhone SE also has an IP67 rating for water resistance and dust resistant, wireless charging, and Dual SIM with eSIM support.

In the press release, Apple says the iPhone SE has “New Camera Experience Powered by A13 Bionic”. From what I can see, the camera on the iPhone SE is similar to the primary camera on the iPhone 11 series. It is a 12-megapixel sensor with an f/1.8 aperture Wide lens.

When paired with the Neural Engine of the A13 Bionic processor, we get a bunch of camera features: Portrait mode, Portrait Lighting, Depth Control, and 4K video up to 60fps. With PDAF (autofocus for sharp pictures) and OIS (stabilisation for videos and photos).

However, the selfie camera has taken a hit with only a 7MP sensor and an f/2.2 lens capable of 1080p at 30fps, compared to the 12MP sensor and f/2.2 lens capable of up to 2160p at 60fps on the 11 series. Still, the iPhone SE’s front camera retains face detection, HDR, panorama, and gyro-EIS (stabilisation) features.

Also, the iPhone SE only comes in 3 colours: black, white and (PRODUCT)RED. Again, we are going to slap a case on it anyway.

iPhone SE will be available in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB starting at RM1,999. I know, 64GB sounds small, and it is, but if I’m in that position, I will use some cloud services to expand my storage. And yes, Apple is giving away a free year of Apple TV+ with every purchase.

If the reviews are good, this would definitely be the smartphone I would recommend to most people who have the budget. Especially for younger and older folks. It’s straight forward, easy to use, and I doubt I’ll have to play customer support afterwards. Well, maybe a little.