In a bid to lure budget-minded iPhone fans, Apple debuted its new iPhone SE for 2020 for $399 (£419, AU$749). The new iPhone SE’s…
In a bid to lure budget-minded iPhone fans, Apple debuted its new iPhone SE for 2020 for $399 (£419, AU$749). The new iPhone SE’s specs and looks are similar to the iPhone 8 from three years ago, which is likely the reason why the tech company announced it would discontinue its 2017 flagship on the same day.
When it first debuted, the iPhone 8 cost $699, but the price lowered to $449 before Apple pulled the plug on it. These days, you can still get the phone from third-party retailers for even less (Walmart, for example, is selling it new for $349 on Straight Talk). But if you’re thinking of buying the iPhone 8 over the iPhone SE 2020 at that price, don’t. The iPhone SE may share many of the iPhone 8’s specs, but for $50 more you’ll get more mileage out of a phone that isn’t going to be three years old out-of-the-box. (And if $399 is absolutely out of your budget, consider shopping for even cheaper phones.)
If you need more reasons, though, let’s walk through both models and explain why the iPhone SE is the smarter buy.
Need to get more specific? Here’s an in-depth walkthrough of how the two iPhones stack up.
Unlike the iPhone SE and the iPhone 11, which look different even at a glance, the iPhone SE and the iPhone 8 look relatively the same. Both have 4.7-inch Retina HD displays (a branding terms that Apple uses to differentiate its display technology) with the same resolution and pixel density. They also have a physical home button that houses a fingerprint reader for unlocking the phone and authorizing digital payments.
