Speed, 5G, only $429, but old look
Apple iPhone SE 2022
Todd Haselton | CNBC
Apple‘s new $429 iPhone SE launches Friday.
I’ve been testing it for the past several days, and it’s a good option for people who just need an iPhone without all the fancy stuff you’ll pay for on the iPhone 13, such as a nicer screen and better cameras.
The iPhone SE is $30 more than the identically named model that launched in 2020 for $399. It offers more than that model, including support for faster 5G cellular, stronger glass, and the same high-speed processor that appears in the more expensive iPhone 13 (which starts at $699 for the Mini model). But it seems inflation and supply chain constraints could also be playing a role. I think Apple could really have boosted the appeal by dropping the price a bit, considering consumers are getting squeezed everywhere else right now, from the grocery store to the gas pump.
The iPhone SE isn’t as popular as Apple’s other phones. According to Counterpoint Research, the 2020 version of the iPhone SE accounted for 12% of all iPhone sales from its launch until Q4 2021. The addition of 5G, however, could make it a compelling option in international markets such as Europe and China where Apple didn’t yet have a low-priced 5G phone to compete with budget Android devices.
Here’s what you need to know about it.
What’s good
Apple iPhone SE 2022
Todd Haselton | CNBC
Apple’s strategy for the iPhone SE is to take the same body and screen from older phone models to save on costs, while adding in the latest processor and cellular chip to keep it up to date. That means it can still run all the latest games and apps that you’d expect from any new iPhone — I played Disney’s Melee Mania, for example — without any slowdown that you might otherwise see in a phone that’s a few years old.
It’s got the same body design as the iPhone 8 from 2017, which looks a bit out of date but also means it’s the only iPhone you can still buy with a fingerprint-reading home button instead of Apple’s Face ID unlock system, which is only now getting support for face masks.
I love the size. I normally carry Apple’s much bigger iPhone 13 Pro Max, which feels a bit like a brick next to the iPhone SE. I’d turn to the iPhone SE to toss in my pocket for a run, and it was a lot easier to use to watch movies with one hand while lying down without worrying about it dropping on my face. The stereo speakers are good, too. But if you have the budget, the iPhone 13 Mini is the same size with a way better screen, slightly longer battery life, and nicer cameras.
Apple iPhone SE 2022
Todd Haselton | CNBC
The 5G works well, too. It doesn’t support some of the fastest mmWave networks that other iPhone and Android devices can, but those networks aren’t widely available anyway. More importantly, it does support the new C-band networks that are being rolled out by Verizon and AT&T, as well as T-Mobile‘s solid nationwide 5G network. So, while 5G still isn’t a must-have for most people, it’s great if you need to download a big playlist or a couple of TV shows before you hop on a flight. In my tests, T-Mobile’s 5G network hit about 300Mbps at home, which was faster than my Wi-Fi in parts of my house.
The camera captures…
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