iPhone SE Reviews: Impressive Performance in a 'Tired Design'

[ersatzplanet]

I have been using a iPhone 8 since they came out. I like the size, it fits easily in my pockets and doesn't get in the way. The screen too small for you? Hold it closer to your eyes and it gets bigger! In this era of face mask I love the touch ID too. I have been looking at the smaller sizes of the new phones, but the SE may just fit the bill for me.

 

[npmacuser5]

Got a design that works, stay with it. The VW bug a 65 successful year run. The old Ford saying, any color you want as long as it’s Black. Today, we are hung up on change for change sake. Directly drives the costs up. A well designed lower priced iPhone a good move Apple.

 

[Oscar_440]

“with more advanced computational photography capabilities”

Not that advanced… A15 without nightmode. Rather buy the 11 for a few bucks more.

 

[psac]

I went from the 8 to a 13 Pro right around New Years, and if I hadn't, I would've bought this instantly. The biggest thing I like around the 13 Pro is the insane battery life, but otherwise I think I liked everything else about the 8 better, and therefore would embrace this. For my usage, the camera is better, but not overwhelmingly so, and the 13 Pro still feels gigantic in my hands and in my pocket. Plus this weekend I forgot my watch and home and using Face ID with a mask (yes still using one of those) was impossible and annoying as hell.

 

[Ace McLoud]

I for one am grateful I'm allowed to live in a world that has youtube reviewers and their priceless opinions. ?‍♂️

 

[giggles]

Tired design = pundits not understanding the importance of keeping around the OG Home Button design for muscle memory, some disabilities, people not wanting to move on, seniors, etc.

We’re talking about the company that kept around the superdrive-based 13” MBP for years.

Home Button iPhones before the X shaped the smartphone experience of hundreds of millions of people…that style won’t go completely away abruptly..

 

[MacBH928]

The correct title is :-

Impressive Performance in a 'Perfect Design'​

 

[mattopotamus]

It's like 300$ more

The screen alone is worth that cost, plus you are getting double the storage.

 

[Seanm87]

I don't live in the future. I live in presence and for that reason I don't need to worry "What then" as when that happens I will have all the info at hand. Right now I would be guessing. Nice try though

What am I trying?

All I'm saying is the XR design at this price point would sell better. The market this is aimed at is for people wanting a cheap phone not a small phone (the mini is for that). Yeah some people want the old design, but stats have clearly showed from lacklustre mini sales people prefer bigger screens.

You think its great, good for you. I think its crap and Apple need to move on.

 

[Bawstun]

No notch no annoying home bar and square display it’s better lol

Yep. It is quite literally better, well-thought out design. It’s why the design is timeless and why people keep supporting it, it’s functional and it works.

 

[bollman]

I really regret my iPhone 13 now. My old SE got terrible battery life after iOS15 and I really needed better battery life and went for the 13 reluctantly. I might get the SE and give my 13 to someone else, I really don't like the edge-to-edge-screen.

 

[Bawstun]

What am I trying?

All I'm saying is the XR design at this price point would sell better. The market this is aimed at is for people wanting a cheap phone not a small phone (the mini is for that). Yeah some people want the old design, but stats have clearly showed from lacklustre mini sales people prefer bigger screens.

You think its great, good for you. I think its crap and Apple need to move on.

The iPhone SE 2020 was the second-best selling smartphone in 2021…of all manufacturers. It outsold every Galaxy flagship device, even outsold the mini, the Pro and Pro Max versions of the iPhone etc.

iPhone SE 2020 sold over 21 million units in 2021 for Apple. It isn’t going anywhere.

 

[NT1440]

The PERFECT parents and grandparents iPhone.

 

[Bawstun]

$$$

 

[t122648]

Lemme see. I own an SE 2020. The 2022 has the A15, but the A13 is plenty fast. 5G - meh. The battery life in my phone is very weak so maybe that improves to just weak. $429 for this? $249 and maybe then you are talking.

 

[Seanm87]

The iPhone SE 2020 was the second-best selling smartphone in 2021…of all manufacturers. It outsold every Galaxy flagship device, even outsold the mini, the Pro and Pro Max versions of the iPhone etc.

iPhone SE 2020 sold over 21 million units in 2021 for Apple. It isn’t going anywhere.

it would sell even more with a bigger screen ?

 

[frogslapper]

It’s not “tried” design it’s a classic and it’s target audience love it and get it for a reason like they want touch ID for example

No, it is a tried design. They tried it and it was brilliant so they're sticking with it. ?

 

[turbineseaplane]

I just wish they'd give this design flat sides

Keep the bezels and home button, etc -- but flat sides are so much easier to grip

 

[o9p0]

I think the fact that iPhone SE maintains an old design is cunning segmentation of the product offering, with the sole goal of of luring users into the ecosystem, or encouraging them to buy into it at a higher level than they originally intended. "You mean I can get an iPhone for $400? And it's pratically as powerful as the high-end alternatives from either iPhone or Android? I'm sold. I want in. Going to do it. Oh wait, it only has that old display, and a low-res camera, and curved sides that are hard to hold on to? Oh well. I'll just get an iPhone 1X with the better camera and display. Because I'm already sold and want it and was going to do it."

For me, I don't want to spend the ridiculous amounts of cash on a high-end iPhone, and look judiciously at the iPhone SE every time a new revision comes out. Then I look at those terribly curved edges, the single camera, etc, and decide I'm going to just keep the last high-end model and eventually the newer high-end models, even though I don't want to spend the money.

 

[frogslapper]

Some people are funny. They want the SE to have the updated design and an A15. In other words, they want an iPhone 13 for $429. The only reason the iPhone SE can exist as a product is because it has the old design.

 

[Makosuke]

I'll just join the pile here and agree that "tired" means "familiar" to a nontrivial fraction of the population.

Personally, I was all-in on the buttonless design and Face ID from day one. But this phone isn't for me. It's for my aging family friend who is just barely keeping up with technology and, when she eventually drops her iPhone and breaks it just wants another one of the same thing. She bought the previous SE when her 6 broke, and she'll almost certainly end up with one of these when her current one breaks.

 

[Freida]

We already have XR design. So why not just have both? Why can't you accept the some of us like SE as is and are happy about it?
You like notch, I don't. We both have a choice and we are both happy so don't take that away from those that prefer this form factor.

What am I trying?

All I'm saying is the XR design at this price point would sell better. The market this is aimed at is for people wanting a cheap phone not a small phone (the mini is for that). Yeah some people want the old design, but stats have clearly showed from lacklustre mini sales people prefer bigger screens.

You think its great, good for you. I think its crap and Apple need to move on.

 

[SSDGUY]

They should at least make it a plus size.

The SE is all about some folks not wanting a big phone.

 

[SSDGUY]

"Tired design" keeps the cost and complexity down. Exactly what the SE consumer demographic wants. At least in this case, I'm glad Apple sees the value is servicing the customers who don't make up their biggest profit share.

 

[mattopotamus]

The SE is all about some folks not wanting a big phone.

No, that is the mini. The SE is the budget phone that just happens to be small.