I will be honest; the new iPhone 16 Series brought a bunch of impressive features to the table, and despite the awkward placement of the Camera Control button, I love that it still features one. But these are somewhat proper flagships and as much as I love them, it’s out of my reach from a budget standpoint. Afterall, I too am a consumer. As an iPhone SE (2nd Generation) user for 3 years now, I am more excited for the next iPhone SE than any iPhone.
iPhone SE 2 Long-Term Review
The Next-Generation iPhone SE (Rumoured iPhone SE 4 or iPhone 16E)
For three generations, Apple has retained the same design and finish for the iPhone SE and I own the 2nd Generation. This was a phone I purchased on my own dime, and I went for the Product(RED), as a medical professional and a supporter of good cause, I love the initiative behind it. Too bad we don’t see any Product(RED) for 2 generations but that’s a story for another day.
Despite the iPhone SE being a very budget conscious phone with hardware that’s easy for anyone to adapt to, they surely did not cheap out in the experience department the way Android manufacturers do.
My Experience with the iPhone SE 2nd Generation
I’ve owned the iPhone SE 2 for little over three years now, and I got it when the SE 3 was released.
Instead of picking up the SE 2 which was little over RM 2000, the SE 2 made more sense as DirectD slashed the priced for the second generation for a little over RM 1000 for 128GB, which ended up being a no brainer.
Throughout the three years, I am surprised that this phone stayed with me as I was switching my other Android phone every 6 months. The 2020 iPhone SE touts the Bionic A13, which powered the flagship iPhone 11 Series. Ever since the SE came to existence, it’s safe to say that the tech industry went berserk over it – so much so that people called it a “horrible phone” or that “this phone shouldn’t exist.”
But after owning one for three years, I’ll say this: the Tech Content Creators were wrong
I yearn for stability in Android’s Experience department and in 2025, I am still chasing for it. So, iPhone SE ended up being my gateway to the Apple experience. While it may not be the best iPhone out there (especially today, even though it’s been working well), it hit the fundamentals in the right way possible. For starters, you don’t feel left out, just because you are using an SE. To see features made available to the latest iPhone in my SE, made me realise that Apple is all about offering the experience to everyone no matter what.
Since I do daily my SE, as I do use for browsing, Passkey, for credentials, banking and such, the phone battery capacity is almost sufficient for me to get through the day. Sure, I do have to rely on a battery pack to charge it when I need to but I am happy that I could come back home with 20% (and the Battery Saver mode on iPhone is superior). The performance has not slumped over three years I’ve used and its even more impressive when you know that this phone has been out for four years right now.
In that same span of four years, I was switching my android phone on a yearly basis – which shouldn’t be the case because those Android phones I used were proper flagships, capable of performing like a champion. But the fact that I resorted to my iPhone SE more than my flagship Android smartphone… You can see why iPhone seems like a better option.
I have taken many photos with my SE and the single shooter doesn’t disappoint. From taking as simple as selfies to using it as my trusty camera during photowalks – it does a decent job than phones with three cameras, where two of them are non usable (as they are depth and macro sensors). And interestingly enough, I have friends in my immediate circle that uses the iPhone SE – so, you know what – there’s a market for this device afterall.
By the way, it’s running iOS 18 right now
I was under the impression that the iPhone SE will miss out on the iOS 18, until I saw the update cycle – and I immediately updated it. Sure, it doesn’t get the Apple Intelligence due to the hardware limitation, but I did see new features like Standby for instance, which is now my new favourite feature on Apple devices. The performance is still pretty fast, of course, not without its glitches but its more than usable.
Despite that, Of course the phone has it’s slight downfalls…
I did run into hiccups here and there – going through 2-3 lightning cables, the battery lasts less than a day when used intensively and as much as I love small display smartphones – the iPhone SE display is too small for today’s standard.
The TouchID is great when it works but drives to nuts at times when it doesn’t detect even after cleaning the sensor and my thumb. Despite it’s imperfections which led to frustrations, I could live with it but…
… it’s time for a change
I love the iPhone 16 more than the Pro, unfortunately, it is still a steep price for me to pay. Which is why I am excited for the iPhone SE 4 (iPhone SE 4th Generation or iPhone 16E, whatever Apple wants to call it). At the moment we don’t know what to expect but based on the reports and rumors, we might see the following:
- The iPhone SE 4 to get OLED display with Dynamic Island and no longer uses LCD Display.
- The design is completely revamped from the ground up and TouchID is a thing of a past, and the SE brings FaceID to the equation.
- It’s going to be the first iPhone to use Apple’s first ever 5G Modem.
- 8GB RAM is included to make sure the phone works with Apple Intelligence and the latest Bionic A Processor.
- It will still house a single camera shooter on the back but a 48MP shooter.
- Not to forget, USB-C.
We have seen the phone renders and models floating on the internet, but since it’s all rumors – we have no choice but to take it with a pinch of salt. Too bad they didn’t tease the phone during the iPhone 16 Apple Event. But let’s hope we get to hear about this phone soon. I have a good feeling we are going to see this phone in February or March 2025.
I doubt Apple is reading this but if they are, we are ready for a new iPhone SE. But till then, I shall enjoy the remaining days I have with my current 2nd Generation iPhone SE and hope that the 16E or SE4 is priced reasonably for me to upgrade to it.
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