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The Best iPhone

• dyeje 4y ago
  I bought an SE 3 as my first iPhone recently. Very happy with it, it’s hard to find a good, small phone these days.
• phplovesong 4y ago
  Still think the best iPhone ever made was the 4S. Back then, mac products still were 100% focused. Since jobs, things are getting worse. Stability has gone down, and focus is mostly in "unnecessary" features.
• notRobot 4y ago
  I would pay a decent chunk of money for an iPhone SE clone that runs Android. I'm so tired of big phones. I can't do this anymore. Past discussions: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31411191 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31411191 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30405011 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30405011
  • borissk 4y ago
    There are individual customers that will pay for all kind of crazy features. But the vast majority of the customers buy bigger phones. There's a rumor the iPhone Mini sells so badly Apple will not release any new versions.
  • radicaldreamer 4y ago
    iPhone 13 mini will probably be the last small phone we’ll see for a while. There’s the Balmuda phone on the Android side as well. The market simply does not support small screen devices.
  • simonmales 4y ago
    Running Asus ZenFone 8. Screen size is relatively normal compared to the monsters that other manufacturers ship.
    • smoldesu 4y ago
      Zenphone 9 got it's review embargoes lifted today! Really cool, from what I can tell: https://youtu.be/J_0teOgTAhQ https://youtu.be/J_0teOgTAhQ
    • MereInterest 4y ago
      I'm on the Pixel 3, which at 5.5" is right at the upper limit of what I consider acceptable. Looks like the ZenFone 8 is 5.9", and is being described as "compact".
    • akvadrako 4y ago
      Screen size doesn't matter though; the body is within a couple mm of an S22 and thicker. Same with the Zenfone 9.
  • h4waii 4y ago
    Pixel 5 + GrapheneOS makes me feel the same way about my device as the author. It's small enough to pocket in a pair of lightweight shorts. It's bland to look at, no branding, symmetrical bezels all around, but stuffed with all the features and functionality I want.
  • akvadrako 4y ago
    The Pixel 4a is probably your best bet; that's what I use. Still getting updates and it's quite decent, though it's a couple years old now.
    • wffurr 4y ago
      Last update is scheduled for August 2023. https://support.google.com/nexus/answer/4457705?hl=en#zippy=%2Cpixel-a-a-xl-xl-a-a-g-a-g https://support.google.com/nexus/answer/4457705?hl=en#zippy=...
    • allset_ 4y ago
      Love the size and weight of my Pixel 4a. I broke the screen on mine a few weeks back, and paid over half the original price of the phone to have it repaired.
  • nebula8804 4y ago
    Then you'd want the iPhone Mini right? Its smaller than the SE.
  • fomine3 4y ago
    Let's see today appeared Zenfone 9, it loosks good. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32271660 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32271660
    • allset_ 4y ago
      5.9in is not small.
      • hasperdi 4y ago
        The display aspect ratio is 20:9. It's a bit taller than iPhone SE 2, but similar width. So 1 hand use friendly.
  • JansjoFromIkea 4y ago
    Samsung XCover 5 seems the best bet atm, to the point I'm surprised I hadn't heard of it earlier; smaller than just about any other android phone I've encountered in years (almost iPhone Mini sized), has a removeable battery and theoretically should have zero need for a case. The double combo of Samsung promising longer support cycles and it technically being an enterprise model mean it should be supported longer than most Android phones would be too. New they're a bit pricey for the specs but you can find them like new used on ebay for half RRP.
  • pcurve 4y ago
    I have iPhone 11. At 44 I use large font setting so I can use it without glasses. I can’t imagine going smaller. :(
  • neop1x 4y ago
    I am using Sony Xperia 5 II and I am quite happy with it. It is not that small but it's acceptable for me: 68 x 158 millimeters (2.68 x 6.22 in). And it also features a headphone jack! :P
  • nunez 4y ago
    precisely. i still can't believe that a small, still supported, phone does not exist in the Android world.
  • dnissley 4y ago
    An independent effort to fund the development of such a phone is being organized at https://smallandroidphone.com/ https://smallandroidphone.com/
• prepend 4y ago
  I run an SE and it’s great. I like it’s size and its price. Phones should be cheap and simple. I don’t want to pay more for a phone than a Mac book air.
• hardwaresofton 4y ago
  I was hoping to see my phone and I was not disappointed. > It is very likely that this is the last iPhone SE of its kind, the last “iPhone with a button” (a recurring joke here in Brazil). The reception from critics has been lukewarm and sales, apparently, below expectations. That’s a shame. This is saddening to read, and with how Apple is it's not like buying more of the same phone as a backup would work -- they'd all stop working at the same time, probably. The iPhone SE is so cheap that I could throw my phone to the ground for fun and not be bothered about buying a new one except for the annoyance of moving stuff over (which was actually really easy thanks to hard work by apple engineers). It's an intrusive thought (who would want to just throw their phone to the ground for no reason?) but knowing it's easily remedied is so freeing. We really need to start pushing frugality as a society. I know it's bad for GDP and status games, but some things just... shouldn't be spent on that much. Phones nearing identical quality/functionality are one of them.
  • alephxyz 4y ago
    > I know it's bad for GDP That's the broken window fallacy
    • hardwaresofton 4y ago
      It looks like the sarcasm went undetected. I thought noting GDP in the same sentence as status games was enough of a signal.
  • clairity 4y ago
    it's not the same, but apple could add the home button on the side, even if they remove it from the front. it could incorporate the fingerprint sensor like the ipad, or they could use an in-display fingerprint sensor, combined with the removal of the front camera, and voilà, their holy grail single slab of glass iphone! i still use my trusty 6S because i prefer the fingerprint scanner and home button, plus having a real headphone jack is useful every now and then.
    • hardwaresofton 4y ago
• gumby 4y ago
  I'd be happy with an iphone 14 or 15 mini. (I'm not ready to get rid of my 12), but for similar reasons as described in this post.
  • lotsofpulp 4y ago
    I feel like I could use an iPhone 13 mini for at least 3 more years. I used an iPhone 6S plus from Nov 2015 to May 2020, a 2020 iPhone SE from May 2020 to Nov 2021, and I gave that to my kid and took my wife’s iPhone XS, which has been in use since Sep 2018. I want a 13 mini size phone, but I am waiting for the XS to stop being usable. I just want them to keep selling a mini size phone, whether it be 13 or 15. I see no difference until it has been at least 4 years in my use cases.
• ramesh31 4y ago
  The (actual) perfect phone is the gen 1 SE. I literally just returned my gen 3 and ordered two new sealed in the box gen 1 SE’s on eBay for $150 a piece. I’ve been using this model for 8 years. I’m set on phones for the next decade. I’m hoping and praying that Apple will someday make a modern 5G phone with the dimensions and features of a gen 1. But until then this is my phone. It is literally perfect and there’s nothing on the market remotely similar.
  • torstenvl 4y ago
    Care to explain why they're "trash"? What didn't you like about it? Just the rounded corners?
    • runjake 4y ago
      They aren't trash. I think the OP is trying to say they don't like the way the current SEs look. I just bought my kids their own SE current generations, and me with my 13 Pro is kind of jealous of how ergonomic, pocketable, and usable (home button) they are. Edit: OP edited their comment to remove the "they are trash" verbiage.
      • CalChris 4y ago
        I stopped caring about the look after I started putting my $650 12 Mini in a Quadlock case which by itself is kind of dorky. I don't even care about the color anymore. Whenever I take it out to clean it looks brand new.
  • victor22 4y ago
    13 mini? I have an iPhone 8 which is just perfect, I switched to my old iPhone 11 Max 2 days ago but I decided to sell it and go back to the 8. No reason at all to upgrade from the 8 except for better camera on the SE’s or minis. All apps and everything runs the same for 1/3 the price.
  • nateb2022 4y ago
    What? I'm not sure if you're aware, but all the SE models have the same "bubble" exterior you describe, so I'm not sure how one can be better than another in that aspect. Also what? The 3rd gen iPhone SE has 5G.
• ChrisMarshallNY 4y ago
  I got the iPhone 13 Mini. I suspect that it will be the last of that form factor. I use a first-gen SE (tiny screen) as my low-end test (iOS 14).
  • mikestew 4y ago
    The only reason my spouse and I both bought 13 Minis is because we suspected the same. We otherwise were fine to hold onto X-gen iPhones for a little longer (despite their carrier-deck screens). I hope we're all wrong about that "no more Minis" thing, but if we aren't, it's going to be "cold dead hands" time[0]. [0] As in, "pry it from my...", for those not familiar with the saying.
  • skyyler 4y ago
    I don't see any reason to get rid of my 12 mini yet. I hope I never will.
    • gandalfgreybeer 4y ago
      I'm on the same boat. I am considering getting the 13 mini though since this seems like the last of this form factor for a while.
  • freediver 4y ago
    Upgraded my 8 to it and not happy with it too.
• WrtCdEvrydy 4y ago
  Can we just have a conversation about how my Pixel 4a's camera at 4K gets smoked by an iPhone SE/iPhone 5 taking video at 1080p... I'm not an iphone guy but I do keep one in my pocket for taking video.
  • ascagnel_ 4y ago
    Google has long chosen cheaper, lower-quality camera sensors, knowing that their still image processing is beyond what Apple has on offer and will make up for any deficiencies. Apple tends to go for more expensive, higher-quality camera sensors and less software processing, and that is more clearly visible when shooting video, where image processing requires more processing power than what a phone is currently capable of.
    • WrtCdEvrydy 4y ago
      Damn it, Google.
  • kalleboo 4y ago
    When YouTubers use an Android camera to record some short clip on-the-go, it's always so obvious - it usually has that obvious "jello-vision" rolling shutter feel that old digital cameras had. Meanwhile it took me ages to realize that Doug DeMuro uses an iPhone for like half of his shots (only noticed due to the characteristic green lens reflections)
    • WrtCdEvrydy 4y ago
      It's not the jello... it's goddamn sensor noise.
• LeoPanthera 4y ago
  I bought a Mini with great excitement, thinking that it would take me back to the glory of the "my phone fits my my pocket and I can type with one hand" days. I kept it for 3 months, and then traded it in for a Pro. It turns out that the world has moved on. Web pages are getting harder to read on small screens. I had to squint a lot. The phone's short height means that it often doesn't charge "vertically" in Qi chargers. It doesn't fit in my car's integrated phone holder, it just rattles around. And I really missed the zoom lens. So I'm OK with the Pro, and I will get used to slightly larger phones. (The "Max" is still stupid.)
  • bamboozled 4y ago
    Why did you go for a Pro over a regular iPhone 13 (for example). I'm trying to workout which one to get, way too many options in 2022. I do a lot of outdoor stuff, not sure if I want the weight of the pro, is it worth it?
    • LeoPanthera 4y ago
      > Why did you go for a Pro over a regular iPhone 13 (for example). The zoom lens. Worth the price alone.
    • ZephyrBlu 4y ago
      Pro has 120hz refresh rate vs 60hz for the regular.
    • batiudrami 4y ago
      As above and 6GB memory not 4GB. The processor is fast enough that it will be good for 5+ years with a battery replacement midway, but the 4GB ram might end up hurting before that.
      • alx__ 4y ago
        > processor is fast enough that it will be good for 5+ years This is how I feel, 3 years later, after getting the 11 Pro in 2019. If I do upgrade this year, I'll give it to my dad, and he'll probably use it till it breaks :)
• tantalor 4y ago
  > retained the same design of the 2014’s iPhone 6 Too bad they didn't retain the design of the 2013 iPhone SE, which was better.
  • rpgbr 4y ago
    Yes! Although I think by today's standards most of apps would be cramped in that little screen.
  • wwweston 4y ago
    1st SE was 2016. But it is in fact a fantastic design. Still am using mine. :)
  • prodent 4y ago
    The design of the first iPhone SE (which came out it 2016) is that of the iPhone 5 (which came out in 2012).
  • als0 4y ago
    It really is the best. People would come up to me and say "wow, you have a _classic_ iPhone". Now I'm just waiting for Apple to release an iPhone Classic!
• desertraven 4y ago
  I have had my iPhone 6S for six years now, and it’s still going strong. I’ve replaced the battery a couple of times and the screen more than a couple. I can do everything I need with it, and it’s the perfect size. So I have no desire to upgrade until I must.
  • MrScruff 4y ago
    I was holding out with my 6s until a month ago but finally jumped ship to a 13 mini. It's a great upgrade. Unfortunately staying on an old iOS version isn't possible since apps will start requiring iOS 16 at some point.
  • temende 4y ago
    Just wondering, how much did it cost to get the battery and screen replaced? And did you do it via Apple or a third-party repair shop?
    • ljosa 4y ago
      Apple’s battery replacement service is about $50 including shipping. Took a little less than a week for me.
      • temende 4y ago
        Interesting, $50 isn't too bad. What did you do while your phone was gone for repairs? Did they give you a loaner?
        • selectodude 4y ago
          They will give you a loaner but I think the vast majority of Americans live close enough to an Apple Store where they'll swap the battery in 30-60 minutes. I pop in, drop the phone off, go fuck off for a beer or two, come back to a fresh new battery. Super straightforward.
          • 4y ago
• smm11 4y ago
  Love the S. Carry the Galaxy S21. S is the work phone, but did I mention I love it?
• rpgbr 4y ago
  I knew I wasn't the only one fond of small, cheap-but-great phones! :) Btw, this is my first post in English. I cover tech here in Brazil for +10 years and run a +9 years old independent, self-sustainable publication written in Portuguese. Now, I decided to give it a shot in another language, despite still feeling uncomfortable with my English. (I hope I haven't misspelled anything!) If you enjoyed this brief iPhone SE review, may I ask you to subscribe to my blog's newsletter or its RSS feed? They are both on site's footer. No spam ever, unsubscribe whenever you want. Thanks!
  • justintoon 4y ago
    You spelled "misspelled" correctly, which earns a point in my book because (in a profound display of irony) a lot of native speakers misspell that one!
    • troad 4y ago
      “Misspelt” is the usual UK/Commonwealth spelling, if that’s the spelling you’re referring to. “Misspelled” is the usual North American variant. Both are correct!
      • moonbooth 4y ago
        Not the person to whom you’re replying, but I think they mean many English speakers misspell the word with only one “s”: “mispell” (sic), “mispelled” (sic), etc.
        • jonsen 4y ago
          Or three?
    • throwaheyy 4y ago
      Lol at the first time an American tried to correct me on this.
  • protonbob 4y ago
• commoner 4y ago
  > It is a crazy strategy of Apple to put the “brains” of its most expensive phone, the iPhone 13 Pro Max (+USD 1.099), in its entry model, low cost (USD 429). No other company does this. The $449 Pixel 6a, which was released today, has the same Tensor chip as the $899 Pixel 6 Pro. This is advertised prominently on the product page: https://store.google.com/us/product/pixel_6a https://store.google.com/us/product/pixel_6a
  • bamboozled 4y ago
    Yeah but it's Google, it's probably Naive, but I just hate the company and the business model.
    • smoldesu 4y ago
      That also makes them wrong, which is still true regardless about how you feel about the companies. Besides, it's a ridiculous statement anyways: for example, Nothing's first phone is coming out soon, which means their most expensive and cheapest phones will be running the same chip. Failing that, there's dozens of Android companies that made lines of handsets using the exact same SOC (like ZTE) because it's cheap to develop. Regardless of the companies involved, saying they're the "only one that does this" is like saying your local diner is the only one making you a real cheesesteak.
      • bamboozled 4y ago
        Did you mean to respond to my comment? Beause if so, I have no idea how to interpret it or what your point is.
  • wlesieutre 4y ago
    Though if the iPhone SE 2016 and the Pixel 3a are anything to go by, the new iPhone SE will probably have software support for 2x or longer than the Pixel 6a.
    • cowtools 4y ago
• leowoo91 4y ago
  I am happy with my iphone8 which is equivalent of SE with a larger screen, however saddened by the fact that I always have to clean up its charging port and its square casing of the original wired headphone I prefer to use..
• LtWorf 4y ago
  In a novel by an obviously feminist author, they were having smaller phones when women had to make phones. As if phones do fit in men's hands -_- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53717123-the-end-of-men https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53717123-the-end-of-men
  • hedora 4y ago
    I guess in this utopia, women still don't get reasonable sized pockets? That's pretty much how it went in the 50's feminist bastion Devil Girl From Mars.
• flenserboy 4y ago
  Very happy with my SE 2, other than battery life. A $20-on-clearance external pack, which is about the size of the phone and can be stowed away, makes for a good combination. The larger phones look nice, but that's not enough.
• di3goleite 4y ago
  My iPhone SE is the 2nd gen one. I love this phone, despite some ocasional lags when I try to do some app switch or when I try to take a picture suddenly. Is anyone here facing these same problems? I really enjoy this phone, but seems Apple is trying to force me to make an unnecessary upgrade.
  • sokoloff 4y ago
    I bought a second gen SE on craigslist while waiting for a screen for my Xs Max. I’m using it right now as a secondary device and don’t notice any particularly common lags on the SE2. Battery health is down to 89%, meaning it was a little annoying to use as a daily while traveling but that was my only complaint (and I’d have no problem replacing the battery to alleviate that if I wanted to keep using it as primary).
• tristor 4y ago
  Also, it retains TouchID which is superior to FaceID despite being considered a less premium feature. I also rock and love my iPhone SE.
• Andrew_nenakhov 4y ago
  The lack of fingerprint sensor on latest iPhones is very disappointing. My trusty MotoZ4 has it directly in the screen and I love it so much that I refuse to buy myself any other phone that doesn't have fingerprint sensor on the front panel or built in the screen.
• geenew 4y ago
  The article mentions the ability to take pictures with blurry backgrounds (aka bokeh).. fwiw, that feature exists on the SE 2nd generation. To join in the old-man-fist-shaking, the SE 1st generation was a far better size. You can use the SE 2nd generation with one hand, yes, but in practice it involves frequently double-light-tapping the omni-button to slide the screen down halfway. (Or, maybe, I just have small hands, IDK).
  • 0x38B 4y ago
    Text recognition in the camera also works on the 2020 iPhone SE, along with blurred backgrounds in portrait mode.
• kringo 4y ago
  I love the box design of iPhone 12/13 mini, otherwise would have gone for this!
• recursivedoubts 4y ago
  Right phone. Wrong edition. 1st gen SE forever.
• tambourine_man 4y ago
  I’ll have to give up on my original SE as it won’t support iOS 16. But it’s the best phone I ever had. The others look comically large. And Touch ID is awesome.
• mauvehaus 4y ago
  The problem with the new SE is that it comes on the heels of the old SE. My first smartphone was a 2nd gen SE that I bought around July 2020. I plan on keeping it as long as I kept my previous dumbphones: 4-6 years (i.e. however long the battery lasts). If they keep releasing SE's at the current pace, my next phone will be a 4th or 5th generation SE. There is literally no feature they could add that would entice me to replace it before then. I'll allow that battery life might sway me to pull the trigger after 3-4 years, but barring that my phone more than meets my needs as-is. Know your customers, folks.
  • kube-system 4y ago
    On the other hand, the delta between the resale price of an old SE and the purchase price of a new one makes upgrades very cheap.
• deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
• polishdude20 4y ago
  I'm still rocking my pixel 2. Best phone I've had and still going strong with the original battery. Great android experience, not too big and the photos are still awesome.
• jrm4 4y ago
  Can we officially lay to rest the egregiously stupid, but often parroted economic notion of "consumer preference" being the ultimate driver of everything? By now it's quite clear that "the range and variety of cell phones people would buy" is far wider that what we actually have.
• bri3d 4y ago
  Besides the economic / niche issues - I love my iPhone mini, I loved my Xperia compact, apparently people on HN also love their minis, SEs, and compacts, but nobody else does - there are real technical problems with making small phones. We seem to have reached a local minima with phone mainboard/CPU size. Generation over generation, the last 2-3 years worth of phones share similarly sized logic boards. So, as more and more internal footprint is dedicated to camera hardware, less and less is available for battery. As phone chipsets appear to have also bottomed out on TDP and idle power, this means that either battery life gets worse, cameras get cut even more, or phones get bigger. Unless or until Apple make a small-phone _specific_ processor and introduce a new process with a stripped-down CPU (which will make the same HN readers mad, eye-roll), we're back to giant phones for now.
• seehafer 4y ago
  Another iPhone SE fan here. Among all the other benefits listed in this post, there’s also no notch. I hate the notch and I can’t believe Apple industrial design is fine with it being a permanent feature of its products.
  • lostgame 4y ago
    I am positive it isn’t permanent - but damn if it isn’t awful, ugly; and the complete antithesis to Apple’s usually extraordinary design decisions.
    • dustinblake 4y ago
      Actually, the notch fits right in with Apple's design decisions. Apple loves to have a simple, black and white line art icon for products that allow you to instantly know it's an Apple product. Think original Mac/Plus/SE/Classic look, think iPod with screen and touchwheel, think classic iPhone screen + home button visual. These have broad-based recognition amongst the general public, at least if you were alive during the time. This kind of recognition is what is referred to as 'iconic.' Some other examples of iconic - the Nike Swoosh, the Coca-Cola word mark, the old Absolute vodka advertisements, and of course, the Apple logo itself - words really aren't necessary to convey the meaning (the Coca-Cola logo is recognized even if you don't necessarily read English). When you see one of these iconic marks, it's not just the name, you also cue up emotions and memories - quite a lot that's conveyed via something so simple (especially the Swoosh or the icon of the iPod). With the move to full-screen iPhones, the line art would be a rounded rectangle on a rounded rectangle, which could be Samsung, LG, One+, etc. Adding the notch makes the design visually distinctive. It's form following function, but done in an elegant way (check out the bezier curves of the corners of the display and the notch - clearly time was spent refining them to make it as elegant as possible). I don't even notice the notch when using my iPhone, but I do notice it when seeing an iPhone from a distance - it's a clue in that you're seeing an iPhone. I don't expect the notch to go away for at least 3-4 more years - and when it does, it will be for a major change in the visual language of the devices.
• deleted 4y ago
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• yuy910616 4y ago
  I have the iphone 8 - love it. I'm planning to own it for the long haul and make the jump from 8 to 18 (when it comes out). Thank you Tim for making this a 10 year wait, and not 20
• jonbaer 4y ago
  IMO, the only thing missing from the SE is the U1 chip for NI
• pg_bot 4y ago
  I have this phone and my only gripe with it is the button. It isn't as tactile as previous models so it doesn't feel like you've actually clicked it. I'm assuming this has to do with water resistance but I'm not certain.
  • Crosseye_Jack 4y ago
    That and the tact switch was a common failure point. I have the home button haptic set at 3 and unless i'm thinking about it, its good enough to trick my brain into the same feeling.
  • dilyevsky 4y ago
    It isn’t a real button for like three versions now (since iphone 8 or so) - it’s a haptic sensor which i think also plays fake sound through the speaker. Since it’s the only iphone that even has center “button” now it’s still the best phone imo
• at_a_remove 4y ago
  I am still rocking an iPhone SE, first generation. However, it has done a few troubling things as of late and I guess I must prepare myself to get a third generation. I feel like five years is a decent span for a phone. And so I have a screen protector and an Otterbox on order. Finding out that it won't support IOS 16 makes this kind of an inevitable purchase. TouchID, plus the tiny size, makes it a one-hander if I want, and I like that. I am unsure what I will do with my original phone.
  • beckingz 4y ago
    New SE is... fine? ~10-20% better on every dimension than my old android phone.
  • baq 4y ago
    The new SE is THE phone. It's a good decision.
• fleddr 4y ago
  A large phone makes consuming lots of content quite comfortable, from social media to general reading to watching videos. Which means you'll use it a lot. You'll normalize it and won't even bother to move to a larger screen. Therefore, intentionally buy a sucky phone that adds friction. You'll use it less, in moderation, only for things of some importance. Plus it costs less. Big quality of life improvement. Remove all non-essential apps to reduce reasons to use it even more. Next, physically detach from the object. Leave it in another room, forget all about it. Unlearn what has become second nature.
  • charles_kaw 4y ago
    I don't think phones are bad. I don't think having it with you all the time is bad. I think what's bad is letting it draw you in constantly. Install all your dumb apps, but also turn off notifications for anything but direct messages. You'll feel better. But speaking of "dumb apps"... I specifically resist using my phone as content consumption. Even with a big screen, it kinda sucks compared to a laptop or tablet. Fidelity matters to me. But also... I like having a small phone because it fits nicely in my pocket. I like having a small phone because I can use it with one hand. It's not even about friction, just ergonomics and getting the hell out of my way.
• BbzzbB 4y ago
  Am I cheap, poor, frugal or outdated to find it mildly funny US$400-450+tx are considered cheap phones nowadays? Not that I mind as I'm able to find good value (in my opinion and for my needs) in second-hand markets for electronics (couldn't be more satisfied with my $100 Pixel 3a and aging T430s laptop), I just find it impressive how much price references have shifted over time as flagship phones ran from $400-500 well into the $1-1.5k range[0]. Maybe I wouldn't be so confused about it if I understood what use people have for their phones to hold so much compute. Aside from the undeniably sick cameras, it seems to me like most people have supercomputers to browse social medias as AAA-mobile-gaming doesn't seem prevalent at all here (AFAIK it is in Asia). Millennial yelling at clouds, signing off. 0: https://fdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/news/21/09/iphone-13-steve-jobs-legacy/popup/gsmarena_001.png https://fdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/news/21/09/iphone-13-steve-...
  • Forgeties79 4y ago
    I don’t know about everyone else, but as a professional in the film/video world having a new-ish (I upgrade every 3 years or so) iPhone actually helps me do my job.
  • TAForObvReasons 4y ago
    The real draw is the camera. The ease of taking videos, especially of your kids, is worth the price tag for many. And the camera is a differentiating factor between the lower and higher tier models. Is the state-of-the-art camera needed? Debatable, but once family and memories are involved all economic rationality goes out the window.
  • MAGZine 4y ago
    but... your pixel was more than $100 new. the phone you use does not normally fit into the category you describe. the only part that makes it work is the "second hand," bit. cheap/expensive is relative, and $400 is cheap for a phone (for north american audiences). fwiw, i find even pixel phones to be sort of slow after a couple years into software updates, mostly between multitasking/app switching. so I think that the compute actually doesn't really scale well into the future as you imply, which is a separate unfortunate fact.
• gnicholas 4y ago
  > The single camera, by the way, is very close to the main one on the top models. Apple’s marketing gives the impression that every year the new iPhone cameras leave the old ones in the dust. The truth is, I’m having a hard time distinguishing between the photos of the iPhone SE, those from my girlfriend’s iPhone 11 and my iPhone 8 Probably true, but the 11 is not exactly the newest iPhone out there. The 13 has noticeably better low-light performance, when I compare it to my old 11 Pro. L
  • rpgbr 4y ago
    Yeah, it was the only one available here for a comparison. Low light in the (only?) scenario on which iPhone SE's camera really lags behind the more expensive iPhones. I can't understand how Apple gave it the portrait mode, but not the night/low light mode. It seems something dependent on processor power, which it has plenty.
• thom 4y ago
  I upgraded to the 13 Pro Max from the 8 Plus and I’m still annoyed several times a day by interactions that are strictly worse without the touch sensor. Today it was because you used to be able to unlock just by holding your phone with your thumb on the sensor. But now you have to raise it to your face, hope it works after a couple of goes with your sunglasses on, and then even when it does you have to swipe up to see what you were last looking at. It made checking a map on a webpage repeatedly feel like torture. It’s a tax on every single interaction with my phone and while I love the storage and the screen I have thought about ditching it.
  • cyberlurker 4y ago
    I also miss the fingerprint sensor. It’s fast and effective. I wish they would add it to the power button or if they can improve the tech, under the screen.
  • gameshot911 4y ago
    You're right, unlocking the phone every single time you want to interact with it is exceedingly tedious. Which is why I remove the FaceID/passcode completely. The overall improvement to my QoL is well worth the increased risk. And all my truly sensitive apps are passcode protected, anyway.
    • yazaddaruvala 4y ago
      This would change my life! FaceId protect specific Apps + Settings. Let guests (or myself) use Google Maps, Calculator, etc without a lock screen.
    • paulmd 4y ago
      There is also the middle ground of a lock timeout - if you use your phone more than, say, once an hour, it'll never lock, but if you drop it on the ground and it sits there for an hour it'll be locked if someone finds it.
  • easton 4y ago
    Driving in the car with a Face ID phone is a nightmare. You hand it to the passenger to look at, it’s locked, you have to try to look at it while your driving, then if you get unlucky and it locks you have to enter your passcode while you’re driving (I have an alphanumeric passcode and it’s very hard to enter if I’m not looking at the phone). Touch ID, I could just plop my thumb on the home button without looking.
• wackget 4y ago
  The best is still the 6s because it has a 3.5mm headphone jack.
• nebula8804 4y ago
  As someone who held onto the iPhone 5S for years after its EOL and then held onto the iPhone SE first gen for as long as possible (until a cracked screen and second shot battery forced an upgrade) I can confidently say this guy is missing out. I held on to the old phone because of my thinking of the "stability and perfection" of its old design. I avoided the iPhone 6/7/8/SEv2 era like the plague because of just how unfinished it felt. It was slippery, it felt uncomfortable in the hand, and I hear it was not the best at repairability. It also just does not look good in my opinion. At the time THAT phone felt like the one was was unfinished. Now this guy is saying its the one that is "like a well-finished product". Its the same design that I felt was unfinished. I conclude that this talk of finished vs unfinished design is just a matter of taste and perception. There is nothing that fundamentally changed from iPhone 8 vs iPhone SEv2/3. It still inherits my complaints from above. In reality he just hasn't put in the time to give the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini designs an honest chance. They are the current "unfinished" designs. A few years down the line he will be saying the same thing about that design once it comes out in iPhone SE v4(or 5/6/7 whatever). Now to be fair there is something great about small cheap phones that pack a lot of value. It is just what it is. Last gen design that some prefer while others do not. Its not anything special nor "perfected".
  • rpgbr 4y ago
    Even though I really like the SE, obviously there are infinite ways to make a good phone. Turns out this old one works for me, plus it's cheap, really fast, and I'm used to it — what else can I ask for a phone? Pricing is a very strong factor here, I have to say. Brazil almost always tops the “more expensive iPhone in the world” lists. SE's price is really fair, kind of an outlier in Apple's lineup.
    • nebula8804 4y ago
      It seems like pricing is the only real factor there based on what I am seeing in the article. If the Mini design was the same price then all of a sudden it seems like that would be the "great design". Its not even really an amazing deal. In exchange for the latest CPU you get essentially 8 year old LCD (with slightly newer contrast ratio from ~7 years ago), the same old case design with same old grade of aluminum and they exclude U1 co-processor. Also, camera seems like its from iPhone 7/8 as well(5-6 yrs old but could be wrong about this)? Its only a good deal because iOS is such a valuable ecosystem and the fact that it grants you entry into that ecosystem at such a low price makes the phone so much more alluring than it really is.
• mrmincent 4y ago
  The SE is great, both my parents received one each for their birthdays this year. Nice bright display, a button to help escape any stuck programs, and a great new camera for them to take pictures of caravans, cactuses, and kids. I’ve got an iPhone 11 and will probably sidegrade to an SE in the next year or two, and the space in my pockets will thank me for it.
• King-Aaron 4y ago
  Genuine question, what's the best phone to look at currently if the camera is your main focus on a device? I'm past the point of caring about speed or storage, as its all much of a muchness now I feel... But I want an actual camera that just happens to have a phone attached to it.
  • victor106 4y ago
    iPhone 13 pro, Not everyone’s choice but I love it
  • fomine3 4y ago
    Photo or video? I heard that there are many competitive devices for photo, but iPhone is seems to the best for video.
    • King-Aaron 4y ago
      Yeah mainly still photo, it would be super handy to have video that can be used along side our other camera footage though (a friend and I do a lot of automotive mechanical youtubing so having phone video is occasionally handy). I had heard that the iphone is really good with it, I might need to have a play with the 13.
• sq_ 4y ago
  Curious about this quote: > The only feature that Apple has denied for any reason other than technical is night mode when taking pictures at low light, absent here. I was under the impression that night mode more or less required the 2+ camera package of the current phones in order to gather enough light, depth, etc. information for it work well. Given what the author said, I guess I was wrong about that... anyone with some image processing knowledge able to elaborate a bit on how night mode works?
• bschwindHN 4y ago
  The article is correct in that the iPhone SE is the best iPhone, but it's the 2016 version which is best :) Cheaper, smaller, still runs iOS 15, and has a headphone jack.
• SllX 4y ago
  I rocked the previous iteration of the SE for just over a year since my previous phone was in dire need of a battery replacement and I didn’t want to figure out how Apple was handling that mid-pandemic. I reasoned at the time that I needed a phone with Touch ID because I didn’t yet have an Apple Watch, and I was using my phone as my wallet. It was a good phone that served me well primarily as 1. A wallet 2. An Overcast player and 3. A phone in approximately that order whose shortcomings became immediately apparent the moment I started going outside and socializing without a mask again in the Summer of 2021. The screen and battery for example were both downgrades from my 6s+. I’m rocking an iPhone 13 Pro Max now primarily because I demand a lot more of my phone when I’m actually not living in a cave, and I fully appreciate having a giant screen, an enormous battery, a bunch of power saving tech like the variable refresh rate screen and a very fancy triple-lens camera. All things that are irrelevant when your phone lives in a dock for a year. The magnetic wallet attachments are a nice touch that carry a few cards but also serve to round out the back of the phone in such a way as to provide a better grip and stabilize the phone on a surface. The iPhone SE is a very good phone and a very good value, but “best” changes depending on your circumstances and lifestyle. I couldn’t rock an SE without constantly managing the battery, something which was an issue when I wanted to record some video at my best friend’s wedding reception after carefully micromanaging the battery all day. With the 13 Pro Max I can walk out early in the morning and not even think about the battery at any point in the day, letting the phone do all the background tasks it wants to make my life easier, downloading anything at all in the background over 5G and have plenty of charge left when I get home in the evening. It feels like a phone without compromises, but all of that can be mooted by a change in life circumstances.
• Aeolun 4y ago
  When I went looking for a phone for my wife, the only requirement was that it was ‘not too big’. In a whole store full of smartphones, this left literally two options. The iPhone SE, and some weird Chinese tiny model. I’m just sad that everything needs to be so huge…
• culi 4y ago
  I wish the "buy it for life" movement had real momentum in phones. No I don't want some super modular phone that could be upgraded as parts wear out. I don't have anything against those, but I'd like my phone to actually be waterproof... What I want is something with the build quality of an iPhone. Something so well made that they get the same battery life as other smartphones despite having half the battery size. But something that I can trust will last a really long time. But everything about the phone industry seems specifically structured against that possibility
  • acover 4y ago
    The issue is battery life degradation and 3rd party software aims for newer devices.
• tootie 4y ago
  Counterpoint: any phone made in the past 5 years is just about the same. I have a working 6 year old Motorola with a sturdy battery and I've never felt it lacked anything I need. It runs modern websites and apps just fine. I honestly have no idea what people are talking about when they compare phone features these days. There hasn't been a useful innovation since fingerprint unlock.
• pkdpic 4y ago
  I just miss that 8th inch jack... and I would have bought one if it had a jucier camera... still love it tho SEsquad for life
• Aperocky 4y ago
  I paddleboard so I bought a iPhone 12 mini so it doesn't weigh down my pocket that much. It continued the spirit of the SE.
• tomcam 4y ago
  Agree with OP completely. Also, with iCloud I found the 64G version absolutely usable. I always used to max out the memory on my phones because I have a huge photo album, but iCloud support swaps the pictures in and out of memory quickly and transparently.
• cnees 4y ago
  If they next WWDC keynote announced double the battery life and half the weight, that would be great, but what would really inspire me would be a brand deal with Levi's. If they could put iPhone-compatible pockets in women's jeans… wow, what a future. Even the SE is a tad too big for one hand for an average-height woman (that is, me) and sticks out of most of my pockets, but it's the best Apple has to offer me.
• jcfrei 4y ago
  On a related note: recently bought an iphone and specifically bought the standard one and not the pro. now I've noticed that macro shots are a lot lower quality than on (older) iphone pros or even my old samsung s8. does anybody know whether that's on purpose?
• throwaway378037 4y ago
  100. Knew I wasn’t alone on this!
• ibudiallo 4y ago
  I bought a OnePlus 3 when it was the cool underdog phone for $450. That was 6 years ago. After 5.5 years the battery started draining faster than usual so I replaced it. The only reason I had to switch phones was because my children chewed and drooled all over it, destroying the volume buttons. With such a solid phone, I went back to oneplus to get the latest and greatest. So much has changed in this time spam. In their latest phone, they don't even have the alert slider. I reluctantly got the 9 pro. Longer version: https://idiallo.com/blog/oneplus3-6-years-later https://idiallo.com/blog/oneplus3-6-years-later
  • ranger207 4y ago
    I still have my OnePlus 3T, my first Android (coming from Windows Phone, RIP). Running Lineage and microg, although all but only a couple of apps are from F-Droid. I haven't seen any need to upgrade yet
• mattmar96 4y ago
  I had the same iPhone SE for about a year or so. I would have said all the same things as the author about it while I owned it. But, after it got damaged and I replaced it with an iPhone 13 Pro I have to say I much prefer the Pro. The only thing I miss is Touch ID but the 120hz oled screen, multiple cameras, and far better battery life more than make up for it. I don't mean to be a downer about the SE. I was just happily surprised with this new phone.
• bironran 4y ago
  Not having the Touch ID lose Apple at least one, if not more, upgrades. At least in my case. I’m on an iPhone 7 that’s definitely showing it’s age. I would e upgraded a long time ago but held off “because maybe the next version will have Touch ID back.” Well, that never happened and I’m now in the position of having to upgrade a phone that’s starting to crash due to battery issues, will probably be out of iOS updates in September and is frankly getting too slow for even simple yet surprisingly power demanding apps. I don’t know what I’ll upgrade to. Likely an iPhone, but which? I hate buying something that’s not the current generation but the thought of having to deal with Face ID multiple times a day leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
  • ibash 4y ago
    Can confirm, moved from an iPhone 7 to a 13 mini, Face ID fails ~40% of the time, it sucks.
  • williamjackson 4y ago
    The iPhone SE, described in the article, has Touch ID.
    • bironran 4y ago
      Yeah, but “not latest tech”. Hard to swallow that.
      • williamjackson 4y ago
        I guess it depends on which “tech” specifically you care about. The jump from an iPhone 7 to the 3rd gen SE will probably feel amazing, considering it has the same SoC as all the iPhone 13 models. Sure, the SE doesn’t have the nice camera system like the high end models, but again, coming from a 7, it will be quite an improvement for you.
      • rpgbr 4y ago
        Most of latest tech? I found it to be a great upgrade coming from the iPhone 8: overall faster, slightly better battery life, better camera with a few new tricks. As I wrote in the article, I wouldn't mind upgrading every four or five years to new versions of this phone with newer internals. It just works.
• ndespres 4y ago
  I agree that it’s the best one they sell now. I just had to retire my iPhone SE first-generation from 2016 which was finally starting to fail on me. Coming from that, the newer 3rd gen SE still feels too large in my hands. My biggest gripe, though, is the glass back instead of the old aluminum back. I think this smoothness is the reason the thing keeps falling out of my pocket no matter where I sit or what I’m wearing. The thing will not stay put!
• christophilus 4y ago
  To everyone who is running old Android devices, do you just not care about security updates, or is there something I’m missing? Been thinking of switching from my dying iPhone 7 to a GrapheneOS device, but the extremely short support window has given me pause. Also, any phone recommendations?
• xwdv 4y ago
  I don’t know how you guys can stand the iPhone SE, the thick bezels at the top and bottom make it feel so claustrophobic.
• post_break 4y ago
  I have a 12 mini. It's so good. Then I got the 13 pro for the better camera and I can't go back to 60hz displays. It's like something is visibly wrong with any screen that doesn't do more than 60hz any more. And the 14" macbook pro has higher refresh rate but the ghosting is so bad it renders it pretty much moot.
• centilliard 4y ago
  The best 'cheap' phone that was ever released in the US was the $499 Google Nexus 6P by Huawei in 2015. It was an octa-core phone that made Apple's dual core iPhone 6s (also released in 2015) look like an overpriced joke. The 6P's aluminum body was lighter and thinner than the iPhone 6s, its camera took much better pictures _by far_ especially in low light conditions (restaurants, evening travel, etc), the iPhone's old backlit IPS LCD screen had _nothing_ on 6P's gorgeous AMOLED. It took Apple 2 years to catch up to the 6P, with their iPhone X, and even then it didn't beat the 6P in every category. It was a beast of a phone. Mine finally died last year after 2 years of heavy use and 4 years of being a backup phone. See for yourself: https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=7588&idPhone2=7243&idPhone3=8858 https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=7588&idPhone2...
  • addled 4y ago
    My wife enjoyed her 6P, then it died prematurely of bootloop. As did the warranty replacement one. Got a double payout from the eventual class action suit.
  • roneythomas6 4y ago
    I agree with your comment. The camera was really impressive and it was first nexus phone where the camera outperformed an iPhone. But I think the video quality wasn’t that great when compared to iPhone. Mine started shutting down prematurely in Canadian winter after more than a year of use. But Google replaced mine for free even after the 1yr warranty expired. Ended up with Pixel 2 which had even better camera than Nexus 6P. The first iPhone to outperform Pixel 2 for low light was the iPhone 11. But during those times the video quality really sucked on both Nexus and Pixel, which it still does to the day.
  • MonaroVXR 4y ago
    I don't agree with you, since a friend and had the iPhone 6s Plus and 7 Plus (Me) and a friend if mine the Huawei P9 Plus and the 6P, 6P was nowhere. The best shot was taken in black white with the Huawei P9 Plus and it literally beat my iPhones and I still use that picture for several things.
• bch 4y ago
  I Like my iPhone SE (currently 3rd gen, previously 1st gen), but goodness is it ever slippery. It’s lovely to look at, but tough to use without covering it in a case.
• mysore 4y ago
  yeah i wish i had one of these over the 13 pro. i basically never use the camera.
• quickthrower2 4y ago
  Yes I chose the SE for my latest phone after the X packed up (it was a refurb and I think that was the reason). Anyway the main things I like: * Price per performance (Paid about US$482 for this from a discount retailer). * No notch * Older-style interface and gestures which I think are more user-friendly. E.g. double tap button to see running apps. * A button! What I dislike: * When playing some games the screen seems more friction-y which can hamper precision.
• justinator 4y ago
  I have the last iPhone SE and it's great, except I have monsterly large hands, and I shoulda thought about that before buying this phone. Just paid it off, so that's nice for the ol' phone bill.
• asciiresort 4y ago
  I'm literally sitting at the Apple store waiting for my newly purchased IPhone SE to sync to the cloud, opened up my laptop and saw this. I was deliberating whether to buy the IPhone 13, but with the IPhone 14 coming out next month, the IPhone SE is a good temporary phone. It's less than half the price of the IPhone 13 Pro, so it was a no brainer.
• 1270018080 4y ago
  I can't understand how just about everyone in America is okay with needing 2 hands to use a phone. If they ever get rid of the mini line I don't know what I'll do.
• cryptoegorophy 4y ago
  Best iPhone for me is the one that takes the best pictures. I have small kids growing up and one thing that you might regret is not taking enough quality pictures with the “always available” camera. For this reason I also have “live” photos feature.
• wanderr 4y ago
  I use my phone extensively throughout the day but modern phones are good enough for most things. All I want is an excellent camera built in, the higher optical zoom the better. It can be the most boring thing in the world otherwise. I hate that I always must shell out for a flagship phone to get this. Sure, I have a really nice camera too, but the best camera is the one you have on you and it’s not practical to lug around something extra at all times.
• magic_hamster 4y ago
  > Almost nobody notices you have a new phone; when someone does, the conversation ends quickly and invariably in a sentence like “it’s just like the old one, only faster”. I never understood the mindset of getting a new phone so other people will notice. Do you remember what brand and model your friends use? If so, why do you care? > It is a crazy strategy of Apple to put the “brains” of its most expensive phone, the iPhone 13 Pro Max (+USD 1.099), in its entry model, low cost (USD 429). No other company does this. It will be even crazier for Apple to design and manufacture an entire separate line of chips just for this phone. Reusing the chip currently in production is convenient which is why other companies do this as well (DSLR sensors and processors instantly come to mind). Good for you for liking your phone. But this reads a bit too young and eager. Good luck with your reviews going forward.
• ppjim 4y ago
  To me, SE stands for "Steve's Edition".
  • wyclif 4y ago
    Steve Jobs was right about the size of the iPhone.
• SergeAx 4y ago
  I am using a phone I bought almost 4 years ago for exactly 400 USD (thanks, Gmail, for great search feature). I am looking for a reason to buy a new one, but cannot imagine anything except for slightly degraded battery. I am well off financially, but just can't imagine a reason to buy a phone for $1000, not to mention rumored $1200 for iPhone 14 (yes, I am aware of USD inflation for last 4 years). Ah, and it is a flagship Xiaomi, with great AMOLED display, enough RAM and storage and best (for the time) Snapdragon SoC.
• saagarjha 4y ago
  I am incredibly upset that this person decided to write up an article about "the best iPhone", correctly recognized that the best iPhone has an "SE" in its name, then decided to show a picture of something else? Everyone knows iPhone SE has an ergonomic 4" Retina display, chamfered edges, and a blazing fast A9 processor, NVMe storage, and 2 GB of RAM, similar to its more expensive and slightly older sibling.
• tomduncalf 4y ago
  I miss 3D Touch too! Great feature but awkwardly integrated and promoted
• simonmorg 4y ago
  Great writing. I just feel a new design is needed. I feel the constant movement between straight edges and curved is annoying and costly for the end user.
• pjerem 4y ago
  FaceID works great but I miss TouchID for one unique reason : with Touch ID, the Apple Pay UX is pure genius : just take your phone in your pocket with the thumb on the button. Place it on top of the payment terminal. You are done. With Touch ID you have to prepare the phone by unlocking it before making the payment. Which means that you have to stare at your phone while you are interacting with the merchant. It’s odd and unnatural. Well, it’s not that bad neither really important but the initial UX was wonderful in its objectification of the phone as a convenient payment method. (And don’t talk me about Apple Watch, payment experience is terribly unnatural as it means making weird moves with your wrist).
  • cnity 4y ago
    I wonder if you could fingerprint hand movements. Then you wouldn't even have to strategically place your thumb.
  • h3daz 4y ago
    I just double-click the right-hand side button in my pocket, then double-check this is the correct card - thus unlocking the phone by me looking at it. Do it everyday without issues
  • what-the-grump 4y ago
    FaceID, sucks. It pulls attention away from whatever I am doing and forces me to fully stop. I hate it so much that I am seriously considering using a pixel 3 as a soft token/rsa fob. I have dozens of mfa codes 5 apps, requiring me to stop, look at my phone wait for it find my ugly face so I can click ‘yes it me’, in Okta, MS Authenticator, Duo, Google Authenticator, Symantec VIP, is ridiculous. I want my freaking 6s with a phone jack. /endrant
    • whywhywhywhy 4y ago
      I’m suspecting FaceID on my phone is also unlocking itself after I’ve locked it on its way back to my pocket. I’ll take it out, pay. Lock it and pocket it. Then later hear it’s started playing music or find half typed gibberish messages or random phone numbers because it’s been activating in my pocket. Never happened on any iPhones I’ve owned till I got the 11 with FaceID
• acd 4y ago
  I miss three things from new iphones: * The 3.5mm headphone jack for plugging in wired headphones. Wired headphones often last longer than wireless headphones. * The physical home button, way easier to use than gestures. * The full length status icon bar. On newer iphones not all icons are shown only a few. Which means you cant see if the VPN icon is connected/visible. Old iphones had full length icon bar.
  • slategruen 4y ago
    Still holding on to my 6s though not as a main driver exactly because of these reasons.
    • M3t0r 4y ago
      Same here. Gotta replace the battery some time soon, but still _very_ happy with it. If it should ever break, this SE generation looks like the best replacement option.
• karimmaassen 4y ago
  I'm a BIG fan of my 13 mini. Bought it last December and absolutely love the small form factor. The battery is no problem at all, even with extensive use. I easily have 20% or more left at the end of the day and it's not even an issue when having it used for CarPlay. I'm saddened by the idea there will never be a mini again.
  • nebula8804 4y ago
    What makes you think there will never be a mini again? Yeah Apple won't release a 14 mini from the rumors it seems but there is always a chance of another mini coming down the line a few models from now.
• pkrumins 4y ago
  The best phone is no phone.
• highmastdon 4y ago
  This is precisely the reason I have an iPhone 12 mini. Form factor is just good to drive with one hand. I like the cornered edges more as it slides less easily from my hand. Price is just right. Build quality is better than the SE. All in all, really happy. I’ve jumped from iPhone 6 to the 12 mini. That’s how long I can handle a phone. When I did the iPhone 6 battery replacement deal for €35 (?) my gps was broken afterwards so I got a replacement refurbished phone. So you could say I used two iPhone 6’s, but still…
• badpun 4y ago
  The phone is great, but the form factor is terrible. The phone is slippery, hard to pick up and hard to hold in hand. It's such a "looks over function" failure on Apple's part. No wonder that, with iPhone 13, they eventually went back to the old design (with right angles instead of all the slippery roundiness). No we have to wait another 5 years till that form factor trickles down to the SE line.
  • elzbardico 4y ago
    The ironic part was when android manufacturers started mimicking this design; it was a factor in making me go back to the iPhone. I have had my current one for over a year, and the only falls it ever suffered were from my pocket in some pants when I sit in my office chair and start lazily reclining. If it ever slipped from my hand, it was so rare that I can't remember.
• canbus 4y ago
  Recently replaced a screen and battery on my old iphone 8 and it has become my daily driver. It works really well! I don't really think a phone needs to be any bigger than this design.
• yreg 4y ago
  For years I want Apple to release a grid of four phones consumer | pro ====================+============== ~6" ‖ iPhone | iPhone Pro ------+-------------+-------------- ~5" ‖ iPhone mini | iPhone mini Pro I get that battery will be always better on the larger phones, but I don't see a reason why the best camera should be available only on the largest phone. People who want small phones don't necessarily want a cheap phone and people who want a cheap phone don't necessarily want a small one. Apple has done this before, when the mac lineup was all over the place and they rehired Steve. He cleared it up into this simple grid: consumer | pro ===================+============== desktop ‖ iMac | Power Mac G3 --------+----------+-------------- laptop ‖ iBook | Powerbook G3
  • sgjohnson 4y ago
    Their “pro” phones are also for consumers. “Pro” hasn’t meant “professional” in a very long time.
    • yreg 4y ago
      There's no such thing as a professional phone user. In Apple's nomenclature "pro" means the more expensive and better model.
      • sgjohnson 4y ago
        My point exactly.
• rejor121 4y ago
  Apple is missing out by not placing a fingerprint reader on the apple logo on the back of the case. So stupid. Masks are still a thing, and while I have a 12 mini, it doesn’t open with my masked face (although it’s fine when I’m wearing sunglasses, weirdly enough). The fact that it _can_ open with a masked face makes me question the security of face detection. I want my fingerprint sensor back. Masks will not be going away ( corona resurgence and potentially a monkey pox pandemic anyone? ) To this end, I think the SE is a great phone, outside of its size. It should be smaller. Hell, the 12 mini could’ve been even smaller but no dice. I’ll probably not buy another phone until a much smaller one is released. I will even go to Android based phones if one releases in three or four years
  • vbezhenar 4y ago
    It’s not like there are plenty of small androids around… It seems that the best phone today is SE (old model with iPhone 4 design). Not sure if it’s still supported or sold, but it should be powerful enough to support calls and sms with enough frame rate.
  • baisq 4y ago
    Masks have gone away already. It's time to move on. Monkeypox requires you to wear a mask on your ass, so that won't interfere with FaceID operation.
    • rejor121 4y ago
      Maybe for you, in the YSA. Not do for many other countries
• fanf2 4y ago
  I have an iPhone 13 mini and an iPad mini. The iPhone is a handy size but my eyes are ageing so it is not always easy to read. But Face ID is just annoying. The iPad’s combination of Touch ID and USB-C is much more convenient.
• aronhegedus 4y ago
  I agree! I stopped getting iPhones because I thought 1000£ was too much when a google pixel was 300£. However I got the SE for 500, which I thought was fair, and I love that it's just simple, no messing around with 3 cameras etc
  • teekert 4y ago
    Tbh you don't really notice the amount of camera's (my iPhone 12 mini is my first iPhone and my first phone with > 1 camera, I also got it because I like smaller, good Phones.), it switches automatically when zooming.
• elxr 4y ago
  > in its entry model, low cost (USD 429). The iPhone SE isn't "low cost" considering the alternatives from android land, and the disappointing battery life. I think a big reason this phone is so well liked on here is the general woeful state of the budget, compact phone market. With LG gone, Google Nexus gone, HTC gone, OnePlus's descent into mediocrity, and Motorola churning out huge phone after huge phone, options are slim. The new Zenfone 9 looks solid, but that's a flagship phone. I hope they release a smaller, more-budget focused version next.
  • sgjohnson 4y ago
    > The iPhone SE isn't "low cost" considering the alternatives from android land It absolutely is. The cost is still relative to how much marginally better flagships cost, not to how much a significantly worse barely-smartphone costs.
  • madeofpalk 4y ago
    The statement is correct. The iPhone SE is Apple's entry model, low cost iPhone. Absolutely, in the whole market it would probably be a mid-range smartphone.
    • elxr 4y ago
      I agree with most of what you said. But the way "low" cost (not "lower" cost, which is the wording I'd use) is used to describe a $430 phone with these specs is a little disingenuous to me. Maybe it's not that this thing is cheap, but that spending $800+ on phones for the average person is absolutely ridiculous. It bothers me that Apple has so much mindshare among the public that people only judge their phones/devices in comparison to Apple devices, while ignoring any non-Apple options.
      • sgjohnson 4y ago
        > It bothers me that Apple has so much mindshare among the public that people only judge their phones/devices in comparison to Apple devices, while ignoring any non-Apple options. There’s actually a lot of hidden cost to switching platforms. For me there are 2: 1. I hate Google more than I hate Apple (irrelevant for most people) 2. I’m balls deep in Apple’s ecosystem. Never mind the hardware. All paid apps? Gone. All in-app purchases? Gone. Everything you’ve bought on iTunes store? Difficult to access.
• troorl 4y ago
  The original SE is still kicking. If not for the battery, I'd stick to it for another 3-5 years.
• ciconia 4y ago
  The best iPhone, or Android phone, you can get is the one you inherit for free from a family member or a friend. I recently upgraded my 7-year old Moto G play, which was getting a bit flaky, to a 4-year old Samsung S9 that I got from my brother. It works just fine, and will probably serve me for 3 more years before I need to upgrade again.
• nottorp 4y ago
  [quote] It is very likely that this is the last iPhone SE of its kind, the last “iPhone with a button” ... The reception from critics has been lukewarm and sales, apparently, below expectations. That’s a shame. [/quote] That might be because people who really wanted a small phone might have gone for the 12/13 mini which is even smaller. I never considered the 8 "small".
  • rpgbr 4y ago
    Maybe, but mini version will be phased out in iPhone 14 lineup. Besides, iPhone SE is way cheaper, and I suspect part of its success is due to pricing.
    • JustSomeNobody 4y ago
      I'm one of the few who believe Apple will bring the mini back as the next SE in a couple years.
    • nottorp 4y ago
      Yeah, SE is the cheap one atm while the Minis are the small ones. I got two Minis for the ladies of the house. Because they wanted small phones. Both the SE and the Mini sell pretty well by any other company's standards except Apple, I think...
• lolive 4y ago
  The 6s.
• freetime2 4y ago
  > The single camera, by the way, is very close to the main one on the top models. Apple’s marketing gives the impression that every year the new iPhone cameras leave the old ones in the dust. The truth is, I’m having a hard time distinguishing between the photos of the iPhone SE, those from my girlfriend’s iPhone 11 and my iPhone 8. It’s a bit odd to compare the iPhone SE to the iPhone 11, and then say it’s the same as the “top models”. The jump in image quality and image processing is pretty significant from the iPhone 11 to the iPhone 13, in my opinion. And video is significantly improved, too. Maybe it’s not something that everyone would notice or care much about, but for me it was well worth the upgrade.
• bluescrn 4y ago
  I still miss the headphone jack.
• deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
• jmkni 4y ago
  This is exactly why I like the 13" Apple Silicon Macbook Pro, it looks boring, if you saw me using one you'd probably assume it was 5 years old and had an i5 in it or something, but actually an insanely good laptop.
• nunez 4y ago
  I LOVE the iPhone SE. Excellent phone for the value. I had the OG one (the one with the iPhone 5 form factor) and finally framed it on my collection of iPhones once Apple deprecated it. I love the Mini even more. I'm only using the Pro for the wide angle lens, but I'm ditching it once the Mini gets the triple camera array, if it ever does.
• tcmart14 4y ago
  I got an iPhone SE last year (my first iPhone) and so far it has been a great phone. Probably one of the best phone's I've had and well worth the value. I've had some of the flagship Pixels, and they were fine. For my own use case, cost for flagship models versus what I use it for don't match up very well. The iPhone SE is great in this area. It isn't an expensive phone and powerful. Sure it has less features than the flagship iPhones, but they are features I wouldn't use anyways.
• empressplay 4y ago
  I have an OG SE and when it dies I'll find another used one!
• Lio 4y ago
  I think this article sums things up nicely. The SE is a very right design. I think it’s its soft edges that I really like. I’d be happy if they could swap the lightning for USB-c and squeeze in a slightly larger screen but even if they can’t I’d be happy if they just kept roughly as is. The SE is dull and boring in all the most wonderful ways. It’s the phone you buy if you don’t want to talk to people about phones.
• testmasterflex 4y ago
  From article: “The 3rd gen iPhone SE can take pictures with the background blurred and identify text directly from the viewfinder.” What does author mean on both here?
• dangus 4y ago
  The problem with the iPhone SE is that it’s not a particularly good value proposition when you shop around for deals in the real world rather than just looking at pure MSRP. Carriers including MVNOs will unload phones like the iPhone 12 mini for a very similar price. Or, if you aren’t requiring the small size, you can find a lot better functionality and battery life with phones like the iPhone 11 and 12 that Apple still sells and, again, you can find at very similar price points. I would set aside nostalgia for older designs or resistance to new features and design in this case because the SE is just too ancient. It’s a way for Apple to continue getting use out of old manufacturing equipment and not any sort of competitive offering against Apple themselves. The camera, arguably the most important smartphone feature, is one of those ancient components. There’s no night mode, a major downside. So is the screen, a really ancient LCD where the iPhone 12 mini gets you OLED that makes viewing everything easier. The iPhone SE also has just about the worst battery life of the whole lineup, which is a major, major issue.
• stereoradonc 4y ago
  You can't do anything worthwhile with the iPhone. I can't side load applications, unless "jailbroken", no browser with extensions support (except "Orion with deplorable support- even if its in development), adblocking using AdGuard is terrible because of inherent limitations, incremental "updates" are only to bump up software version and too many restrictive frameworks around Apple owned applications. Each software application is pivoting towards subscriptions making it impossible to either keep a track or keep them in check. The HN forum should educate users about the limitations hurting the users but instead I see users seeped deeply in the process.
• fiznool 4y ago
  I much prefer the SE form factor to the notched design, but the latter boasts a significantly better camera system. If they put the dual lens setup from the 12/13 in a new SE then I’d buy it in a heartbeat. Kids are only little once - capturing those moments with a better camera trumps most other things in my book.
• themadturk 4y ago
  The original SE was my first iPhone. I had no objection to TouchID, and loved the square sides. But overall, the screen was too small for me. I kept it for several years, though. My next phone was a XR, love FaceID, hated the glass back and rounded sides. Now I have a 13 Pro, still don't like so much glass, but I have a nice case for it and love the cameras. The size is ideal for my older eyes. But the whole idea of still having the SE as part of the lineup is fantastic.
• garfieldnate 4y ago
  I still use a gen 1 SE; they only cost 100$, and you can still install the latest iOS. It's physically smaller than the later generation SE, and it still works just fine (I had to replace the battery when it expanded, but this is common enough). The only reason for me to upgrade would be to get a nicer camera, or perhaps to have a better selection for phone cases.