The iPhone SE is available for purchase today, and if you’re not one of those people who enjoy an uncomfortably large iPhone in your hands — and giving your thumb carpal tunnel syndrome just to text your grandmother — then Apple’s 4-inch iPhone is for you.
Apple has spruced up the guts for the iPhone SE to make it (more or less) equivalent to the iPhone 6s. This means that for $250 less than the flagship iPhone, you get a better battery than the iPhone 5s, the A9 processor chip (Apple’s latest generation), a 12 megapixel rear-facing camera capable of shooting 4K video and taking Live Photos, and access to Apple Pay.
The tradeoffs? Apple kept the better fingerprint sensor for the iPhone 6s, as well as the 3D Touch feature, but if you can live without the window dressing (or don’t have Shaq size hands) the iPhone SE is worth the purchase. Especially for those switching from Android, buying a phone for the first time or just savvy enough to stay on a budget.
The 16GB iPhone SE will run $399 or $13.30/monthly, while the 64GB model will run $499 or $16.64/monthly. The iPhone SE will be available in Silver, Gold, Rose Gold and Space Grey.
Here are a couple iPhone SE reviews from around the Internet:
“New iPhones are now introduced with such fanfare, such ridiculous levels of expectation, that anything less seems, well, less. And this much at least is true: the iPhone SE is not a tiny little engine of innovation. It’s today’s tech in yesterday’s phone body. As with anything, we should be wary of giving too much praise to something that’s just doing its job. But it’s also a job that literally nobody else is doing: being a small phone without compromising too much. For people who want a smaller or less expensive iPhone, the iPhone SE is just enough iPhone.” [The Verge]
“But after taking a closer look at the SE side by side with a newer iPhone, the biggest trade-off is the loss of detail in the SE display’s picture. The SE’s screen looks dimmer and the colors are more muted than on the 6S, which significantly affects the experience of using the phone, for example, looking at photos or reading web articles. After weighing all the pros and cons (including the features missing from the SE), I personally would spend a bit more on the larger iPhone and say goodbye to the glory days of one-handed phones.” [The New York Times]
“The biggest reason you’d want this phone is because it’s a better size for your hand. So, in the absence of a shoe-measurement contraption for hands, how do you know the right size? After consulting ergonomists and physical therapists, I can report there is some science to it. You must weigh three factors, all of them trade-offs: What you can see . . . What your thumbs can reach . . . What you can comfortably hold.” [The Wall Street Journal]
“The iPhone SE is one of the more interesting products to get released this year. To be clear — it's not really a new product — but it's still interesting. I honestly never thought I would review another 4-inch phone. But here we are in 2016, and I'm rocking a 4-inch phone again. I still prefer larger displays — and I don't see myself going back to the classic design — but this is a great device, especially at $400.“ [Mashable]
“Women have notoriously tiny and barely effective pockets and the iPhone 6 and 6s jut garishly out of it—telling all the world that you’ve spent a lot of money on a terrible phone. It’s worst in the back pocket, where it’s subject to Bendgate. You can never, ever sit down with this thing in your back pocket. At least not without worrying about snapping your phone in two with your ass. Worse than the pocket horror is the miserable experience of using it with tiny baby hands. I’ve got those. I’m nearly 5'8, but I have the hands of a woman who’s just 5'0 tall. People gasp when they compare their hands to mine. Even my siblings join in on the fun. ‘We’re not afraid of your tiny baby fists,’ they joke. The 6/6s is just too damn big for my hands.” [Gizmodo]
“Me? I’m not going back to a small phone. Sure, it’s not as easy to hold in one hand, but my gargantuan iPhone 6s Plus is so much better for watching movies, so much more suited to reading books and long articles, so much more pleasant to type on, that I can’t give it up. The iPhone 5s, and by extension the SE, are for people for whom the smartphone is a tool, not a lifestyle. And for better and for worse, our phones are becoming extensions of our lives. And as we go forward, into virtual reality and the Internet of Things and the connection of every object and surface on the planet, our phones are only growing more important. I want a phone that does the best job of doing the most things. That means I need a bigger phone.” [Wired]
“When you look at the SE as a newcomer's iPhone, though, it all sort of makes sense. It's pretty cheap -- an enticing proposition for people finally ditching their flip phones. Its small size will also appeal to people who stopped upgrading their iPhones when they started getting too big. And most important, it's powerful. Apple fans itching for more of a game changer should sit tight until September; this thing was never meant for you. But if you're looking for a first-rate smartphone that won't break the bank -- or your hand -- the iPhone SE deserves a spot on your shortlist.” [Engadget]
