Should you buy iPhone SE in 2018?
Modified by September 17, 2020
It is not necessary to start acquaintance with smartphones Apple by purchasing the latest model – a number of phones of the past are quite competitive. In this article, we will look at one of these devices and try to understand whether it is worth buying an IPhone SE in 2018.
When choosing a new smartphone, the question always arises – buy a flagship model or take a cheap, albeit older phone. Despite the fact that the iPhone ce first entered stores back in 2016, there are many of it left in the warehouses of Russian official stores. If you are thinking about buying an apple smartphone, but there is not enough money for the latest models of the brand, you have to choose from phones of yesteryear. In the article, we will analyze in detail the question of whether it is worth buying an IPhone SE in 2018, what its characteristics are outdated, and what still looks modern today.
General characteristics
To make an informed decision, let's first take a quick overview of the characteristics of a smartphone. This will help you find out the strengths and weaknesses of the model and understand whether it is worth taking the IPhone SE in 2018.
Design
Today the iPhone SE look and feel seems outdated. In the era of large, bezel-less screens, a miniature device with a physical 'Home' button under the display really looks unusual. However, this does not spoil him at all. The smartphone fits nicely in your hand and fits easily into your pocket. Stylish aluminum body with two glass inserts on the back underlines the status of the device. If you are a fan of classic style, then the design of the iPhone SE will suit your liking.
Battery
The battery capacity in this model is 1642 mAh. But don't be in a hurry to get upset – the type and size of the screen, less power-consuming filling, together with traditional optimization IOS provide autonomy. In standard mode, the battery lasts for a day without any problems. It takes about an hour and a half to fully charge the smartphone.
Camera
Main camera iPhone SE single, with a resolution of 12 megapixels. It is recessed into the body, and the lens is coated with a sapphire coating that protects against scratches. Smartphone cameras Apple do not differ in a large number of pixels, but a competent symbiosis of software and hardware allows you to take wonderful photos and shoot video, which is not inferior in quality to cameras of the current flagships. Yes, there are fewer effects and filters in post-processing, but they are not often needed.
We won't talk much about the front camera. Its resolution is 1.2 megapixels and is more for FaceTime than for selfies. In comparison with the cameras of new models, it certainly loses a lot – such a photo will not get many likes.
Features
The smartphone supports the usual set of mobile technology functions Apple. To unlock, Touch ID is used (although the previous generation, so the response speed is lower). Full support for iTunes and iCloud services. Let's not forget the installed chip NFC, which allows using contactless payments using technology Apple Pay.
Price
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An important reason why users are considering buying models of phones from previous years is the low price of such smartphones. Apple constantly reduces them as new models are released to get rid of the stock of manufactured phones. At the time of this writing, a number of configurations iPhone SE already cost less than 20 thousand rubles for 16 and 32 GB of memory, and the version with 128 GB is slightly more than 20.
Unpacking and packaging
Everything here is at the highest (however, standard for Apple) level. A neat box with lovingly stowed components that are a pleasure to pull out. The package, in addition to the phone itself, includes headphones, a user manual, a USB-Lightning cable with a power adapter for charging the smartphone. In addition, there is a clip for the SIM card tray and a sticker with a logo Apple.
Build and design
The model has a classic look and excellent build quality. The smartphone is slightly thicker than the new flagships, but this is a dubious drawback. Because of this, the device sits more tightly in the hand, so it is more difficult to drop it. The relatively small size also adds to the ease of use, although today it looks a bit unusual. The device was produced in four colors: silver, gray, gold and Rose Gold. Depending on the base color of the case, the glass inserts are white or black. The body itself is made of a special aluminum alloy.
Screen
The smartphone screen is made using IPS technology with a good density of dots per inch and a resolution of 1136×640. The rendered picture is juicy and pleasant. The diagonal is 4 inches, which is noticeably smaller than the latest smartphones. However, the relatively small size saves battery power. The display is protected by scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass. In general, the screen does not glare, and the viewing angles are large.
In synthetic tests carried out in AnTuTu, the model outperforms its closest descendant iPhone 6 and is generally at an acceptable level. In reviews on the forums, the owners of iPhone SE note that there is enough hardware for the normal operation of applications. They do not slow down, opening almost instantly. So the processor Apple A9 (with the M9 coprocessor) installed on the smartphone is still too early to write off.
Memory
Initially Apple it offered a smartphone with four variants of built-in memory, but devices with 64 GB of memory quickly disappeared from sale. For today, only the versions with 16 GB, 32 GB and 128 GB remain. And although the model with the minimum RAM is cheaper, it is still worth considering more 'capacious' options, since their price is higher by only one and a half (32 GB) and 4 thousand for 128 GB. Both of these options will provide a comfortable experience with multimedia content.
Interface
Model iPhone SE receives all updates sent by Apple. Thus, the smartphone has been updated to the latest iOS 12. The developers have done some serious work on optimization and fixed the problems of version 11. Now SE owners are celebrating the increased performance and autonomy of the smartphone.
Outcome
After a brief overview of the characteristics, we will bring together the advantages and disadvantages of the model so that you can finally decide whether to buy an iPhone se in 2018. For those who ask this question, we will not draw a conclusion, but we will give the right to decide for ourselves about the advisability of such a purchase.
pros
First, let's note the advantages of the device. There are surprisingly many of them for a smartphone that was developed back in 2016, and they prove that it is too early to give up on this model.
Good battery life.
Small enough to carry your phone in your pocket or purse. Convenient one-handed operation.
The presence of a familiar headphone jack.
Affordable (for Apple smartphones) price.
Minuses
Naturally, such a smartphone cannot but have its drawbacks, after all, time passes and technologies develop. However, there are not so many of them, and some of them are not very critical.
Weak front and main camera.
'Outdated' design (controversial flaw).
Slow Touch ID.
Lack of Face ID and 3D Touch.
Insufficient performance for demanding mobile games.