Apple unveiled the iPhone SE nearly two years ago as a compact phone with internals of the latest generation iPhone. It used the same body as of the iPhone 5, it marked the third device to use the design after the iPhone 5S. Initially, it was marked as a expensive device for people with small hands or people who generally prefer to use tiny phones. However, Apple slashed the price of the phone drastically over the months and it instantly turned a lot of heads.
No offence to the latest iPhone XS and the iPhone XR but the iPhone SE is still a great device if it suits your requirements. Few months ago, I bought the 32GB model for $230 (USD) which for me is a great deal considering the fact that I get to use iMessages. Also, I have always loved compact phones as they fit in pockets easily and they rarely fall from hands while sleeping and using.
Performance and Battery Life
Also, the iPhone SE is a decent device when it comes to general performance and battery life. The device sports Apple’s A9 chip which will work decently at-least for the next 2 years and it coupled with 2GB of RAM is good enough to run basic apps. Additionally, iOS is a great operating system: its memory management and CPU management are cut above their counterpart (Android).
Battery life is great because it uses the efficient chip from the iPhone 6S while using the tiny iPhone 5 display. So, the chip is powering a sub 720p display and at the same time consuming very less power from the battery. In general, if the device is moderately used, it will last till the end of the day. However, I keep my location services turned on and use apps like Snapchat, Instagram which drain the battery heavily and I have to charge my phone around 5PM.
Let me take a selfie
The back camera on the iPhone SE is fantastic if the price is taken into consideration. It sports a 12MP sensor coupled with dual “true tone” flash and the results are just amazing, something you won’t be able to capture from any sub $350 smartphones (maybe one or two). However, the front camera is terrible as it uses the same sensor found on the iPhone 5S i.e a 1.2MP sensor. Selfies are garbage when compared to the iPhone 7 but if you mostly click pics in sufficient light, you should be okay.
If you’re looking at entering the Apple ecosystem, the iPhone SE is the best way as its cheap and offers bang for the buck. There are definitely some compromises like smaller display and slower TouchID, all of which are fine with me. Will you be happy though? You decide.