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Review: Apple iPhone SE for AT&T

Hardware Software Wrap-Up Comments 6

The iPhone SE is a fine phone when considered by itself. I prefer bigger handsets, but the SE delivers on the core features that make a modern smartphone a good smartphone.

The SE's design is appealing, the materials and manufacturing top-notch, and key behaviors, like voice quality, battery life, and data speeds, all hit the mark. The camera is quite good, and features such as Touch ID and Apple Pay mean the iPhone SE has a future in Apple's larger ecosystem. iOS 9.3 runs well on the SE and apps on the phone performed at excellent speeds.

The two elements likely to appeal most to people are the size and the price. There's no doubt the SE is a one-handed phone that's easy to use. If you're averse to phablets, then the iPhone SE may be for you. The starting price of $399 is no doubt attractive, but most will be better off spending $499 for the model with more storage.

As good as it is, I am disappointed that Apple essentially recycled a four-year-old design in the SE. If you don't mind the 2012-era design, the iPhone SE is certainly a nice upgrade from the iPhone 5 or 5s. If you're on the fence about the size, I'd suggest the iPhone 6s instead.

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Apple iPhone SE (2016)

4" display 640 x 1136 pixels
Apple A9 processor
1,624 mAh battery
Headphone Jack (3.5mm), NFC, Fingerprint Reader

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