Apple

2 Reasons to Buy the iPhone SE & 3 Reasons to Wait

Published

4 years ago

10/08/2020

The iPhone SE is an intriguing device for those who want an iPhone but don’t want a big screen. While it’s a tempting option, there are also some reasons to avoid picking the iPhone SE up right now.

If you aren’t enamored with Apple’s stable of big screen iPhones, a list that includes the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone XS, iPhone XR, iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus, you plenty of options at your disposal.

You could go with the iPhone 5 or iPhone 5c, but we don’t recommend going that route for various reasons.

You might opt for the iPhone 5s, Apple’s aging 4-inch device that got upgraded to iOS 12 in 2018, but lost regular support with the release of iOS 13.

You could go with a cheap Android device if you aren’t married to the iPhone. There are a ton of excellent budget Android phones out there on the market right now.

You could also stay in-house and snag Apple’s iPhone SE, the 4-inch iPhone from early 2016. Despite its age, the iPhone SE is still one of the top small screen phones on the market and should be on your short list if you can’t handle having a large-sized smartphone in your pocket.

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Before you commit to the iPhone SE make sure you dig into this list of reasons to, and not to, buy Apple’s 4-inch iPhone.

While some of you might want to pick one up today, others will likely benefit from waiting a few more days or maybe even a few more weeks before buying one.

The iPhone SE is Still Good

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Let's start with a few reasons why you might want to make the iPhone SE your next device.

If you're in the market for a smaller iPhone, the iPhone SE is the iPhone you want to buy. Here's why.

It's more powerful than the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5. It comes equipped with better cameras, a faster processor, and more RAM. The iPhone SE is also better equipped for the future.

The iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c didn't get iOS 12. They won't get any more bug fixes or security updates from Apple either.

Apple's iPhone 5s got iOS 12, but it didn't get iOS 13 or iOS 14. That means you'll miss out on features like Dark Mode, Widgets on the home screen, as well as a regular stream of bug fixes and patches from Apple.

The fact that the iPhone SE got iOS 14 means it'll get at least one more year of software support (bug fixes, new features including new emojis, security patches).

So if you're looking to get a ton of mileage out of your next phone, the iPhone SE is the way to go. It has a better combination of hardware and software.