Earlier this month saw the release of the new iPhone SE in South Africa.
The question on everyone’s lips at the release of the iPhone SE is simply, why? Why repackage what is essentially an iPhone from 2013 and release it again? Is it a throwback for people who feel nostalgic for smaller phones, or is it because Apple have simply run out of ideas?
In many ways the iPhone SE is identical to the iPhone 5S. It has the exact same aluminium body, the same four-inch retina display and even has the same side button placements as the older model. Aesthetically speaking, the only difference between the two is that you can find the iPhone SE is three different colours; rose gold, gold and space grey.
So is it fair to say that the iPhone SE is nothing more than a 6S inside the body of a 5S? Well, not entirely. The iPhone 6S does have some features not included in the SE such as the new 3d Touch feature, the 6S also has a better front-facing camera while the SE is stuck taking selfies with an older 1.2megapixel camera. It’s worth noting though that the SE features the same 12megapixel rear-facing camera as the 6S.
Other than that the iPhone SE is it’s own phone. It may be smaller than the bigger flagship models you’ll find, but it doesn’t compromise on it’s power. Running on Apple’s newer A9 chip, it has two gigabytes of RAM and all the latest WiFI and LTE connection features. If smaller had always meant slower, the iPhone SE is only too happy to break that stigma.
The newer software and processor also affects the battery in the best possible way. The SE is able to squeeze out 50% more battery life than the iPhone 5S meaning that you’ll be able to get out more browsing or standby time than on other phones of the same size.
But perhaps the iPhone SE’s biggest selling point is it’s selling price. Available in a 16GB and 64GB variety, the latter is selling at an estimated R8,500 while the 64GB version is going for around R10,500. This is around R2,000 cheaper than buying a 16GB iPhone 6S, and approximately R4,000 cheaper than a 64GB iPhone 6S.
All in all the iPhone SE is so much more than a smaller 5S. It has the power of flagship models, packaged in a more compact parcel, and all for a fraction of the price of more expensive smartphones. It’s the iPhone for users who feel that Apple products have always been out of their price range, and it given that it doesn’t compromise on the usual Apple quality makes this a well recommended buy.
