iPhone SE Reviews: Blazingly Fast With Impressive Battery Life

[petsounds]

Pretty sure you had a defective Touch ID.

I've owned two 5s's in 3 years. Both worked 99% of the time. I actually prefer the old on to the new one.

Also think there is zero chance the iPhone 7 comes in 4 inch form factor. Apple didn't need the se as an interim product to fill 6 month gap. The fact it has top specs means this phone will be the top of the line 4 inch for at least a year. Hope I'm wrong.

Trust me, I exchanged three 5s's. None of them would recognize my fingerprints after a couple days of use. Delete, re-register, another couple days and then nothing. I just seem to have fingerprints that are hard to track. The first-gen Touch ID sensor could not cope. The first-gen Touch ID on my iPad Pro is useless. The second-gen sensor on my 6s, especially since iOS 9.2, has been like night and day. Works almost all the time, even right out of the shower.

I'm not sure if your second comment was directed at me, but I agree. I think Apple plans for the SE to be a year behind. I'd love for us to be wrong because I really want a 4" phone again.

 

[Eidorian]

Late for me but it looks like something I would have considered if I had not gotten a Nexus 6. Maybe I will get some for my girlfriend.

 

[Bananas Ananas]

I'm going to wait and see what the 7/7+ brings to the table and if the headphone jack is gone then I'll probably get the SE (unless they come up with some convenient connection that doesn't involve having to buy new cables or switch cables for people who still have stereo jacks) in September/October time or just run my 5S into the ground like I did with my 4 and then see what's on the market at that point

Bluetooth is pretty convenient–no messing around with cables.

 

[ISanych]

Well yes, obviously battery life will be a lot better when you are not obsessed about making thinner and thinner products each year.

Don't worry, they will fix it in the next generation

 

[Mac 128]

Perfect mom phone.

Depends on how old Mom is. I'd think a larger phone that's harder to lose, and easier to find in a big purse, with a bigger screen so they don't have to wear their reading glasses to see it would make a much better "Mom phone."

I think Apple plans for the SE to be a year behind. I'd love for us to be wrong because I really want a 4" phone again.

Apple can easily release another 4" phone when the 7 comes out. I'm not sure they will drop the price of the SE at that point, because it already costs less than the 5s did, so the 6 series of phones will just all slide down another $100 when the 7 comes out. But Apple could absolutely release a new 4" 7 in September that sells at a premium price, maybe $600. Of course, releasing it in the Spring between major updates frees up resources for Apple to better service a third design, and it also has the benefit of splitting the phone between current tech and future tech without having to add features from a next generation phone. It also allows Apple to boost revenue during a period where it otherwise slows. I wouldn't mind holding onto the SE for a whole year considering it's functionally equivalent to the 6s. However, if Apple is trying to line up all the phones for a single release, then we might have to wait until the 7s. And considering that the SE is the functional equivalent of the 6s, it could theoretically remain at the $399 price until the 8 is released and the 6s drops off the menu, though I bet it gets down to at least $299 before it's all over.

I believe the 7 will come in 4 inch also, so three sizes. Apple has realised their mistake. The SE will then be demoted to budget device in the Sept/Oct line up.

If the SE had been out the same time as the 6s I am pretty sure sales of the 6s would have been a lot lower. I actually think they may have made it too good value... Not that I am complaining! I wonder how long they will keep it around or if it is just a stop gap until they just have a 3 phone line up?

IPhone 7 will come in three sizes including 4 inch. Apple realised the mistake.

This is something I'm starting to believe too. The 7 will most likely come in all three sizes.

Or maybe the 7S will come in three sizes? I think waiting just a few months before releasing a new 4" would leave a sour taste in many mouths.. but if touted as a "new" feature for the 7 - a 4" phone, would make more sense.

If the 7 does come in three sizes then the smallest won't be the price of the current 5SE, they left room for a more expensive 4" screen phone

Zero chance they come out with a 4-inch phone 6 months after the launch of this.

 

[kazmac]

Wow... I'd happily use this in landscape mode, trading the smaller screen for that battery life and price.

I have to wait because of university, but lesson learned. If Apple keep releasing this form factor / price, I'll definitely hold out for this model.

 

[ISanych]

small screen with all of the efficiency improvements the 6 and 6s have received and slightly larger battery capacity, I'd expect good battery life. Interesting that it beat the Galaxy by so much.

Edit to add: I'm surprised that the 6S also beats the Galaxy by so much in battery life. From the chorus of complaints around here I've inferred that Android (which Galaxy certainly is the major player) has significantly better battery life than iPhone. Maybe there are smaller Android players that do or perhaps the complaints are just universal to modern smart phones but it would appear that at least the two leaders in smart phones have similar battery life (e.g. one is not double the other) and iPhone outlasts the samsung option by a good margin.

Well, there are different Android phones, my Oppo r7 plus could survive working week on single charge without watch and 4 days with watch.

 

[APPLENEWBIE]

lol no amount of marketing ******** is bringing back 4 inch phones. I guess they always have the rebel iwatch demographic to push more pointless products to.

Really. Apples marketing just convinced the old guy to replace his 5s with an SE. I've not upgraded for two years because I just don't like the larger phones.
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The main reason I'm not getting one is the lack of 2nd-gen Touch ID. 2nd-gen works for me 95% of the time, 1st-gen works for me 10% of the time.

my 5s touch ID WORKS Great. Rarely input passcode

 

[Karma*Police]

Same problem here. My 5S battery won't last a whole day in the field due to low reception. I'm hoping the SE fixes that with both better LTE reception and longer battery life.



I was going to ask if it was under warranty but you answered it already. Yes. Shame as I have the same issue on my 5S. Maybe I'll try my luck with an apple store or just take it apart myself and clean it out with compressed air.



I wish safari on IOS had adblock like my mac!

Have you looked at the ad blockers for safari in the App Store?

 

[Digitalmonkeys]

I'm thrilled to go small again. Now if it only had a back button. . . and a file and folder option.

 

[odoy]

Smaller screen, less pixels to push = longer battery. Thickness really has nothing to do with it.

No? and why 6s has the same capacity as the 5se? they make a bigger and simultaneous thicker device and the result is not enough space for a reasonable battery

 

[robertosh]

This is my review: it's like the 5s but faster, better camera and pink option.

 

[nordique]

Any word on the new space grey (SE) vs the 5s space grey colours?

Are they the same or is it the same shade as 6/6s?

 

[GoodWheaties]

Trust me, I exchanged three 5s's. None of them would recognize my fingerprints after a couple days of use. Delete, re-register, another couple days and then nothing. I just seem to have fingerprints that are hard to track. The first-gen Touch ID sensor could not cope. The first-gen Touch ID on my iPad Pro is useless. The second-gen sensor on my 6s, especially since iOS 9.2, has been like night and day. Works almost all the time, even right out of the shower.

I'm not sure if your second comment was directed at me, but I agree. I think Apple plans for the SE to be a year behind. I'd love for us to be wrong because I really want a 4" phone again.

Just curious, did you ever use the TouchID on a iP6? And if so was there an improvement? I don't know if it was officially listed as improved, but many people say the 6 (while being the same speed) is more reliable than the 5S, and they also say it is much harder to spoof than the 5S which would make one believe something in it was changed. My mom had a terrible time with her 5S only working for maybe a week and then not recognizing her finger anymore (I was able to fix it by registering the same finger twice), but neither my wife nor I have had any issues with iPhone 6 or iPad Air 2.

 

[Rockadile]

4 inches is just too small (coming from a biased 6s+ owner). I honestly don't get the rapture for tiny, tiny screens causing eyestrain and being too minuscule to properly view media/text. 4.5 inch screen is the absolute minimum for me (that can still be ergonomically feasible for this form factor)

4 inch allows one hand screen operation. That was Steve Job's goal, no?

I have the 6 and need to use two hands to touch all parts of the screen and more stability.
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It sure seems like this device is going to cannibalize the potential interest in the 6S. This news kind of makes me wish I held out longer on my purchase. Love the phone, but the battery life is abysmal, and my 5S was probably my favorite phone all-in-all. I'm sure the 6S+ Isn't significantly better. I can kill the battery in my 6S before I'm work, and I don't use it for game applications of any kind.

4, 4.7, 5.5 in

All have enough size differences to not cannibalize by screen but probably more by price.
I liked the one hand operation of the 4in but gave it up for the 4.7 which is perfect phone size for me.
5.5 wasn't appealing to me.

 

[MacHead84]

Media in Germany tell people not to buy it because of the high price.
Wile it cost 400 USD in the States, in Europe it cost 545 USD and that's for the 16GB version only.

 

[Keirasplace]

It sure seems like this device is going to cannibalize the potential interest in the 6S. This news kind of makes me wish I held out longer on my purchase. Love the phone, but the battery life is abysmal, and my 5S was probably my favorite phone all-in-all. I'm sure the 6S+ Isn't significantly better. I can kill the battery in my 6S before I'm work, and I don't use it for game applications of any kind.

Many people that haven't upgraded to the 6s up to now probably won't because of size or price, either they'll wait 6 months for the 6s to decrease in cost, or buy this one.

Media in Germany tell people not to buy it because of the high price.
Wile it cost 400 USD in the States, in Europe it cost 545 USD and that's for the 16GB version only.

I believe that's with VAT, which would be $80 of that extra $145. The rest of the $65 could be an edge against a negative Euro fluctuation in the next year and the cost of doing business in Germany.

 

[YtseThunder]

I believe the 7 will come in 4 inch also, so three sizes. Apple has realised their mistake. The SE will then be demoted to budget device in the Sept/Oct line up.

1. SE is already the "budget phone"
2. Not so soon after initial release
3. Negative impact on ASP during crucial holiday quarter. Wouldn't risk diluting the flagship release with a budget release too. (Though granted they did release the 5c alongside the s)

 

[Hawkeye411]

Apple let press go hands-on with the iPhone SE at its launch event and provided several publications with iPhone SE review units ahead of the device's debut, and we've gathered excerpts from each site to highlight the general release reaction to Apple's new 4-inch iPhone. Reviews and first impressions have been largely positive, with reviewers praising the device's powerful internals.

The general consensus is that the iPhone SE is the perfect phone for people who want the power of Apple's flagship iPhone lineup in a small form factor.

TechRadar called the exterior "svelte and sleek," and said it's just like handling an iPhone 5s, the phone the SE is modeled after.The Independent speculates that the iPhone SE will appeal most to those who currently use a 4-inch iPhone, as it can be difficult to adjust to a smaller 4-inch screen after using Apple's larger 4.7 or 5.5-inch iPhones.iMore pointed out that while the iPhone SE got the 12-megapixel rear camera from the iPhone 6s, the front-facing camera didn't get much of an upgrade. It's still 1.2 megapixels.

The Wall Street Journal points out the impressive battery life in the iPhone SE, which beats out the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 6s, but criticizes the unoriginal design.

​

The Daily Mail says the iPhone SE, with its A9 processor - the same processor in the iPhone 6s - is "blazingly fast."Mashable highlights the $399 price tag, calling it "tremendously competitive" for a device with current-generation technology.

Pre-orders for the iPhone SE started at 12:01 a.m. on March 24. The device can be purchased from the Apple online store, with deliveries and in-store availability set to begin on March 31. While the 16GB iPhone SE models are still in stock and will deliver on that date, the 64GB iPhone SE models have proven more popular and shipping estimates have slipped to five to seven days. Pricing on the iPhone SE, which is Apple's most affordable iPhone, starts at $399.

Article Link: iPhone SE Reviews: Blazingly Fast With Impressive Battery Life

Reading some news tonight on my iPhone 5S with 9% battery life. And this is after replacing the battery a few months ago! The flash doesn't work ..... but, for me, the size is perfect so I've been hanging on.

Can't wait for the upgrade next week!!

 

[richman555]

Whats this? Apple seems to have a successful low cost iPhone launch?? I have an iPhone 6 which now seems to be on par with this in many ways. I also have to admit, I do miss the old form factor from the 5 and it was solid as a brick. Unless Apple starts adding holograms etc to new iPhone 7, I might hold out for one of these if not its next iteration. Also the lack of force touch doesn't bother me at all... as my iPhone 6 doesn't have it either.

Great job Apple! Loving the options and value!

 

[69650]

I don't get it. Why spend good money on a 4 year old design? It's going to look even more dated in a few months when they change the design again for the iPhone 7. Why not just make the same design as the 6s but with a smaller screen?

There doesn't seem to be any strategic thinking going on at Apple these days. Looks to me like they're just making it up as they go along with a complete hotchpotch of disparate product designs, styles, colours, etc with no overarching design ethos. Very sad. I used to really like the uniformity of Apples product designs.

 

[B4U]

Makes you wonder what a bigger battery in the 6s could have accomplished rather than the smaller one.

But the 6s still has a bigger screen that needs to be powered though. So, it may improve versus the current design, but should not be the same as the SE.

 

[Andres Cantu]

But the 6s still has a bigger screen that needs to be powered though. So, it may improve versus the current design, but should not be the same as the SE.

But the iPhone 6 has a bigger battery than the 6s. I understand why Apple had to shrink it for the 6s, but I imagine the battery life would have been better if it would have stayed at the same capacity and much better if it would have increased like every single iPhone before it (except the 3g).

 

[69650]

I see they've removed the iPhone 5c from their website. Shame, I liked the colourful option. Oh well, must go down as one of the shortest product life cycles in recent Apple history. I don't think those users will automatically switch to the iPhone SE.

 

[Xtremjeepn]

I think they miss out on the opportunity to not update the physical design of the phone. I personally think the iPhone 5-design is nice and all, but tactically I think they will have people think and feel that it is old. Which it is.

Uh, this is a good thing. 5s cases will still be useful.

Bingo!

I don't get it. Why spend good money on a 4 year old design? It's going to look even more dated in a few months when they change the design again for the iPhone 7. Why not just make the same design as the 6s but with a smaller screen?

There doesn't seem to be any strategic thinking going on at Apple these days. Looks to me like they're just making it up as they go along with a complete hotchpotch of disparate product designs, styles, colours, etc with no overarching design ethos. Very sad. I used to really like the uniformity of Apples product designs.

Take a moment to think through this.

-Apple sold 30 MILLION 4" phones last year. This is proof that people want this form factor.

-*most* smart phone users/buyers are not worried about the latest "gadgetry". They may want their phone "up to date" every few years so that it doesn't feel slow or to replace an aging device. Maybe even to gain some useful features like contactless payments. But otherwise they just want a decent phone, not to win the specs arms race for 3 mo at a time.

-Keeping a form factor that people have liked for 3 years is good for several reasons. One major reason is that there are thousands of quality accessories, cases, stands, docks, etc for this form factor.

This means that from day one there are countless options available for the phone. No waiting for 3mo-6mo or forever for the accessory you want to arrive. Some people may even keep a case they love from their 5s.

Companies that develop accessories are FAR more likely to develop for IPhones if they know they have a ~100million potential customers and that the product can be sold over several years for the same design. This means more quality accessories for the end user.

The consumer is also more likely to spend more money on those quality accessories if they know it will last them for many years and/or multiple phones.

This is an area where Android fails miserably. Few accessory manufacturers make high end model specific accessories for them. There are so many different shapes, sizes and changes so quickly that few companies want to make the capital investment for those devices. While android phones as a whole sell lots of units, each individual phone pales in comparison to the iPhone's numbers. So businesses tend to focus their resources on the iPhone first.

Apple was very smart in supporting its customers and the accessories manufacturers by keeping the 5s physical design.