The iPhone SE Review
by Brandon Chester on May 16, 2016 8:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Apple
- Mobile
- iPhone
- iPhone SE
Going Back To A 4-Inch Smartphone
The Android world left the 4-inch smartphone behind long ago. While Apple was still playing the 3.5-inch smartphone game, Android phones moved from 4 inches, to 4.3 inches, to 4.5 inches, and so on. Nowadays, your standard Android flagship phone has a display that is a little over five inches in size, and a 4.5-inch display is what’s considered a tiny phone. Of course, there are other factors related to device size like whether you have physical or on-screen buttons and how large your bezel is, but the screen size is still what defines the limits of your window into the internet and all your applications. A couple of years ago I used the iPhone 5s, and nowadays I use the Nexus 5X and the iPhone 6s. Devices that really bring total device size up a notch like the Galaxy Note 5 and iPhone 6s Plus are simply far too large for me to use comfortably. Even with that, going back to a 4-inch smartphone definitely takes time to get used to, and it’s given me some interesting insights into what you gain and what you lose by moving to a larger device.
My first point about the iPhone SE seems patently obvious, but it’s really worth stating that when you move from a 5-inch smartphone to a 4-inch one it really feels small. I’ve actually been having some interesting thoughts on this subject as I’ve juggled between various iPads for the upcoming 9.7-inch iPad Pro review. If you use the iPad Mini for a long time, a 9.7-inch iPad feels absolutely enormous by comparison. Similarly, when you use the 12.9-inch iPad Pro for a long time, the 9.7-inch iPad feels like an iPad Mini in comparison, and the Mini itself feels absurdly small. In all these cases there’s an adjustment period where one has to get used to the size of the device, and after that time passes it becomes your reference point for what is normal.
I don’t expect that too many users will actually go through this adjustment period if they buy the iPhone SE, as I would imagine that many prospective buyers are people who are still holding on to their iPhone 5 or 5s and have been hoping for an updated 4-inch iPhone. After getting used to the SE, I’ve found myself enjoying the one-handed usability. Say what you will about features like reachability and one-handed modes; the 4-inch screen is simply much easier to use with one hand. I never worry about dropping the phone, and I don’t find myself having to shift my hand to reach the upper left area of the display.
On the flip side, the 4-inch form can feel quite cramped, even after adjusting to the smaller display size. With the default settings the information density is absolutely laughable, and I can’t use the phone without the text size setting set to the smallest value. I use the smallest text size on all my devices, but for users who need a larger font due to aging eyes I would honestly rule out the iPhone SE immediately unless you’re comfortable with doing a lot of scrolling. Even with that changed, you simply can’t fit near as much on the screen. You get one fewer row of home screen icons, fewer emails in the Mail app, no avatars in the Messages app, and similar reductions throughout the rest of Apple’s apps as well as third party ones. Features like Control Center which just goes past the halfway point on the 6s takes up nearly the entire screen, and it makes me wonder how it ever even fit on the 3.5-inch iPhones.
All of these changes are just a function of the display size, and while they seem obvious, it’s difficult to understand the extent to which they change the experience of using the phone. While I’m not someone who is sold on phablets, I certainly see the value in them for many people, and for me the sweet spot is something in the 4.5 to 4.7-inch range. I’ve used the iPhone SE as my primary device for a month now to see how it works for me, and when I returned to the Nexus 5X and iPhone 6s they both felt absolutely enormous. However, I find myself really valuing the additional information that I can see in the larger display while still having the phones be relatively usable with a single hand. The 4-inch screen isn’t the right size for me, but I recognize the benefits of it. With Apple having sold 30 million 4-inch smartphones last year despite the fact that their offering was a phone from 2013, there’s clearly a market for such a device, and I think the iPhone SE will make those users quite happy.
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SourAPL16 - Sunday, May 22, 2016 - link
On Monday, 23rd, I will be going after my FOURTH I Phone model, since turning my 6PLUS inbut one month ago. I have had, now three SE's in rapid succession. My service is VERIZON. I have not had a dropped call in memory. In the last two weeks I have had several everyday. THE SE Sucks, in my humble opinion. Even switching Sim cards, no change in the lack of performance. I had my 5C for almost 3 years; great service. I jumped at the 6Plus because of
Verizon's newer acquisition program. No more big downstrokes. I wanted to be Mr. Cool among the fam and I was for a couple months. My arthritic hands became increasingly stressed as I
attempted to heft and use the Monster. Hip but terribly frustrated. Opted to downsize to the SE
for my damaged hands ease of handling and for SE's new goodies. The goodies have not come
close to offsetting the misery of telephonus interruptus! Any other sufferers want to start a
SUPPORT GROUP??? Considering moving to a straight 6; my wife's is easy to handle. Stay tuned!!!
kimi33 - Monday, May 23, 2016 - link
Highly recommend this SELECTEC 8600mAh White Ultra-Thin Pocket Size Power Bank to you, only $15.99 after coupon code M6TBH358, http://amzn.to/1UV8BlfGB123 - Tuesday, May 24, 2016 - link
Here in Taiwan -LG G4 32G = USD$340 without contract
iphone se 16GB = USD$483 without contract
iPHone SE is definitely not the one with best camera at USD$4xx, not to mention the expansion capability.
mike_IC97 - Tuesday, June 14, 2016 - link
This phone is super fast and has an excellent camera but if you are a headphone junkie like me and like to blast your tunes all the time the 5s has a much cleaner and more dynamic sounding headphone output. Just my 2 centsAssimilator87 - Tuesday, July 12, 2016 - link
Hey Brandon, here's a proposal for an experiment: You should get acclimated to the iPhone 6s Plus and then switch over to the HP Veer. I'd like to research the behaviors and symptoms that may arise from such a traumatic experience ;-)skrafi151 - Tuesday, August 16, 2016 - link
This iPhone has nice features and for service/repair go to #http://appworldin.com/Drkovcim - Sunday, January 1, 2017 - link
Display iPhone SE under the microscope: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWEy4VklrosMaccustomerservice - Wednesday, April 18, 2018 - link
This is the best review I have ever read on any site.i use this phone, but i have some problem with this device.This device is a little bit slow and I can fix it from mac customer service, you can also visit if you have a problem with your device <a href="https://appletechsupportnumber.net/mac-support/&qu... customer support</a>.