Is iPhone SE Still Worth Buying? It’s been over a year since Apple launched its cheapest phone

Apple has launched its update iPhone SE in 2020 and at $ 399 (£ 419, AU $ 749), it’s still the cheapest iPhone you can buy new, straight from Apple. But the older ones iPhone XR ($ 499, £ 499, AU $ 849) is also still officially sold, along with the most recent iPhone 12 Mini ($ 729, £ 699, AU $ 1,199), as well as a plethora of affordable competitors running Android. So, is the iPhone SE 2020 still worth your time?

We will take a look.

Read more: How to buy a new iPhone or Android phone in 2021

What is the iPhone SE 2020?

It’s Apple’s attempt to provide an affordable iPhone option, with smaller specs than other phones released in 2020 but with a much lower price tag. Those specs include a 4.7-inch display, an Apple A13 processor, and a single 12-megapixel rear camera. Storage starts at 64GB, it supports Qi wireless charging, and there is no 5G.

The iPhone SE’s $ 399 price tag

At $ 399, the iPhone SE is the cheapest new iPhone you can buy, so if you’re just looking for the lowest cost, this is the way to go. While Apple has tried to make its iPhone 12 line more affordable, even the cheapest iPhone 12 Mini starts at $ 699 – a significant price increase over the SE.

The next cheapest iPhone you can get is the iPhone XR. It was released in 2018, but you can still buy a new XR from the Apple Store. It uses the older A12 processor, also starts with 64GB of storage, also has wireless charging, and also has a single 12-megapixel rear camera. That extra hundred dollars, however, gives you a much larger screen; 6.1 inches against 4.7 inches for the iPhone SE.

Apple only gave the iPhone SE one camera

While most phones launched last year tended to have multiple cameras on the back, the iPhone SE cut costs with just one. This is probably one of the biggest tradeoffs you may have to make, especially if you like taking photos with your phone.

While the single camera can take great photos – comfortably rivaling the much more expensive iPhone 11 – it lacks the flexibility and creative potential of cameras with multiple zoom options.

I love using the zooms on the more expensive iPhones, as well as the ultra-wide lenses to capture a lot more of the scene in front of me. As a photographer, I wouldn’t want to do without these shooting options, but they come at a price. If multi-lens setups are important but you don’t want to spend more than the price of the OS, you’ll need to consider an Android phone. Which clearly leads me to …

iOS vs. Android

While the iPhone SE is the cheapest iPhone you can buy, it’s by no means the cheapest phone. Many Android brands offer much cheaper handsets and generally come with more attractive specs, including multi-lens rear cameras, larger screens, more storage, and even 5G connectivity.

the OnePlus Nord N10, for example, has a 6.4-inch display, 128GB of storage, a good-quality quad rear camera, and 5G for super-fast data speeds. It can be picked up, without a SIM card, from OnePlus for just $ 300. If you are looking for the best value for money, you will usually find better specs for lower prices with Android.

The flip side of the argument is that Apple’s phones tend to age better, with even five-year-old phones capable of running the latest versions of iOS – with security patches to protect them. They also retain their value better if you decide to sell your iPhone later.

The performance of the iPhone SE

The iPhone SE shares many physical features and hardware specifications with the 2017 iPhone 8 except the processor. The 2020 SE is equipped with Apple’s A13 Bionic chip; the same hardware as the iPhone 11 Pro, much more expensive. And it shows, with references putting the 2020 SE leagues above the iPhone 8 and absolutely crushing the aforementioned OnePlus Nord N10.

It’s quick to use and powerful enough to handle anything you might throw at it, including most, if not all, of the greatest games on the App Store. It might be a budget phone, but its processor power means you get anything but a budget experience. It also means that your phone will stay usable for longer, being able to keep up with new versions of iOS as they arrive.

5G vs. 4G

The iPhone SE 2020 does not have 5G connectivity. This means that the exciting potential download speeds that you may have seen advertised will be out of reach with this phone. Of course, at its low price, it might not seem like a big deal now, but if you plan on keeping the phone for at least two or three years, you might feel different down the road.

Some rumors suggest that Apple might release a 5G version of the phone in September, but that might not happen until next year. And it’s unlikely to come with the same cheap price if we get one.

So your decision here is whether or not you really want 5G in your life. If you do, you’ll have to look elsewhere. That will mean looking at Android phones if you can’t stretch your budget to the iPhone 12 line, which has 5G.