For those wanting a sharp, modern iPhone for just a fraction of the price of Apple’s iPhone 13, look no further than the iPhone SE (3rd gen).
Apple’s cheapest option has been upgraded for 2022 to include 5G and a faster chip, that for the price, is a complete steal.
Having tried and tested the SE for the last week, here are my findings.
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The SE is available now from Apple and authorised retailers, starting at $719 for 64 GB.
It comes in the colours midnight, starlight, and Apple’s signature ‘(product) red’ – the latter of which I reviewed.
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The SE is perfect for those not fussed with the flashy cameras, sleek design, and extensions such as Face ID.
Being Apple’s cheapest model, the SE is for those who value a good price and currently have an iPhone 8 model or older.
In saying that, don’t be fooled by the price, because the SE has some strong features that have modernised the phone to be a contending piece of 2022-standard technology.
Impressively, the SE contains 91 per cent recycled rare earth metals, 100 per cent recycled tungsten, at least 35 per cent recycled plastic in various components, and 100% recycled tin in the solder of its main board.
Pretty impressive if you ask me.
The camera is the most notable disadvantage of the SE. Unlike other models, the SE only has one 12-megapixel camera on its back.
In decent lighting, it produces good photos with a solid colour balance, and range.
At night, the images are ok – but come nowhere near more advanced models that include Apple’s signature ‘night mode’.
Compared to the 2nd generation of the SE, the newest release has two extra hours of video playback.
Testing the phone, it hit 15 per cent around 5pm. So, if you’re a heavy phone user, you’ll need a battery pack.
Unfortunately, the SE is not compatible with Apple’s MagSafe slim battery packs – something I don’t understand why since Apple is pushing its MagSafe technology rather heavily across its other iPhone models.
You’ve got to love that A15 Bionic chip found in the SE and 13 models.
Apps loaded surprisingly just as fast and felt just as good to use on this device – a big win for the SE. Plus, the phone includes 5G and the latest version of iOS.
The screen and overall design is clean– despite the slightly dated home button and rectangular screen.
It’s not as heavy as the 13 most notably, so doesn’t feel quite as luxurious – but for some, its light feeling may be more comfortable.
The screen feels a bit small, but if you like Apple’s classic design – it’s for you.
Overall, this phone is a steal.
It holds some of the most important parts of 2022 Apple technology, but is more affordable than the iPhone 13 lineup.
In my opinion, it is the perfect first phone for a teen, starting at 64 GB of storage – more than enough apps, games and photos can be stored. There’s also iCloud if you need as well.
As someone who values technology, superfluous features, and investments in my everyday items, I’d prefer to fork out the extra cash for the 13.
But then again, I’m not the target market.
So ask yourself the following questions:
If you answered no to any of those questions, the SE may be right up your alley.
Pros:
Cons:
Apple provided this publisher with a device for testing purposes. This did not affect our views on the device, and our review remains independent of the manufacturer.
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