When I first heard about and saw the iPhone SE my reaction went something like this:
I didn’t like anything about it. To me, the iPhone SE seemed representative of the type of company Apple has become: dull, stuck in its ways, and possibly a bit lazy.
I mean, what you’re looking at here is essentially the iPhone 5s outfitted with some key specs from the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s.
It costs too much, I said in my iPhone SE review. And it does — Apple should be selling this handset for a lot less than it does.
But then I used the iPhone SE for a prolonged period of time; three months or so to be exact and something started to happen. Something scary…
I started to like the iPhone SE. Like it A LOT.
Why? Simple: it’s a great phone. Boring, yes. But solid in almost every regard. And because of its size it is kind of unique in the phone space right now.
Here’s six points on how Apple’s iPhone SE converted me from hater to believer in the space of a few months
My Pockets Feel Better
This isn’t a big one, nor is it a deal-breaker but I have definitely appreciated the additional room I have in my pockets and jacket pockets. It’s been YEARS since I used a phone this small. I love the way it just slips in and you barely even notice it, whether its in your jacket or pants pocket.
The Battery Life is Phenomenal
I don’t know what Apple has done here, but the iPhone SE’s battery performance is insane for a phone of this size. A lot of it is likely down to optimisations and the low-resolution display. Either way, this is a big deal for me as I place battery performance in front of nearly everything else.
The Camera is Brilliant
Apple’s cameras are some of the best point and shoot setups in the business, and the iPhone SE is no different. Shots captured using this phone are superb and it performs solidly in low-light conditions.
Like the iPhone 6s, The iPhone SE is Super Fast
This phone is RAPID. Whether gaming or running applications, everything chugs along at a break-neck speed. Apple’s CPU technology has come along leaps and bounds in recent years and the iPhone SE benefits from the same drive-train as the iPhone 6s — Apple’s mighty A9 CPU.
Not Great For Media
The only downside to the iPhone SE’s size is that watching media isn’t quite as immersive. Plus, once you’re used to large-screened phones, a 4in panel does seem tiny and no where is this more palpable than when watching YouTube videos.
Text on webpages can be tricky too; larger phones definitely provide a more engaging experience in this regard. You can still do all these things, of course, it’s just not quite as good as when you’re doing it on a 5.5in phone with a QHD panel.
The Front Facing Camera is PANTS
Apple should have bumped up the front-facing camera. FaceTime calling and selfies are big deals these days and having a 1.2MP camera on the front of the iPhone SE is not acceptable — not in 2016 and not when the phone costs £359.
Check out EE's HUGE range of iPhone SE plans.
