Roll up, roll up, there's a brand new iPhone in town and this one's bringing an impressive array of features to the table without giving your wallet too much of a beating - about time, right?
Having originally dropped at a dedicated launch event back in March 21, and now available to buy, the iPhone SE lines up as a combination of iPhone 6S-introduced features wrapped in a reworking of the ageing iPhone 5S body. It's Apple's attempt at upping its entry-level smartphone game, and there's plenty to like, including this lot.
1. IT'S GOT A 4-INCH SCREEN
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Oversized smartphones are all well and good, but there are many of us out there who'd rather not have our skinny jeans straining at the seams when we try to squeeze our portable blower into our pocket. Thankfully then, the iPhone SE has returned to former Apple ground, dropping back to a 4-inch form factor.
Sure, this small-scale standing won't be for everyone, but if you find the 4.7-inch iPhone 6S too big and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6S Plus farcically oversized, you're no longer cut out of the Apple ecosystem - huzzah.
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2. IMAGE QUALITY IS TOP NOTCH
Cut-price smartphones have to cut significant corners, that's a given. Thankfully though, Apple's been selective in the areas it's stripping back, leaving its impeccable image quality well alone - cheers, guys.
Instead of scrapping the iPhone 6S's stunning 12-megapixel iSight snapper, Apple has dragged the Samsung Galaxy S7-rivalling camera across to its new, more affordable smartphone. The result is impressive visuals, even when the lights have dropped.
3. IT'S CHEAPER THAN THE IPHONE 6S
Finally, Apple's launched a phone that's not going to cripple the ol' bank balance. The iPhone SE is actually the company's most affordable new phone ever, and lines up at almost £200 cheaper than the iPhone 6S, nice.
OK, so no, the iPhone SE isn't going to be your wallet's best friend, as with a £359 asking price for the 16GB model, it's not exactly a budget handset. If you're intent on owning an Apple handset and don't want to remortgage your house, however, it's your best bet.
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4. IT WILL HELP YOU FALL ASLEEP
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No, not by being a boring, iterative update on an old design, but by running iOS 9.3 direct from the box. As part of the iOS 9.3 update, Apple has introduced Night Shift, a way of helping you drift into the land of nod without having to discard your phone.
Cutting blue light levels, the pesky tech that gets your brain wired when your body's tired, Night Shift automatically alters the colour balance, warmth and brightness of your screen in the hours of darkness. 40 winks, here we come.
5. THERE'S NO PLASTIC IN SIGHT
Apple's last attempt at doing an 'entry level' iPhone, the iPhone 5C, was a bit plastic fantastic. Sure, it looked pretty cool the day you took it out of the box, but it aged terribly and cost far more than a plastic-clad phone ever should.
In copying the ageing iPhone 5S design, Apple's helped keep the iPhone SE's price down and moved to a solid, metal design. The SE might look a little dated compared to the iPhone 6S, but it's still one of the better-looking mid-range phones around.
6. THERE ARE PINK AND GOLD MODELS
It's taken a while, but high-end hues are no longer limited to Apple's flagship phone. The iPhone SE has not only ditched the garish vibrant tones of the iPhone 5C, but it's traded up to adopt the same four colour options as its flagship sibling.
Lining up alongside the tradition silver and space grey models are gold and hugely popular rose gold (read pink) offerings.
7. APPLE PAY SUPPORT HAS LANDED
Given the SE's reduced price, you're going to have a bit of spare cash knocking about your pockets after snapping one up. You should leave it just there though, as Apple's new phone is taking you beyond the antiquated days of cash with integrated Apple Pay support.
Inbuilt NFC means you can digitally recreate a copy of your bank card on the 4-inch device and then simply touch the phone to thousands of payment terminals across the land to buy stuff. Cash, your days are numbered.
8. LIVE PHOTOS HELP YOU GET ANIMATED
It's not just image quality that the iPhone SE's got on its snap-happy side. It's got a few bonus photo features thrown in for good measure too. As well as a Retina flash to brighten up your selfies, Live Photos have made the cut.
Apple's answer to the humble GIF, Live Photos capture short video clips either side of a still image, stitching everything together to create an animated clip when you press on the snap. Introduced on the iPhone 6S, this is the first time Live Photos have moved to a new device.
