iPhone SE in 2024 — is it still WORTH it and what will the future bring?
The latest iPhone equipped with a Touch ID will be celebrating 2 years in less than 3 months. It combines both affordability and performance enabling its users access to the latest updates while paying half-price compared to the iPhone 15 Pro. With it’s ease of usability and the A15 chip will it be able to challenge the top dogs while being based on security that got released more than 10 years ago and a deficiency in camera quality.
I’ve been using the Iphone SE 3rd generation for the last 1.5 years and wanted to share benefits as well as disadvantages of it. I love to use it as I can easily control and reach all the parts of the screen with one hand without having to hold it like an Ipad.
Iphone SE is a hybrid connection between 8 year old and current technology. Let’s dive straight into the topic to discover whether the 3rd iPhone SE is still a good choice and will there be the next generation coming out soon.
To be able to give you a great view of how life is with an Iphone SE I divided it into multiple sections so that everyone can find what they’re looking for.
Positives
#1. Price
The Apple device possessing the same Chip as the SE is the 2 year old iPhone 13. With the A15 bionic chip the iPhone SE feels overpowered and I never had any issues with it being laggy. The difference in price 429$ to 599$ although if we compare to the new Pro model the price difference is times 2. It is currently the cheapest iPhone still in production and is still being sold on apple.com.
#2. Size
This iPhone truly makes a difference when it comes to size. I’ve never wanted to switch to the big ones as I saw how easy it is to just hold it in one hand and be able to reach the end of the screen. With the display being smaller than 5 in. (4.7") it is “the iPhone” that fits in every pocket.
#3. Performance
Unparalleled performance — these two words perfectly describe the iPhone SE A15 chip. It easily completes tasks without ever slowing down, although if you plan on having a case it may get hot. The inclusion of the A15 chip suggests that the iPhone will be updated for the next couple of years and stopped once the iPhone 13 will be removed from the next version of IOS.
#4. Cellular
The new iPhone SE 3rd generation supports 5G which is enough for daily tasks. However, the supercharged version would enable for quicker searches which currently feel slow compared to other iPhones. Currently the only iPhone SE that supports 5G is the latest one.
Negatives
#1. Touch ID vs. Face ID
A massive issue that I have with the iPhone SE is the Touch ID. Whenever you’re cooking, washing… that involves leaving your fingers humid or with little dirt makes unlocking the iPhone a “mission impossible”. Remember the last time Face ID failed. I’m pretty sure 99% of you will say during the night that’s when the disadvantage of having Touch ID becomes an advantage. I still believe Face ID is much better as the iPhone SE frustrate me every time Touch ID doesn’t work (10–20%).
#2. Camera quality
Another downside of this iPhone is its camera quality. As a photographer who uses cameras to take photos I believe Apple could’ve provided a better camera as this one is the same that iPhone 7 from 2015 has. The only change made to the camera app is bringing the Portrait mode.
#3. Design
Sometimes I wonder if other people even know that there was a SE version of iPhones as all of them seem to be thinking that it’s the iPhone 7. The looks from 2015 seem already quite like a time capsule compared to the last few phones.
#4. Battery
An issue that I encountered with this iPhone is that it doesn’t last my whole day and I often need to bring my charger to the gym. Although apple.com says the iPhone allows up to 15 hours of video playback, I never had it last through a weekend without having to charge my battery. Lastly this iPhone has a lightning charging port.
Future
New speculations and rumours about the new iPhone SE 2024 looking similar to the iPhone 14 or XR with CNET releasing an article about it yesterday. In the article it is rumoured that it will include a Face ID and a USB-C charging port and MacRumors and Keo suggesting that it will include a 5G Apple made Chip.
