One of the biggest criticisms of Apple’s iPhones is that they are too expensive. Apple’s answer was the release of the $399 iPhone SE in 2016, which made it $250 cheaper than the latest iPhone (6S) at the time. It had the speed and feel of the more advanced 6S while maintaining the smaller and cheaper design of the older iPhone 5. This was a huge step forward for Apple, as it benefitted people who wanted the long-term benefits of an iPhone, but didn’t want to pay the premium price.

Fast forward to the present, and Apple has just released an updated version of the original  iPhone SE: the iPhone SE 2020. Costing the same $399 price point, it has the body and design of the older iPhone 7 and 8, along with the internals and processor (A13 Bionic) of the latest iPhone 11 series, which, depending on the model, costs $699 and $999, respectively. This makes the new iPhone SE at least $300 cheaper than the 11 series while still having the same performance. 

“[The phone] is cheaper than some of the newer previous phones, which may cause some to buy it,” said eighth grader Atticus Fasnakis-Nosal.

The A13 is considered much faster than its Android predecessors, like the $400 Samsung A51. In fact, according to arstechnica.com, “It’s not only faster than the Samsung Exynos 9611 in the Galaxy A51, but faster than any [chip] in any Android phone, even Samsung’s top-of-the-line $1,400 Galaxy S20 Ultra.”

Aside from performance, Apple has also been known for having exceptional photo quality, and this phone is no exception. The new SE comes with a 12-megapixel camera, as well as a 7-megapixel front-facing camera. This is a huge advancement made from the 1.2-megapixel front-facing of the original SE. 

The processor and the camera are all the latest technology, however the display remains the same as the two-year old iPhone 8. The size is only 4.7 inches (measured diagonally), which is much smaller compared to the screen on the $699 iPhone 11, which is 6.1 inches.

The screen is the only thing that has not been updated to the latest technology. This is the most prominent thing that distinguishes the SE with the more expensive models, hence the cheaper price tag of $399.

The 2020 iPhone SE holds immense value. It features the fastest processor in any mobile device packed into a slim chassis, upgraded front-facing and rear-facing cameras, and, most importantly, an affordable $399 price tag. 

“If people want better pictures and stronger [performance], then they will buy it,” said Fasnakis-Nosal. 

“I would buy the iPhone SE because of its great deal,” said eighth grader Charlie Noble. “It is an iPhone 11 in an iPhone 8 [frame], making it very fast while still being slim.”