Apple has a new, cheaper
iPhone arriving in stores Friday that
encapsulates the bare minimum of what we need in a smartphone. The latest
iPhone SE has a bright screen, zippy processor, quality camera and robust
battery life. It makes phone calls, too.
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Yet for most of us, that won’t be enough.
Year after year, the majority of customers gravitate toward more
expensive iPhones that range from $700 to $1,100. Even though we get
superfluous features we seldom use, a phone is more than just a phone for many
of us. Instead, it’s an investment in how we expect to do work, stay
entertained and connect with our loved ones. Some of us are even willing to go
into debt for what has become a status symbol.
This is all to say that Apple’s budget iPhone SE is for a
certain type of customer: the anti-consumer. You will probably want this $430
phone if you meet any of the following criteria:
— You don’t care about whiz-bang features like ultrafast
cellular speed.
— You correctly recognize that smartphone technology has been around
for so long that you should be paying less for it today.
— You don’t care about what the number of camera lenses or
pixels on a screen tells your friends and colleagues about your wealth.
— You only upgrade to a new phone when you truly feel you need to.
In short, the latest iPhone is for those who just want a
no-frills phone that works well for a reasonable price. If that’s you, here’s
what you need to know about it.
What You Get From a $430 iPhone
For this budget iPhone, Apple took the best parts of its more
expensive iPhones and squeezed them into the shell of an older iPhone with a
home button and smaller screen.
Let’s start with the highlights.
Like fancier iPhones, the new iPhone SE includes connectivity to
5G, the latest cellular network. In my tests of the device in the San Francisco
Bay Area, 5G data speeds were up to 20% faster than 4G. That’s not
mind-blowing, but it’s a nice feature to have as 5G networks become more
widespread.
The new iPhone also has the same computing processor as the more
expensive iPhone 13 models. According to the speed-testing app Geekbench, the
cheaper phone’s computing power was the same as the iPhone 13’s. That meant
apps and games opened in a snap and ran smoothly.
The iPhone SE’s battery was another strength. The phone’s
previous generation from 2020 had a subpar battery that was depleted by around
7 p.m. each day. I found the new model has enough battery life to last until
bedtime.
What You Don’t Get
Just as important to know is what the new iPhone lacks compared
to the fancier models. Here’s some good news: In my tests, the trade-offs were
minor.
One of the most notable omissions from the iPhone SE was
compatibility with an ultrafast variant of 5G known as “millimeter wave.” This
data connection, hyped by carriers like Verizon and AT&T, can deliver
speeds so fast that a feature-length movie can be downloaded in seconds.
The problem is that 5G millimeter wave technology travels short
distances and has trouble penetrating walls and obstacles. As a result, it’s
rare to even find a connection. People who buy an iPhone SE probably won’t even
know that it is missing.
The more noticeable disadvantage of the latest iPhone is the
camera. The fancy camera system on pricier iPhones has multiple lenses capable
of capturing more light.
In my tests, the iPhone SE took clear and vibrant photos in
daylight, but it didn’t do as well in more challenging lighting conditions. In
a photo of my dogs on a shaded path, the iPhone SE produced an image with less
detail and unnatural colors compared with the $700 iPhone 13 Mini. The iPhone
SE camera also lacks the special night mode found on the fancier iPhones for
taking photos in the dark. Using flash is always an option, though.
The most obvious difference was the screen. The iPhone SE’s 4.7-inch
screen felt constrained and looked dimmer compared with pricier iPhones, which
have displays of 5.4 to 6.7 inches. This was probably the most distinguishing
factor — if your eyesight isn’t great or if you spend lots of time streaming
videos, you will probably prefer a bigger screen.
Bottom Line
While there are some compromises when you spend less on a
smartphone, the new iPhone delivers more than satisfying results. The $700-plus
iPhones are better, but not 60% better.
It’s worth remembering that there are other strong phone
contenders in the iPhone SE’s price range. Those include Google’s $400 Pixel
5A, which has different pros and cons. In my tests, the Google phone has a
slightly larger screen and takes better photos in low light. But the Pixel phone
wasn’t as fast as the iPhone SE, and it may not last as long because Google
guarantees software updates for the device only until 2024.
In the end, though, both phones excelled at doing what we need
them to do — connect with the internet, place phone calls and take pictures —
at a fraction of the price of their higher-end counterparts. In an era where
the cost of just about everything seems to be skyrocketing, that’s something to
celebrate.
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