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Hands-On With Apple's Most Lackluster Smartphone: The 2022 iPhone SE
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I got this for my wife to replace her 2016 SE. She's delighted with the camera and the Touch ID - she has zero interest in learning FaceID - and as we don't have mmwave 5G here in the UK that's irrelevant anyway.
Added it to my business plan for peanuts - everyone's happy.
Added it to my business plan for peanuts - everyone's happy.
Lackluster? are you kidding? I'd pay more for this than iphone 13 , it has killer features like touchID, Home Button, and a full screen unlike the chipped ones being shipped with the prior.
Not really. I recall the older phones like Motorola Razr and Nokia were around the $300 price point so fixed for inflation, put into consideration this has much more antennas, cameras, chips, full screen HD and the rest I would say its about the expected price of a cellphone.
I'd still rather own the SE than a low end Android Phone. For someone on a budget or not technically inclined like older people this phone is quite good
I got the 2020 SE iPhone because, even though it was too expensive for me, it was the cheapest iPhone I could buy.
It makes no sense to me to buy a near identical model again two years later. If I had money to throw away on an iPhone, I’d have bought a better model in the first place.
So this is more about keeping the “bottom end” iPhone fresh for new customers than it is about believing that previous owners would upgrade.
It makes no sense to me to buy a near identical model again two years later. If I had money to throw away on an iPhone, I’d have bought a better model in the first place.
So this is more about keeping the “bottom end” iPhone fresh for new customers than it is about believing that previous owners would upgrade.
My wife and I have 1st generation SEs. For us, the issue is not cost, but size. We both like the 4" size. We also prefer the Touch ID to the Face ID. Our Touch ID worked fine during the pandemic. However, after all this time, our old SEs just don't hold a charge very well. My wife got the new SE and thinks it's great. The 4.7" size is the best we can do with an iPhone.
Don't assume that people who want an SE necessarily want a cheap phone.
Don't assume that people who want an SE necessarily want a cheap phone.
Me either, and if the new flip phone connected as well to my iPad as a hotspot like this phone does, I really would get the flip
I switched to the newest version because T-Mobile cut some of the LTE towers for 5G and 5G is working well. 3G is being shut down to give more capacity to 5G.
The 2022 iPhone SE is good so far but without surprises, as expected. At US$1.25 per month, it wasn’t a difficult decision.
For me this is a positive aspect of iPhone SE, not a negative aspect.
From a usability and app availability perspective I think Android is fine. But for me there two main issues
- no decent options in the iPhone SE size class
- iPhones have a much longer support lifespan
My Motorola StarTAC on Sprint was marked down from US$1499.99 to $9.99 in 2000. It was one of the last analog-compatible phones Sprint had.
I was thinking of getting the SE 2022 up until now, but after reading and watching other videos on the SE 3 and comparisons with the SE 2, I think I will stick with my current 2020 model, as was said it is the same iPhone bar a couple of changes.
Apple last week introduced the 2022 iPhone SE, an upgraded version of its low-cost smartphone. The 2022 iPhone SE looks identical to the 2020 model, featuring only internal upgrades, and it is arguably Apple's most lackluster iPhone. So who is it for? Read on to find out what we think.
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If you've seen the 2020 iPhone SE, well, you've seen the 2022 version. Apple has not made any exterior updates, and it still looks like the iPhone 8 that was introduced in 2017. This five-year-old design features thick top and bottom bezels along with a Touch ID Home button. It's the last iPhone to continue to use Touch ID, as Apple has transitioned to Face ID for the rest of the lineup.
Apple didn't even spend too much time thinking about new colors for the iPhone SE. It comes in starlight, which is almost identical to the previous silver, midnight, which is not too far off from the prior black color, and (PRODUCT)RED, which was also available for the 2020 model. Apple did make it out of more durable glass, but glass is glass and it's still going to break when dropped onto hard surfaces, so that's not much of a reason to upgrade.
The new iPhone SE is equipped with the latest A15 chip, which is an upgrade over the A13, though it's hard to tell a difference in terms of day to day usage. Apps and games perform about the same, but the A15 chip will make a difference several years from now as Apple develops new versions of iOS and new features that require more processing power.
There's a single-lens 12-megapixel rear camera that has updated features like Smart HDR 4 and Photographic Styles powered by the A15, but when looking at photos from the 2020 and 2022 iPhone SE models side by side, there's little difference in quality. Battery life is also about the same.
The other major difference between the 2020 iPhone SE and the upgraded model is support for sub-6GHz 5G networks. 5G is still in its infancy, so 5G support is important for future proofing. The new SE doesn't support the fastest mmWave 5G speeds that are mostly limited to more urban areas, but it does work with the wider spread sub-6GHz bands that are going to expand worldwide in the coming years.
From the perspective of Apple enthusiasts who look forward to the latest and greatest each year, the iPhone SE is a disappointing phone, but that's not who it's for. Apple made the iPhone SE for the people who don't care about phones, those who just want a smartphone that's fast, simple, reliable, and most importantly, cheap.
At $429 the iPhone SE is more expensive than the prior-generation model, but in six months or so, it should come down in price with various carrier discounts and deals. It's the go-to phone for those who are upgrading from something like an iPhone 6, iPhone 7, or iPhone 8, because it's familiar and it's going to last for quite a few years to come.
Article Link: Hands-On With Apple's Most Lackluster Smartphone: The 2022 iPhone SE
Really Apple needed to give this target audience more with this version of the iPhone SE, not bump up the price to give us more of the same, the introduction of this device so close to the 2020 model with the same look and feel I think Apple will regret, because I've seen the 2022 SE being sold alongside the 2020 SE which is obviously cheaper. The improvement of 5G, will really come down to if you get good reception for 5G or indeed if it is in your area or the places you visit?
I don't need more of the same right now and will be waiting for more of an upgraded iPhone SE from Apple, the analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said that an "iPhone SE Plus with a full-screen design, no Face ID, and a Touch ID fingerprint sensor built into the power button on the side of a device" is in the works, plus other analysts have said that a "2024 iPhone SE will have a 5.7 to 6.1-inch display and a hole-punch camera". Could this new SE also be modelled on the failed 2020 and 2021 iPhone mini as well?
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I'm not sure about that. Generally speaking, I don't think the target audience is the type to change their phone every 1-2 years. I think they'd want to use the phone for 4-5 years. So a 4 year cycle for major refreshes (2020, 2024, etc), with a minor refresh 2 years into that cycle (2022, 2026, etc) seems reasonable to me.
You have pretty much described me! For both cost and environmental reasons, I want my phones to last as long as possible (well, maybe not quite absolutely as long as possible, I do get tempted by new features occasionally, but 4 - 5 years does seem a sensible and sustainable lifespan to aim for).
With my SE 2 now coming up to its 2nd birthday, you can probably work out both what my next iPhone is likely to be (it will have under-screen Touch ID or a smaller sized Touch ID button by then, won't it? ?
) and which model I had before that…
I am not sure what you mean by analog phone , maybe the old network prior to GSM, I think it was called CDMA. Maybe your memory is failing you, but StarTAC was released in 1996 and prices of cellphones highly reduced from 96 to 2000 , $1500 in 2000 was a crazy price point in comparison Nokia 3310 I believe released around 2000 and costs like $160.
Maybe my memory isn't failing me. Thet were a number of StarTAC models, including the one that I bought in September of 2000.
CDMA was more modern and more secure than GSM and neither had to do with analog cellular technology.
More likely it would be based on the 11 with a faster processor, 5g and everything else remaining the same.
It is lackluster. That's why Apple has already slashed production and ramped up production of the 13. Nobody wants the lackluster SE.
Low Demand Is Forcing Apple To Slash iPhone SE 5G Production
Apple’s new iPhone SE 5G was supposed to be a way for customers who wanted an iPhone with 5G to get their hands on the device without...
www.ubergizmo.com
It is lackluster. That's why Apple has already slashed production and ramped up production of the 13. Nobody wants the lackluster SE.
Low Demand Is Forcing Apple To Slash iPhone SE 5G Production
Apple’s new iPhone SE 5G was supposed to be a way for customers who wanted an iPhone with 5G to get their hands on the device without...
if its lackluster why are they selling it for 6 years?
I see that social skills are not your strong suit. @MacBH928 said nothing that required a personal attack from you. He simply made an observation that required nothing but a polite and courteous response.
People here are glossing over the only important and useful sentence in the whole pointless clickbait article, or just didn't read it till the end.
"Apple made the iPhone SE for the people who don't care about phones, those who just want a smartphone that's fast, simple, reliable, and most importantly, cheap."
The iPhone SE was not made for the tech enthusiasts that populate forums like this one. This iPhone was made for people that just want an easy to use lower cost iPhone, or perhaps those that still want the home button. It has the latest A15 chip and 5G, and if it only makes up for about 10% of iPhone sales, that is still a crap ton of iPhones. If you deem that lackluster or a failure, then so be it. Don't buy it!
Here is an article about the 2022 iPhone SE that is actually worth reading, and entertaining.
The iPhone SE is forever doomed to fall short of lofty expectations
The problem with surveys is that people don't know what they're doing.
www.macworld.com
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Lackluster is a compound adjective that means what it sounds like: if something is lackluster it lacks luster; in other words, it is without brilliance, shine, or vitality. Think dull@MacBH928 said nothing that required a personal attack from you. He simply made an observation that required nothing but a polite and courteous response.
People here are glossing over the only important and useful sentence in the whole pointless clickbait article, or just didn't read it till the end.
"Apple made the iPhone SE for the people who don't care about phones, those who just want a smartphone that's fast, simple, reliable, and most importantly, cheap."
The iPhone SE was not made for the tech enthusiasts that populate forums like this one. This iPhone was made for people that just want an easy to use lower cost iPhone, or perhaps those that still want the home button. It has the latest A15 chip and 5G, and if it only makes up for about 10% of iPhone sales, that is still a crap ton of iPhones. If you deem that lackluster or a failure, then so be it. Don't buy it!
Here is an article about the 2022 iPhone SE that is actually worth reading, and entertaining.
The iPhone SE is forever doomed to fall short of lofty expectations
The problem with surveys is that people don't know what they're doing.