In early March, Apple announced the new third-generation iPhone SE. Accordingly, the old iPhone SE will disappear from sale, while the remnants are being sold around the world. However, in the current Russian realities, when electronics prices have risen sharply, there are no new deliveries and are not expected, people are even more interested in offers on the secondary market.
As a new device, the iPhone SE (2020) is not particularly interesting – prices start at 50,000 rubles for a phone with 64 GB of memory. But you can buy a smartphone from your hands much cheaper: on average, the basic version on Avito costs about 25,000 rubles.
Price
The phone remains one of the most recent and inexpensive iPhones. It was shown in the spring of 2020 – by the standards of mobile devices, a decent time, but due to the top-end iPhone SE (2020) filling at the time of release, it remains relevant. Moreover, you can buy an iPhone, keeping within a modest budget by the standards of Apple technology.
If we talk about specific amounts, then on Avito the iPhone SE (2020) for 64 GB costs about 25,000 rubles, for 128 GB about 30,000 rubles, and for 256 GB they ask 40,000 – 45,000 rubles.
Simple and clear
The old iPhone SE (2020) does not differ from the new iPhone SE (2022) in appearance: the same body colors, the same markings on it. For example, the progenitor of the iPhone 8 had the Apple logo at the top of the case, and the word iPhone at the bottom.
By the standards of 2022, the phone cannot be called miniature, because Apple has compact iPhone 12 mini and 13 mini. Nevertheless, against the background of most analogues, it pleases with its light weight, moderate thickness and balanced dimensions.
Glass front and back, an aluminum frame around the perimeter, a bunch of cases and accessories for Lightning – everything is thought out. In the list of pluses, you need to add IP67 water protection. This is slightly worse than the top iPhones, but in practice the difference is not very critical.
normal screen
The display does not appeal with dry characteristics: wide frames, low resolution, but at the same time, the IPS matrix has excellent color reproduction. Photos, videos and other pictures do not look much worse than on more expensive iPhones.
Moreover, the same display is used in the latest iPhone SE 2022. Moreover, due to the relatively small screen, the phone turned out to be convenient and comfortable – you can easily handle it with one hand, which is already an achievement by today’s standards.
Cheerful than it seems
The phone appeared in the spring of 2020 and received at that time the most powerful filling by the standards of iPhones: the Apple A13 Bionic chipset, as in the top iPhone 11 Pro.
The smartphone was sold with 64, 128 and 256 GB memory. We were arguing in the studio about whether it is appropriate to buy a 64 GB iPhone in 2020. But everything comes down to money, and if the surcharge for a similar iPhone SE (2020) with 128 GB is small, the difference is about 5,000 rubles, then it makes sense to add money. If you pay around 10,000 rubles for an increased amount of memory, then it will not be possible to rationally explain such an act – after all, the task is to choose a relatively inexpensive iPhone.
Decent camera
The iPhone SE (2020) has only one main camera, but as for me, this is not even a minus, but a plus: optional modules are still not used as often. In addition, the neat lens barely protrudes from the body: against the backdrop of a massive design in the iPhone 13 Pro, this is just the height of modesty.
The smartphone takes great pictures during the day, at night it lacks a separate night mode, but you can praise the iPhone SE for its excellent video recording. The picture is very smooth, with good sound – it turned out to be a wonderful little phone for shooting mobile videos.
And even some entertainment
I think that everyone is already used to the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack in iPhones and it makes no sense to write it down as a disadvantage. Those who don’t like Apple’s position can buy a wired adapter. In other cases, there are wireless headphones for music and video: the choice is so huge, and the prices for budget and simple TWS headphones are very reasonable even with the current exchange rate.
With a diagonal of 4.7 inches, the phone cannot be called an ideal gaming platform – yet the display for games is small. On the other hand, the filling is powerful and there are no problems with mobile applications in principle. However, another sore subject arises next: low autonomy.
I will also mention stereo speakers with decent quality, when the music flows without wheezing and artifacts even at maximum volume.
Battery is a problem
The smartphone has a low battery capacity by modern standards, with a very modest load, you can get a day of work with a moderate load. But most likely, you will have to charge twice a day. Moreover, fast charging seems to be stated, but in fact the battery with a capacity of only 1821 mAh is fully charged in 2 hours. And this is from a 20W power supply. I will also add that the phone supports wireless charging, it can also come in handy.
Again, if we are talking about buying a used iPhone SE, then no one knows what will happen to the battery and how much it will be killed.
What to check when buying
Specify the model index, it is indicated directly on the case, in the SIM card slot. If there is a box, you can look at it. Plus, as usual, you can see it through the menu: “Settings” → “General” → “About this device”. At the same time, you can check the serial number in this section, and then enter it on the Apple website .
Go to the settings section and check if the phone is unlinked from iCloud.
Insert your SIM card into your phone and call a friend. So immediately check several functions: whether the phone is locked, how the speaker and proximity sensor work, and at the same time whether the iPhone catches the network at all.
When you remove the SIM card, look into the hole for the tray. If you see a red mark there, then water got into the case. If the color is gray-white, then everything is in order.
Check if the phone is charging via cable. At the same time, you can assess the condition of the screws next to the Lightning connector – if they show damage, then check with the seller why the phone was opened.
In the “Settings” → “Battery” section, you can see the battery status. If the phone was actively used, then the status can be much less than 80%. You can close your eyes to this, carry a Power Bank or wired charger with you. Well, or replace the battery, but this will already be an additional cost.
Do not forget about basic things like screen backlight, fingerprint scanner and camera checks.
Results
At the end there will be an atypical recommendation. It’s hard to advise buying an iPhone SE (2020) – I would think about its weak battery and the problems that result from this many times. In my opinion, it is more rational to add money and look towards the used iPhone 11 – this is a more versatile and practical option.
But there are situations when money is running out, but you definitely want an iPhone – and so that it is not completely old and miserable, and gives a pleasant feeling in the process of using it for a few more years. In this case, a prospect appears in the face of the iPhone SE: although it is not perfect, the price covers the shortcomings.
