This was not an easy review to write & took me a while. The reason being is that this phone is probably not for everyone out there & the opinions will vary across a wide spectrum. Even for Apple fanboys(which I am not). This is not so much a product review(since this is a very well known product) but who should consider this phone & why.
Who should consider this phone?
A few types of scenarios come into consideration here.
If you want to get into the iPhone ecosystem & want a new one - not a used or refurbished one. Then the SE is possibly the cheapest one to get while it being a powerhouse of a phone in 2018. It has all the basics covered and will get you a taste of what an iPhone is all about. The iOS user experience is consistent across all iPhones alike. And even for smaller screen size - the iOS is optimized beautifully.
If you want a compact smartphone which is modern & powerful at the same time. In a world where 5.5" displays are a minimum & 6-6.5" is the new standard for ivy league phones, the tiny 4" LCD display on the SE seems far from what most expect. Yes, this is small but that is also its USP. It allows a single-handed use & it packs a punch in a small size - without compromising much. The design is classic Apple(the last one launch by Steve Jobs himself with the 5). It’s unbelievably easy to hold and handle. It’s not a media consumption device but it’s a great phone which does everything on a smaller screen.
A backup phone or a dedicated work phone which is reliable and is probably most updated in terms of security & software. Works emails for instance always tend to work most reliably on iOS. At least that is true for me. I also use it for travel outside India. iPhone works smoothly across all countries & networks. LTE 4G & VOLTE also work wonderfully. And to state the obvious, yes - JIO SIM works absolutely fine on SE as well. This is primarily the reason why I bought the SE. I have it on a JIO sim dedicated for work & international travel/roaming. Works flawlessly.
The good:
The price! I paid 16.5k on Amazon Prime Day with cost-free EMI. That is even cheaper than buying from an iStore in US. All thanks to Amazon.
On the 32 GB model, right out of the box, I had 28Gb available for use. After getting in the basic apps, I still have around 23gb free.
Performance from the A9 chip is stellar. A good reminder that clock-speeds, RAM & number of processor cores(Dual, quad etc) don’t matter much when the software is optimized for the hardware. The A9 is a powerful chip & since iOS is optimized & its pushing fewer pixels - the overall performance is simply snappy.
Free upgrade to iOS 12 which is coming soon. Also, given Apple’s history(wherein 5S is still supported on iOS 11), the SE should get software upgrades for next 2 years at least.
Compatibility: all accessories from the 5 & 5s fit perfectly on the SE. The market is already flooded with a host of accessories to choose from at very cheap prices. I currently use a 2 yr old Spigen armor case which I had got for the 5s. Fits like a glove.
Battery backup is great. Generally lasts me 2-3 days with low usage levels(since it is not my primary driver). Being a smaller battery size, recharge time is quick. The A9 is optimized for better standby time & with a lower screen size, the SE does not have to work harder to attain the same level of efficacy.
The bad:
The display(not the size). Has a warmer tone compared to the 5S which I don’t prefer. I miss the cooler color tone from 5s. I wish I could do something in iOS to change it on SE to that tone - given both share the same LCD panel. Brightness is just about okay.
The fingerprint reader is a bit slow. And isn’t as accurate as some of the modern-day phones. Apple should not have cut costs here.
The front camera is shabby. Its okay for the occasional facetime call but worthless for selfies. Apple should not have cut costs here
Wifi receptors are placed next to the rear camera & if you cover it up with your hand, the strength drops. The fix is easy - don’t cover it up. But its annoying at times. Also since its a smaller form factor, a person with average size hands is bound to cover it up unconsciously.
Overall I am very happy with the phone. Day-to-day usages alongside an iPhone 8 show almost minimal difference in speed of apps & generally everything works smooth.