This is the “better” iPhone SE 2020
Or: Why the original iPhone X is still worth it
So, I get it. The new iPhone SE is great. An up to date processor and all of that A13 Bionic performance goodness. And all the software features like Studiolighting, Portrait mode and IP 67 is a hard pill to swallow for other big manufacturers.
And I get, why Apple used the housing of the old iPhone 8. They streamlined the manufacturing process for that particular piece of hardware for a few years now and I’m guessing that they have a huge pile of the iPhone 8 housing laying around in some factory somewhere.
But I think that the SE isn’t meant for someone to buy as their first iPhone. In my opinion, the SE is meant for those of us, that have an iPhone 6 or 6s or maybe the old SE and don’t want but have to buy a new phone. In other words, the iPhone SE 2020 is for the parents. And don’t just take my word for it. MrMobile has the same view on the potential buyers of the SE.
So, you are a person under 45 and want a new phone. Maybe you have an iPhone 7 or you really like the design of the X-series. So you head over to Apple website and click buy on an iPhone 11 or 11 Pro. But that's at least 700 or even a thousand bucks. “That's a lot of money!”, you think. And you are absolutely right. If you want to get some “Pro” Features, a thousand bucks may be worth it, but if you just want a solid phone, Apple has still something really nice to offer.
In my opinion, the best value iPhone right now is the iPhone X. You know, that iPhone that changed the design of Apple phones in November of 2017. Now I know, that this makes the iPhone X almost 2,5 years old, but hear me out.
Not only do you get the current design of all the new iPhones (I hardly can distinguish the X for the 11 Pro just by looking at them separately), but you get a really nice design and a very premium phone, that feels oh so new (if you come from an older iPhone or most Android phones that is). Recently I made the switch from an older android phone (the LG V30 that is) to the iPhone X and am really happy to finally use iOS. A few years ago I used an iPhone 6 for some time, but got tired of the poor battery life and the bulky battery cases and switched back to Android. But now I am slowly switching back to Apple. My main drivers are an iPad Pro and a MacBook. Both are a little older (iPad Pro 2017 and MacBook Pro from 2013), but the way Apple makes use of their device-software-symbiosis always allows for a really impressive performance. Sure, the MacBook struggles under very heavy load (multiple 4K Video Streams and such) and the iPad can‘t be used with the Apple Pencil 2nd gen (1st gen works flawlessly though), but in almost every other way I couldn‘t find any restrictions whatsoever.
And I am finding this to be very true with the iPhone X. Of course, you can‘t expect the full performance of a current A13 Bionic, but the A11 Bionic is still a powerhouse which never lets you down. For the basics like web-browsing in safari or WhatsApp or Instagram or Online-Banking, it delivers, trust me! And even smaller Games work just as advertised. In the past, Apple was known to keep older iPhones updated for a very long time, and this is true for the iPhone X is expected to get the new iOS for 5 or 6 years, so until 2022 or 2023, which is fine for me. The iPhone SE 2020, of course, will get these fo Rauch longer, as it was just released.
Of course, you have to sacrifice something by using an older phone. The battery usually isn‘t as good as when it first came out. But the biggest flaw in my eyes is the camera(s). They aren‘t complete garbage by a long stretch, but they are… fine I guess. Nobody will ask you about the phone you just shot the new award-winning photo of Beyoncé, but for everyday use, it is really fine.
So let‘s talk about price. The newly announced iPhone SE 2020 can be had for 400 USD. Which is an awesome price, don‘t get me wrong! But the iPhone X, which is the more “premium-feeling“ phone of the two, at least in my opinion, can be found for 400 to 450 bucks on eBay, craigslist or your local phone repair shop.
The choice for me is clear. The iPhone SE 2020 is an amazing deal, but the iPhone X for me it is.
How about you?
