First of all, let's go through the departments where the iPhone SE shines.
- Performance: With the A13 and 3GB RAM it is the most powerful phone as the A13 is the latest and greatest chipset as it is even better than the Snapdragon 865. The optimized iPhone apps even outperform the android counterpart even with the less RAM. Getting A13 on a budget phone is future-proofing in the long run.
- Camera: It falls short on the hardware side with only one camera but it makes up with one strong lens than many underperforming lenses. One good camera is any day better than many average ones. The photos come close to the iPhone 11. It also has the portrait mode in both the rear and front camera. The department where iPhones shine is the video department. The video quality is on par with the flagships and it can even do 4K at 60fps which most of the android budget phones struggle to do. And with the iPhone processing and studio-quality audio recording, it is a content creators' budge camera.
- Water-Resistance and wireless charging: These are the two areas where most of the budget devices compromise almost always but iPhone SE does not. IP67 rating for water resistance, 18W wired fast charging with wireless makes up for the 1821mAh battery and still manages decent battery life due to the smaller screen and efficient A13 chip. Although you will be required to plug into charger more than one time in a day.
- Longevity: Apple is known to have long term support to its phones. Many phones have received the latest updates as long as for 5 years while android receives patches for 3 years average. The A13 will also ensure that it remains powerful for a long duration.
Now let's discuss the department where it takes a hit (In India)
- Pricing: In India, it starts with a price of ₹42,500/- where the OnePlus 8 starts at ₹44,999/-. This price is very close and is in direct competition with it. OnePlus 8 is a legitimate flagship with all the flagship hardware and not just the flagship chip. The iPhone might be a good option in the USA as the price there is $400 and OnePlus 8 is $700 where $300 difference makes sense. But in India, ₹2500/- difference does not justify the major hardware difference
- Screen: With the tiny 4.7" screen many things are not possible. Many of us watch movies on mobile and prefer a big screen rather than a better screen. Even multitasking is not possible on a small screen. As android supports split-screen view it opens a sea of possibilities.
So, the iPhone might be a good option in the USA where the price is $400(₹30,000/-) but the price in India is a lot higher ₹42,500/- and it has a lot of competition in that segment like the OnePlus 8 which has deep roots in the Indian market.
Many will prefer the iPhone for the ecosystem, imessages and the brand value but purely for utility standpoint, the small screen poses many challenges. So even though India is a tough market there are going to be a big sale of iPhone SE.
