The original iPhone SE had so much when launched that compelled most consumers with appetite for handsets with a small factor to have something they’d relate to. It was like Apple had finally started listening to its customers for once and did something about it. In fact, the smartphone giant admitted to having sold millions of then iPhone 5S devices to people who didn’t like the size of iPhone 6.
The original iPhone SE 2016 mostly retained the best technology in then flagship 6S but settled on the design of iPhone 5S – one of the best designs we’ve seen in the industry. It was a combination that gave no reason to pundits at the time to lament about apple; that’s not to say the device lacked flaws, but they were mostly ignorable considering the unusual low-price tag of (USD399) Ksh40,000.
And now we’re in the year 2020, the best in the original iPhone SE is now washed out even though some fellows still hold on to the handset like a precious box of diamonds. A few reasons you’d easily be given from these people include the handsets ability to receive latest version of iOS; at least in the year 2020, it’s awesome but now dated design ques, and an amazingly low-price tag – refurbished models are now going for less than USD100 (KS 10,000) online.
Today’s new small factor was actually once considered big, I remember back in the day when Samsung unleashed its phablet lineup with the likes of 5.3inch Galaxy Note stealing the show. The phablet designs were met with both skepticisms and embraced by many as well. The latest iPhone SE 2020 could actually have been categorized as a phablet back in the day, you’d not believe its actually amongst the few considered usable by one hand today.
Unlike the original SE, iPhone SE 2020 has all the goodies you’d get in an iPhone 11 but housed in the body of iPhone 8. The manufacturer moved away from its once iconic design used on the 5 series which came as a disappointment to many – me included. We expected the next iPhone SE to come in the same compact boxy design we used to love, only with minimal bezels at least to represent the SE’s evolution. Some novel designers came up with beautiful renders of how the SE would look like – something that actually made conservatives like me to have something worth looking forward to.
To be honest, I’m not necessarily lamenting about the iPhone SE 2020 its actually the only option small factor lovers like me have on the shortlist. We are extremely disappointed that out of the enormous android ecosystem, we don’t have a direct competitor. Technology has evolved tremendously in the smartphone segment and the level of copy-pasting we’re witnessing is disturbing.
When apple settled on the notch, everyone went for it. Its like every phone manufacturer out there saw the light for the very fast time. I’d love to see the level of innovations we once witnessed in the likes of blackberry and Nokia. Apple is not spared as well, just harvesting left-over parts on the iPhone 11 and putting in the body of iPhone 8 spells cost-cutting. To be honest, the only peace offering we get in the new iPhone SE 2020 is an affordable price tag and the power of apple’s current top-of-the-line device – the iPhone 11.
The iPhone SE 2020 comes with a 4.7inch display panel Apple A13 Bionic processor, iOS 13, 3GB RAM, 12 Megapixels primary camera and 7 Megapixels selfie camera. Its expected to cost somewhere around Ksh40,000 here in Kenya – at least once it gets here. But if you can’t wait that longer, there’s always the likes of amazon and eBay you could actually snap one when an opportunity arises.