The 2020 iPhone SE Alternatives

The 2020 iPhone SE is a pretty decent phone. There are things about it that make people think that they should go for it, and things that make people think of other options, options that could provide more value. Now if you're someone who has always wanted a new iPhone, but couldn't afford one, and the downsides of the new iPhone SE don't bother you much, then you're probably not going to regret buying it.

The 2020 iPhone SE Alternatives 

Specifications of the iPhone SE

The iPhone SE has a 4.7 inches Retina IPS LCD display with a resolution of 750x1334 pixels, it runs on the A13 Bionic chip and has 3GB of RAM, it comes in three storage options, 64GB, 128GB and 256GB, the phone has a single 12MP, f/1.8 camera at the back and a 7MP, f/2.2 camera at the front, the battery capacity is 1821mAh with 18W fast charging support. As it goes with the design of the old iPhone 8, the new iPhone SE has a front mounted capacitive fingerprint sensor and it starts at a price point of $399 or 42,500 rupees.

The 2020 iPhone SE Alternatives

Let's now analyze the good and the not so good things about the 2020 iPhone SE.

Good

Size: The new iPhone SE makes us feel a little bit nostalgic about the days when phones were small and really comfortable. There are no second thoughts about it, the size of the phone is just perfect, I mean who didn't love to hold the iPhone 6 when it came out.

Cameras: If it's an iPhone, then good cameras should't even be a question. The phone has a 12MP, f/1.8 camera at the back and a 7MP, f/2.2 camera at the front. These might not look as impressive to read but it's actually the software that does the magic and there is no question about it, that at a price tag of $399 most other phones don't even come close to the camera quality that the phone offers.

Processor: The new iPhone SE packs in Apple's latest and greatest, the A13 Bionic chip. No complaints from the processing side, it could handle anything you throw at it, without a problem. This might even be the place where the the new iPhone SE eliminates all competition, because at this price point no other phones offer such processing power.

Wireless Charging: The iPhone SE has a glass back, it is because it supports wireless charging. It's a good thing because no other phone in the competition offers that.

Touch ID: Over the years, we got really good at capacitive fingerprint sensors, but they left us too soon. Now, I'm not saying that Face ID is bad or something, but I really think that the Touch ID is a better option and to be honest capacitive fingerprint sensors work even better than the optical or ultrasonic ones, they are more secure, accurate and convenient. On all that, the iPhone SE has it front mounted, which is a really comfortable position for it to be.

Not So Good

Display: Now, I really believe that Apple could've done a lot better with the display of the 2020 iPhone SE, because by no means does it look like a display of a 2020 phone. The phone features a 4.7 inches Retina IPS LCD display with a resolution of 750x1334 pixels. Yes, that's small, has a poor resolution and is LCD, feels too 2016, right? They could've at least reduced the bezels and made the screen a bit bigger.There are phones that offer much better displays for a price point of $399.

Number Of Cameras: Every next phone these days has two camera perspectives at the least, the new iPhone SE just has one. To be honest, it's not that big of a deal, as it's not really an essential feature, but most people just like to have different camera perspectives and it's just nice to have the option.

Battery: I smell big disappointment here, the battery on the iPhone is 1821mAh, which is very very small by today's standards. The A13 chip does bring in a lot of power but there's a downside to it, the battery, which is already very small, is drained very fast by the processor during heavy tasks like gaming. This is going to be a troubling thing for a lot of people who get this phone.

Price(India Exclusive): In the US the new iPhone SE is placed at $399, which approximately converts to 30,000 rupees, but it isn't that simple. In India the phone starts at a price point of around 42,000 rupees. In India, iPhones have always been a bit more expensive, it's not really surprising, but the iPhone SE is kind of seen as a budget iPhone, and that definition changes here. For 42,000 rupees, you can get a Oneplus 8 here, which is a waaaaayyy better deal than the iPhone SE. If you're interested in the Oneplus 8 or the 8 Pro, check this article out - Oneplus 8 Pro, A Flagship?

What Else Could You Get?

Here are some phones that you should consider if you're into the new iPhone SE.

Google Pixel 3a

This might be the phone that is kind of a lot similar to the iPhone SE. They both offer really good cameras, but the 3a slightly has an edge over the SE's camera as it has better software processing and a night mode, which the SE does not have. The Pixel 3a has a Snapdragon 670 chip, which is pretty mediocre, but the software gives it a boost and it becomes less of a big deal. In the display department, the Pixel 3a does considerably better than the SE, it offers a 5.6 inches OLED screen with a resolution of 1080x2220 pixels, just superior in every way. The phone has a 3000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support, which is huge, compared to the 1821mAh on the SE, the phone has a headphone jack, which the iPhone SE does not, it also has a rear mounted capacitive fingerprint sensor. As of now, you can get the Pixel 3a for somewhere around $300 in the US and 30,000 rupees in India, but we all know that if you really try you can get it for even cheaper.

Samsung Galaxy A51

The Galaxy A51 is kind of Samsung's equivalent to the iPhone SE, it is placed at a price point of around $270 or around 25,000 rupees. The phone comes with a 6.5 inches super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080x2400 pixels and a hole punch cutout for the front camera, when it comes to displays, we know that Samsung makes the best of them, therefore, this is probably the best and the most modern display offering in the bunch, it has Samsung's Exynos 9611 chip, which is good. The A51 offers a 4000mAh battery with 15W fast charging support, with that it has an optical fingerprint sensor, a headphone jack and expandable storage, in the camera department, the phone offers a quad camera setup, a 48MP main camera, a 12MP ultrawide, a 5MP macro camera and a 5MP depth sensor. The A51 offers the most aggressive specs in the group and might just be the best value option.

The 2020 iPhone SE Alternatives

Moto G Stylus 

The Moto G Sylus is a pretty impressive phone in itself. It offers a 6.4 inches IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080x2300 pixels, it too has a hole punch cutout. It comes with a Snapdragon 665 chip, which is slightly better than the Exynos chip in the A51, but none of these phones beat Apple's A13 chip in terms of processing power, with that, the phone has a battery capacity of 4000mAh, with 10W standard charging. In the camera department, the Moto G Stylus comes with a triple camera setup, a 48MP main camera, a 16MP ultrawide camera and a 2MP macro camera, with that it has a rear mounted capacitive fingerprint sensor, a headphone jack and expandable storage, it's also the only phone in the list that comes with a stylus. The phone comes at a price point of $299 or an expected price of around 21,000 rupees in India.

The 2020 iPhone SE Alternatives

Conclusion

I think the phones mentioned above, all provide more value than the iPhone SE. So, the decision should be pretty clear, until you're someone who prefers iOS over Android, or someone who just has to get an iPhone over anything for some reason, or simply, if you're just a big Apple fan.

The 2020 iPhone SE Alternatives

Related post: Let's Talk About The iPhone SE

Best Buy Links

Samsung Galaxy A51 (Black, 6GB RAM, 128GB Storage)

Rs.20,999