How does Apple get away with a $500 iPhone SE when it has a single rear camera?

Spring brings a wave of budget phone announcements, and these affordable handsets are arguably more exciting than what the flagship market nowadays. The reason for this increased interest? These affordable phones have advanced so much that anyone thinking about spending their hard-earned cash on a device like the Galaxy S25 Ultra or iPhone 16 Pro Max might want to reconsider.

And speaking of iPhones, one of the most highly-anticipated budget phones we expect to see this year (actually, next week) is the iPhone SE 4. Rumors suggest the next iPhone SE will feature significant upgrades, finally bringing the device in line with modern smartphone expectations.

One persistent rumor in particular has many lifting their eyebrows: Apple may stick with a single rear camera. Apparently, Apple is still thinking of sticking to just one camera at the back of the iPhone SE 4. This is a puzzling choice for several reasons. First, all of the competition, like the Galaxy A35/55, the Pixel 8a and even the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus have at least two cameras, with the secondary one typically being an ultra-wide.

So, the question I’m trying to answer here is why would Apple do this? Is it one of those cases where the company thinks it knows what users want?

Well, according to a recent poll we did, some want and use the secondary camera (usually an ultra-wide) on their budget phone, but most claim a single camera with great performance is enough. So let’s dive in deeper and see how these additional cameras really perform and whether Apple could once again get away with a single one if it is good enough.

The SE 4's camera: Potential and promises

Okay, we have a single camera again, but what do we know about it? Maybe it is so good that users might not even need a secondary camera, although that’s a bit hard to believe…

Well, for starters, the image sensor is said to be 48 MP, just like on the latest flagship models. That’s the same jump in resolution that we had when Apple introduced the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. That said, there is no information about exactly what image sensor this will be.

If the 48 MP camera is the same as the one on the iPhone 15, we are in for a big leap in image quality, as that phone performed immensely well for a non-Pro device in our PhoneArena Camera score. Check out for yourself:



And these sample shots to give you a sense of the image quality:



In short, the iPhone 15 camera delivers significantly more detail, sharper images, improved low-light performance, and a wider dynamic range. And if Apple really ends up powering the SE 4 with the A18 processor (same one that’s in the iPhone 16), the camera improvements will be even more impressive.

The rumored 48MP camera would be a major selling point for the iPhone SE 4, especially at the expected $499 price. But does one excellent camera outweigh the versatility of multiple lenses?

Specialization vs versatility: How the SE 4 could stack up

So, we've talked about the SE 4's camera potential, but how does it measure up against real-world competition? Let's dive into some key rivals and take a look at how they performed during our camera tests.

Google Pixel 8a

The Pixel 8a is renowned for its computational photography. It comes with the same 64 MP main camera as its predecessor, but thanks to Google's algorithms, it delivers impressive results.



Based on our tests, its main camera has a 74 Photo Score and 71 Video score. The ultra-wide camera achieved a decent 20. The ultra-wide lacks the same levels of detail and images look blurry compared to ones taken with the main camera, but they are definitely usable.

If the SE 4 comes with the same 48 MP sensor that’s inside the iPhone 15, it should be better by a considerable amount, as that image sensor achieved a Photo Score of 82 and Video Score of 77 during our review of the iPhone 15. On the other hand, without an ultra-wide lens, the SE 4 wouldn’t score any points in ultra-wide testing, resulting in a lower overall score.

Samsung Galaxy A35 5G

The Galaxy A35 is the only contender that offers three cameras: a 50 MP main camera, an 8 MP ultrawide, and a 5 MP macro lens. The third camera (macro), however, is a bit infamous for being there just to lure in buyers by mimicking more expensive models, but in reality it offers sub-par image quality and lacks the versatility of a telephoto lens.

The A35 got a Photo Score of 76 and Video Score of 68 in our testing, while the ultra-wide got 21. Images with the ultra-wide are more than usable when you have the right light conditions.



However, the A35 disappoints when it comes to video stabilization. This is one area where Apple does tremendously well in, and with the new 48 MP camera we expect the SE 4 to have an edge in video quality compared to the Samsung. So, in a way, you are trading the ultra-wide for better video recording.

Nothing Phone (2a) Plus

The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus boasts 50 MP sensors for its main and ultra-wide cameras. While its main camera reached 72 points for photos thanks to good detail, fairly accurate colors, and less aggressive sharpening. It’s ultra-wide, however, didn’t do well at all, resulting in a score of 17 points.



Given the poor performance of the Nothing Phone (2a)'s ultra-wide lens, it's unlikely to sway buyers away from the iPhone SE 4.

It’s not just about the camera, it’s about the full package

So, after taking a look at how well secondary cameras perform, the conclusion is obvious. An ultra-wide camera can be of benefit, as long as it is as decent as those of the Pixel 8a and Galaxy A35. But when most people are looking to buy a phone, they don’t only care about the camera performance, they look at other factors too.

First of all, you have to consider which camera you tend to use more, which almost always is the main one—that’s why it’s called “main.” In other words, it weighs in more on the value of a camera system compared to the secondary options.

If Apple brings the 48 MP camera from the iPhone 15, it will arguably be the best in its class, although the Pixel 9a might change that when it arrives. Still, with the extremely powerful A18 chipset, the benefits might just outweigh those of a decent additional camera. Yes, you won’t get that super-wide perspective that the ultra-wide offers, but do you really need it so much?

While a vocal minority values ultra-wide lenses, our poll and the overall market suggest that a strong main camera, combined with Apple's ecosystem and other features, may be enough to make the iPhone SE 4 a success, even with a single lens.

So, to answer the question I asked at the start, Apple hasn’t been getting away with offering a $500 phone with a single camera, but I’m willing to bet money that this will change with the iPhone SE 4. The only phone that has the potential to perform better on the market is the Pixel 9a, but that remains to be seen.

What are your thoughts on this topic? Would you be satisfied with a single camera if it was as good as that of a flagship and the rest of the phone was great? I think I would.