Apple iPhone SE Time-saver edition

Introduction

The iPhone SE is a perfect fit for a time-saver review, it seems, as Apple didn't come up with a new design or new internals. Instead, the innards come from an iPhone 6s, while the design is a direct copy of the iPhone 5s. While on paper this sounds like a great combination, it's not exactly breaking news, is it?

One way to interpret this move is to conclude Apple is taking the easy road and is merely recycling an existing chassis design to produce a lower-cost iPhone without hurting margins. Another possible interpretation is that they are reviving the iconic iPhone 5/5s design in an attempt to cater to a group of users who not only want a cheaper iPhone but would also prefer the smaller form factor.

Let's not forget that a third of Apple users are still using older 4-inch smartphones.

 

Key specifications

• 
  4.0"640 x 1136 pixels
• 
  12MP 2160p
• 
  1.84GHz Apple A9
• 
  2GB RAM 16/64GB
• 
  1624mAhLi-Po

The iPhone SE has this nice nostalgic feeling of the good old iPhones when they were always shaking the market, and its compact size and powerful hardware will be appreciated by many. It will hardly attract any new users to Apple's platform, but will allow those who are stuck in the past to level up.

Design and build quality

The Apple's iPhone SE design is on the catwalk for a third time in a row, and there are no surprises here. After the dawn of the glass iPhones, the new metal chassis introduced by the iPhone 5 quickly became a fan-favorite. It was in fact so popular that in the aftermath of the iPhone 6 premiere the new exterior was considered as a disappointment because of the departure from the old looks.

Sure, Apple could have shrunk the iPhone 6 chassis for the iPhone SE instead, but we suspect they've intentionally decided to keep the iconic chassis. Plus, nobody can't argue it was easier for development and production - faster, and, of course, cheaper.