Apple made an unseasonal addition to the iPhone family on March 20th with the announcement of the iPhone SE. With its 4-inch screen, this iPhone is positioned as the entry level model in the iPhone family, but it offers great performance and a killer camera to put it on par with its iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus siblings. So with a price tag of $399 (or free with a 2-year service contract with your carrier), is the iPhone SE for you?
Apple believes this is a really attractive offer for first-time iPhone buyers, and I think they’re absolutely right. For the past several years, Apple has relegated their older iPhone models to the entry level price points, and this meant consumers were pretty much buying technology that was 2 years old. Before the announcement of the new iPhone SE, your entry-level option for an iPhone was the iPhone 5s which, again, was released 2 years ago.
I think Apple has caught on that it needs to deliver a better product at that entry-level price and with the iPhone SE, you can get value with sacrificing power and performance. iPhone SE offers the same powerful A9 processor and 12 megapixel camera that is in the flagship iPhone 6s. The video capabilities are also cutting edge with 4K Ultra HD recording, slo-motion and Live Photos.
So back to the original question: Is the iPhone SE for you?
Perhaps this goes without saying, but if you already have an iPhone 6 or newer, I would say no. Why on earth would you want to move toward a smaller screen? And you’re certainly not getting any performance bumps.
If you don’t have an iPhone and want to step into the Apple family, this is a great starting point. I think this will be especially appealing to baby boomers who are buying their first smartphones, and for teenagers who want an iPhone, but can’t convince their parents to pony up for the heftier price tag on the larger iPhone models. Apple also believes that this will be a great iPhone for markets like India and China where people are just getting introduced to iPhone.
For me personally, I’m happy with my iPhone 6 from 2014. For those of you waiting for Apple to update the top-tier of their iPhone lineup, you’ll have to wait until September/October when Apple typically updates portfolio for the holidays.
Let me know if you have any questions or comments below, and thanks for stopping by.
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