How to pre-order the new iPhone SE

how to pre-order the new iPhone SE 2020
(Image credit: Apple)

The new iPhone SE 2020 is here. Powered by Apple's blazing A13 Bionic CPU, the new iPhone SE will be available to buy starting Friday, April 24. If you're wondering how to pre-order the new iPhone SE before then — you've come to the right place. 

Pre-orders for the new iPhone SE are now live via the Apple Store. Although Apple Stores across the country remain closed, iPhone SE pre-orders can be made via their online store.

The new iPhone SE will cost $399 for the 64GB model, $449 for the 128GB model, and $549 for the 256GB model. However, if you have an older iPhone you're willing to trade-in, Apple will give you a trade-in credit toward the purchase of your new iPhone SE 2020. For instance, the original iPhone SE will fetch you $30, whereas an iPhone 7 will get you up to a $120 credit, which bring the cost of the new iPhone SE down to $369 and $279, respectively. 

Even without the credits, the new iPhone SE is one of the least expensive iPhones ever — you'd have to go back to the original iPhone SE to find a new Apple device priced this low. 

But in terms of performance, the revamped iPhone SE shouldn't disappoint. It features the same A13 Bionic CPU found in the iPhone 11 series of phones. Apple claims the A13 is 2.4x faster than the A9 processor in the original iPhone SE. It's also 40% faster than the A11 Bionic found in the now-discontinued iPhone 8. More importantly, the A13 has proven to be the fastest mobile processor we've tested.

In addition to the faster chip, you're getting better cameras in the iPhone SE than what the iPhone 8 had to offer. (The iPhone 11, with its multiple lenses, should outperform the SE when it comes to mobile photography.) The iPhone SE also comes in the same compact size as the iPhone 8, which should appeal to fans of the best small phones that fit easily in one hand.

Louis Ramirez

As deals editor at Tom’s Guide, Louis is constantly looking for ways to avoid paying full price for the latest gadgets. With over 10 years of deals-hunting experience, Louis price checks against multiple retailers and searches high and low for the best deals to bring readers. A born-and-bred New Yorker, Louis is also an avid swimmer and marathoner. His work has appeared on Gizmodo, CNET, and Time Out New York.