The iPhone SE's major win over cheap Android phones isn't hardware — it's software updates

Iphone Se 2020 Ac Website
Iphone Se 2020 Ac Website (Image credit: Jared DiPane / Android Central)

Ever since Apple announced the much-anticipated second coming of the iPhone SE, tech reviewers on both sides of the iOS vs. Android camp have been dumbfounded by just what a great value the smartphone seems to be. And while it is an impressive specimen in terms of fit, finish, and features, the hardware and appearance of the device are not what make it truly special. They're also not what makes the phone a legitimate threat not only to mid-range Android devices, but ostensibly to the entire Android ecosystem. No, that honor goes to something less obvious, less flashy, less — sexy. The iPhone SE's real allure is all about the software/security updates and support. Period.

Some SE background

Iphone Se 2020 Ac Site

Source: Jared DiPane / Android Central (Image credit: Source: Jared DiPane / Android Central)

There had been rumors and speculation about the iPhone SE (2020) for years. Ever since the outsized popularity that the undersized 2016 handset generated, Apple faithful, as well as those still longing for quality, smaller phones with smaller price points, have been clamoring for a replacement to the original value iPhone.

It doesn't happen often in life, but in the iPhone SE (2020), fans basically got more of what they asked for.

Small iPhone fans were hopeful that any refresh to the 2016 SE would keep the original four-inch footprint, but bring a better processor, camera, and maybe some extras like wireless charging. This doesn't happen very often in life, but in the case of the SE, fans got most of (and in some cases, more of) what they wished for.

For a quick recap, the 2020 edition has a home button with Touch ID, a smaller and lighter form factor (though admittedly not as small as the original), the latest and greatest A13 processor, dual-SIM, portrait mode photos, IP67 water resistance, wireless charging, and the same affordable price from four years earlier.

For a thorough review of the iPhone SE (2020), head on over to iMore to read what my colleague Lory Gil had to say about the device.

The details that actually matter

Iphone Se Software Updates May

Source: Android Central (Image credit: Source: Android Central)

Phone nerds (and not just Android fans) are quick to point out the iPhone SE's flaws and where it doesn't quite measure up to the mid-range Android devices it's positioned against from a price perspective. It's true, the design of the SE does look a little dated (if iconic) compared to something like the Pixel 3a, Nokia 7.2, or even Moto G Stylus. It has a much lower resolution screen than phones at that price point and cheaper, and it doesn't have a high megapixel camera, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB-C charging port, super-fast wired or wireless charging, or the large capacity batteries of many of its competitors.

The thing that got most tech folks excited about the iPhone SE was not the nostalgic form factor or stunningly fair price from Apple. Rather, it was the fact that Apple put its latest high-powered A13 processor into the device. The A13 is objectively better and more powerful at most tasks than anything that Qualcomm, Samsung, Huawei, or MediaTek have to offer the Android world, and it enables features and capabilities that most current mid-range Android phones can't match, (like enhanced image signal processing that makes the SE's iPhone 8-grade camera hardware perform on par with the iPhone 11 series).

The other thing that A13 enables is longevity. There's so much processing overhead in the chip that, at first glance, seems entirely unnecessary. Apple could have (and was expected to) easily gotten away with putting in an older A11 or A12 generation chip, and the SE still would have been a mid-range performance champ. But the secret is not about present-day performance — it's about the long haul.

The A13 processor is overkill for now, but allows for long-term platform and security updates, among other improvements.

Apple's devices, and in particular, its iOS devices, are known to receive software and security updates for several years beyond what Android handsets get. iOS 13 is the current version of the software (iOS 13.4.1 at the time of writing, to be exact), and iPhones back to the 6S series and original SE, released in 2015 and 2016 respectively, are both capable of running it. And even though Apple forked iPadOS from iOS in 2019, iPads back to the Air 2 can run iPadOS based on iOS 13 (that's a 2012 device!).

This strategy helps Apple to not alienate fans who are slower to adapt to change, allows them to attract price-conscious smartphone shoppers and potential platform switchers, and allows them to follow their stated environmental focus by keeping phones in use and out of landfills for longer.

Older iOS devices can indeed run current software and get near-immediate, over the air (OTA) updates without waiting for carriers or other OEMs to make any changes, but that doesn't mean that they'll be able to take advantage of new platform features that rely on new hardware like advanced camera features and futuristic AR capabilities. But that's not the point. If flashy new hardware features are what you really want, then you're likely to fork over the additional cash for a more premium device like the Samsung Galaxy S20 series, OnePlus 8 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro series.

Thanks to that beefy A13 and Apple's commitment and ability to push platform and security updates, by the time 2024 or 2025 rolls around and we're here reviewing what Moto G15 or Samsung A56 phone to get, the SE will probably still be ticking along just fine on iOS 17 or 18. Not too bad for $400 spread out over four or five years!

For a more thorough discussion of this topic, I encourage you to listen to the latest Android Central podcast with guest Lory Gil of iMore.

How it should be

Iphone Se 2020 Software

Source: Jared DiPane / Android Central (Image credit: Source: Jared DiPane / Android Central)

I know that most people reading Android Central would scoff at the idea of switching to iOS in general, or the iPhone SE in particular, and that's not what I'm advocating for here at all. I simply wish that more Android OEMs would dedicate themselves to supporting the platform and their devices for longer than they currently do.

It's rare to find even premium flagships that promise more than one major platform update (outside of Google and OnePlus), and even rarer still among the mid-range and low-end segments of the market. I realize the adage "you get what you pay for" applies in tech as elsewhere, but I still wish more could be done here.

I know that Apple has several advantages that allow it to produce an affordable mid-ranger with long-term software support. It designs and manufactures its processors, software, and hardware, and has the benefit of only dealing with a handful of suppliers and economies of scale to push its prices down (when it wants to). But there are way more Android manufacturers and customers, and only a couple of chip manufacturers that matter, so you would think that some of them could find a way to compete here with the SE where it matters - longevity. Hopefully, some of them (ahem, Samsung and Google), are getting their rears into gear for 2021 and beyond.

Our recommendations

Right now, if you don't want to spend a lot on a good smartphone but you do want the guarantee of multi-year platform and security updates, your choices are between the Google Pixel 3a, and the iPhone SE. Right now, both are available for under $400, and we're eagerly looking forward to a similarly priced, but better specced, Pixel 4a any day now!

Jeramy Johnson
Editor-in-chief

Jeramy is the Editor-in-Chief of Android Central. He is proud to help *Keep Austin Weird* and loves hiking in the hill country of central Texas with a breakfast taco in each hand. You can follow him on Twitter at @jeramyutgw.

125 Comments
  • So I guess because the battery life sucks on the SE you had to spin it a different way to try to upsell it? I thought this was an Android site?
  • You thought wrong. This hasn't been an Android site for a good while.
  • Yes judging by the number of ads here it's now called Advertizing Central so it will promote anything that companies pay them to promote Apple included. Don't see these ads on Windows Central.
  • Don't get this sites push on the iPhone.. Numerous "android users agree" rationales. It's a cheap iPhone. I guess if someone kicks you in the balls once an hour, the one hour they forget will be like this iPhone. Useless old parts (except for the a13 of course).. It's like they put a Ferrari engine inside a Lada. No leather bucket seats no ac, etc... But its fast! I want great cameras, screen, sound, ram, battery, storage etc on my phone.. And some chip to get it moving... Not a great chip and crappy hardware. OH! The updates! That's the selling point now? What are updates going to do for your crappy hardware? Sure they have some security improvements but the rest is just Gui.
  • So you’re happy with buying a new phone so you can get security updates and newer features and be beholden to whatever carrier you have actually allowing those features and updates to get through. That is aftermaths what both Google and the carriers want you to do since that’s how they get their income.
  • People buying mid-range phones don't care what Android their phone is running. Most don't even know what an update is.
  • And the Android fanboys are foaming again. Whether you Android fanboys like it or not, it's not just updates that set the iPhone SE apart from the mid range Android phones, it's also the fact that you're getting a lot of phone for your money, the A13 bionic chip (which is more powerful than Android flagship), wireless charging and IP68 water resistance to go along with 5 years of software support and the best app ecosystem and experience that no Android phone can match and your data and privacy are SAFER with an iPhone.
  • You're on an (ostensible) Android site you damn hypocrite. It wasn't that long ago you were singing the praises of your Pixel and poorly arguing with anyone who had any criticism for it. You're the fanboy, you just proselytise whatevers in your hand at the time your mouth opens.
  • I don't even own an iPhone SE(and have no interest in buying one, the iPhone 11 is my perfect phone) I'm being objective here, You're one of Android numpties who foams when there's been an iPhone article and whether you narrow minded fanboys (I actually like both platforms but yes I sightly prefer iPhones) like it or not the SE is a fantastic deal for some looking to get into the Apple ecosystem and doesn't want to spend more on an iPhone 11 and apart from Google coming close with a better display, bigger battery and a better camera, the Pixel 3a's internal hardware is no match for the A13 bionic chip inside the SE. If you don't like Android central posting facts not dogma about the reality of what the iPhone SE had done to the mid range market then that's your bloody problem not mind. Your name is fitting because fuzz is all that's in your brain @Fuzzylumpkin.
  • Don't let him wind you up fuzzy, he's this thing of praising handsets he doesn't own same when he harped on about the Pixel for months and didn't own one he was using some cheap Chinese phone. Now he's bigging up Apple and guess what he doesn't own a iPhone either!
  • It's so easy to get you Android numpties foaming. I love it. And yes I'm heading back to Apple in the summer and I intend to stay there but I won't abandon Android completely especially as the joke that is the "Android community" on here can get easily would up by an iPhone article like that @FuzzyLumkin clown.
  • Nobodys foaming? anyone that's been here along time and knows your history here like me knows your opinion is pointless because you don't own the handset your actually banging on about and two you flip flop depending on what day of the week it is! Good luck finding the android central app on the Apple store as last time I looked Apple wouldn't allow it, but then again you'll get used to that anyway when you go down that route as Apple will tell you what you can and can't do and decide what you want in your phone for you.
  • I will still have an Android phone so I won't be flip flopping all that will change is that I'll be an iPhone user (and ilalso Pad again) I don't have to prove anything to you Android numpties. If my opinion was "pointless why respond?
  • No need to be childish? who calls people numpties like really? are you 5? I'm all for debating points and discussing different devices etc it's a android forum at the end of the day but the reason I replied is because your spouting guff nonsense about a handset you don't own and you've history of doing so. You've mocked apple users before, you've mocked samsung users before and now it's Android users in general? so now can anyone here take anything you say seriously?
  • Why are you touting the app store as some over the top accomplishment.. the fact you can only get apps from the app store is where Android fanboys start putting tallies in the Android column...and updates hopefully this time around they won't purposefully **** the batteries do you upgrade...my issue with Apple isn't the hardware side, it's the other bullsh!t
  • Don't worry. He can't wind me up, because I have absolutely no respect for his opinion. I don't know if you've been around this long, but it's kind of nice to have a new Richard Yarrell lol. Might even be the same guy.
  • Haha he's been about for years! I first seen him on imore about 3/4 years ago, then he came here hated apple and loved the pixel and now he's done a 360 😂😂😂
  • That's my problem. Multiplatform is fine. But when people deny the faults of the device they're using, aggressively defend the company that manufactured it and crap on all others until they switch devices and then completely 360 their opinions are hypocrites and fools.
  • I got you flaming with my comment, numpty I don't have respect for your opinion either @fuzzyclowm.
  • Well... I am very funny. Nice of you to notice! Thanks! And yeah, I am flaming you a bit, but hey, you deserve it! Ps, take your gloves off, your punctuation is failing again. Or maybe ask a grown-up to proofread for you.
  • fuzzylumpkin: Oops, it is P.S. not Ps.
    Two Latin words, Post Scriptum, should be written with two full stops: "P.S."
    Also, when you write "is failing again" it makes one wonder who and what is again. It should read "your punctuation is again failing" or maybe "again your punctuation is failing". Ah, the English language is very strange.
  • Actually, I was abbreviating the English derivative word "postscript" and not the original Latin form, so the full stops would be incorrect. I see what you're doing, I've done it myself in the past. But you may be lacking information to understand my point. I don't actually care about typos, pulling people up on them is pointless in a world with gesture typing and auto-incorrect. I was making fun of the fact that a couple of days ago someone complained that his wall of text was hard to read because it contained literally no punctuation. His response was "I was typing with gloves on", an excuse that makes no sense. Now u no y i dun it
  • ....... And here comes Beno, the Apple Fanboy on the Android forums
  • This phone has been talked more on this Android site than many other Android OEMs.
  • That's because what Apple's done is incredible and it's selling points make it stand out from the mediocre mid range Android competitors which only the Pixel 3a comes closest to matching Apple but still falls short of Apple's long term software support but it's still better than the other mid range competition.
  • Step into the real world and the selling point is "hey, cheap iPhone!". Nothing more.
  • This is true.
  • 2, 3, or 5 years, odds are you will lose interest in the phone before the end of the update cycle.
  • From what I've seen of Apple updates, you don't really want the updates after the second year.
  • Spare me the "Apple slowing down older iPhones" BS they did it to protect the battery and only kicks in when the battery has degraded. Samsung phones start slowing down after even the FIRST year with all that Samsung bloat and even Pixels slow down after ,2 years. Your comment from someone who's never even used am iPhone.
  • Beno is back on full on fanboy mode! last week Pixel this week Apple! make up your mind would you? just for the record Samsung's latest flagship phones don't slow down and haven't since about the S7! I'm here long enough to remember you bashing apple for their walled garden! I also remember you on the imore forums years ago as well!
  • I've been usiing Android for over 2 years now exclusively and I feel the time is right to go back to iPhone and the Apple ecosystem and intend to stay there for a number of reasons, better app quality (especially social media) better video recording, day 1 updates and long term software support (5 years) along with better security and privacy (my Facebook account got hacked) but I will always have an Android phone but no Android flagships for me (my 7T will most likely be my first and last OnePlus phone) because believe it or not I've always liked Apple but iOS 11 drove me to Android but now I appreciate all that Apple does right but they're not perfect either (no app drawer or proper file system, iOS is initially more buggy than Android now).
  • Better video recording? What kind of dope are you on? You don't even have manual video controls on any iPhone nor can you record in HiFi stereo.
  • It's a phone you don't need all that HiFi stereo fluff.
  • Stereo audio on videos is a nice thing to have.
  • Well, let me chime in. Older Samsung phones used to slow down every few months. That began to change with the S8 series, and by the S10 it seems they had the issue licked. All I can say is that our Note 10 Plus is running fine after half a year, so your mileage may vary.
    Apple did slow phones down on phones with worn out batteries, and it was for a good reason. But, they should have let users know instead of doing it behind their back. So when do iPhones slow down? When they keep getting buggy updates pushed on them years after their prime. The iPhone 5 is at the end of the road for support, but guess what? It was rendered useless 3 years ago by updates the processor could not handle. We had five of them.
  • I think when Samsung added more RAM to the Note 8 is when things started to turn for them but they don't age as well as OnePlus or an iPhone though.
  • My iPhone 5 and 5s are still buttery smooth to this day. I game on it just about every day. Still the original battery.
  • I can't believe I have to say this on an android site: research has shown that the average user (who is exactly who the SE is aimed at) doesn't care about updates and purposefully ignore OS updates because they are scared it will break or change how the phone works or looks. So it's not a big advantage at all. In my country there is no official Apple Store, only authorised resellers. So when you walk into an electronics/book/stationery/music shop you find Apple alongside Android. I'm not exaggerating when I say No-one goes to the Apple phones while the Android section is packed with people touching the phones. Why? People want big full screen displays, they want modern design, they want quad cameras, they want headphone jacks, they want dual sim phones, they want Android because no itunes is required and they want all that at a low or fair price. It's called "value for money". And they keep the phone for at least 5 years, if not longer. And it still works just fine, without any OS updates, just like the day they bought it. Android is already full featured out of the box. It doesn't need updates like ios does. Seriously. The SE is a rip off just like all iPhone's. Its an iPhone 6(!!) with wireless charging and waterproofing. Minus a headphone jack. That's what it is no matter how you slice it. And over here in the EU it's freaking expensive - more than the iPhone 7 which if still on sale here (because no one is buying them)
  • iOS has the features it needs it doesn't need all the mostly useless "features" Android has. The average user don't even know what updates are or understand them but one of the major selling points of an iPhone is better security and privacy due to it's closed source nature. You do not speak for the average user who uses an iPhone, speak for yourself.
  • Updates are more important to iPhone users than you think, it's only the Android side of things that don't care about updates too much, you don't speak for all iPhone users. In the UK people will snap up the iPhone SE, Apple doesn't care about a failing EU.
  • How do you know iPhone users care more about updates? have you anything to back that statement up? I know plenty of iPhone users my wife being one of them and she couldn't care less about iOS updates! unless there's new emojis haha!
  • Most iOS devices are always in the latest iOS version vs just the itty bitty minority of Android users running the latest version of Android outside of a Pixel, OnePlus and Android One phones.
  • I have a few iPhone user friends who've only ever used iPhones and they ACTIVELY AVOID iOS updates... Beno lives in a very different world than the rest of us logical folk... possibly even a different universe...
  • Maybe your friends don't care for iOS updates but most iPhone users I've come across DO care about iOS updates and why is it that most iOS devices are updated to the latest iOS version far more the pathetically small amount of Android devices updated to the latest version of Android? Again it is YOU that's out of touch with reality because facts are facts iOS devices are updated far more regularly than Android phones and the iPhone SE only highlights that even more again the mostly junk mid range Android phones at the same price as the iPhone SE.
  • Where do you live, Cupertino? Everyone, family, friends, and ME, don't bother to update until the iPhone nags us several times. Oddly, my wife and I both have automatic update turned off, yet the devices download it anyway.
  • My guess is Glasgow or Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Yeah the two main reason I've heard from actual "normals" ate unravel, facetime and airdrop.
  • Your iPhone is only looking at for u to update and think that's a good thing because Apple knows best and has users best interests unlike most Android OEMs who just want you to buy their latest phones and before you flame me, I know so does Apple but we least Apple doesn't leave their old devices behind.
  • "Apple knows best"....son, you didn't drink the Kool-Aid, you ate the powder straight from the pack. Keep going; your comments are hilarious!
  • Apple makes sure iPhone users care about updates with things like new emojis which are best on Apple devices.
  • Man oh man... Don't get me wrong, this really is hilarious... but it's also incredibly embarrassing for you... Your comments are quite possibly the dumbest comments I've read on this site... ever... You, sir, are an absolute idiot of the highest order... Or just a worthless troll... Either way, I think you know where you stand here...
  • And you sum up the mentality of Android enthusiasts on this site, you people are the embarrassment not me, I'm just stating my opinion but the reality is that I like both platforms but prefer Apple's approach more and there's nothing wrong with that and I stand by all the comments I've made recently. Apple is on fire right now and has the momentum unless Android OEMs start reducing their prices of their phones or start meeting the challenge of Apple head on in the mid range Androids.
  • Lol you stand by those comments, Beno.... you stand by them proudly 😂🤣
  • So you've counted how many people who crowd round Android phones and overlook iPhones? How sad. Doesn't change the fact that iPhones are number 1 in the UK and US.
  • Software updates are irrelevant if you don't like the ios software. This small dated looking phone has no appeal to me.
  • Wrong, fuzzy. It's called ANDROIDCentral, not iPhoneCrntral.
  • It's called replying to a comment, not posting q new comment lol. I know what the blog is called. My point is that despite its name it stopped being an Android blog years ago. Even the editors have said the same.
  • Just dropped down to comments for a laugh, not disappointed, Lol. Butthurt Fandroids having a stroke and Beno being Beno. It doesn't get any better than that, thank you. 🤣🤣🤣 Sent from my Pixel 4 XL, but it could just as easily have been sent from my iPhone 11 Pro Max.
  • Exactly, it's okay to like both platforms, but not in the stuck up Android fanboys on this site that think they're superior to iPhone users because they use Android.
  • You spouting guff again? who thinks their phone is superior? you mean people liking a android phone and posting in a android website forum imagine that?
  • I'm not saying people shouldn't like Android, I like Android but man do you lot take it too seriously and you seem to have a problem and go into meltdown when iPhone article appear on here. It's already known that most of the people who work for Android Central own iPhones.
  • It actually isn't just as easy to post from iOS... Apps about Android aren't allowed on the platform lol.
  • I can post vja the Android central website which is what I'm going to do. doh!
  • I didn't say it wasn't possible, I said it wasn't just as easy.
  • Try comprehending what you're reading prior to commenting next time... Doh!
  • My hope is that Apple keeps pushing Google et al and Google et al keep pushing Apple. That's one of the ways how we get better devices. It's now up to Google to up their update game. I have a Pixel 2XL which is losing updates this Fall but it works perfectly fine. Feels like a waste to put it in the drawer.
  • It should be noted that the iPhone SE has exactly TWO things going for it:
    1. Apple's current SoC.
    2. Updates.
  • 4 if you include wireless charging and IP67 water resistance then that makes it 4 things that the iPhone SE has going for it.
  • Those are positive features, but most phones are water resistant.
    I was referring to features the SE had that other phones don't.
  • It also has a fingerprint sensor, so that's a subjective 3.
  • Yes, I prefer a regular fingerprint sensor as well, so that could be another plus. Most of the the under-screen ones don't work well. Of course (hint hint), I have a phone with face unlock, a capacitive fingerprint sensor, AND the ability to immediately unlock with a PIN... but we'll keep that a secret.
  • Under display fingerprint sensors are fine as long as they work well and the one on my 7T works fine for the most part.
  • You showing your HTC fanboyism again?
  • Never used HTC so I wouldn't know and haven't been interested in HTC since the M7 and M8.
  • Oh no Beno, I wasn't referring to you. I know you DO have some sense when it comes to that junk.
  • Anyone know when project mainline will be a thing and how that will affect the life of an Android device?
  • Project mainline is already a failure just like most of Google's "ideas".
  • Hold on I will give Google a shout here and tell them to forget it 'Beno' says it's a failure! so that's that!
  • My OnePlus 7T still on the March Play System update which was supposed to in part solve the issues with security updates on Android but that's not been the case and is yet another in a long list of failurea from Google.
  • Surely that's Oneplus's issue not Google's? I'm not saying Google are perfect far from it but from what youve posted that's not Google's fault.
  • Google is supposed to control the Play System updates not OnePlus so this is Google's fault here and we're in May now.
  • I'd rather have a bigger midrange Andriod instead of the SE; however, when it comes to $1,000 flagships, the iOS updates (and iPhone resale values) seem like a better deal to me. With midrange Andriods, I feel like prices are low enough to purchase new replacements yearly or every two years with the latest Android OS.
  • Most Android folks here don't give a darn, save for a few smart souls... because... they're jumping to a new and better phone every six months to a year! For them, they don't care if the battery degrades or no OS updates are available after two years because... they've had three new phones in the interim. It's the regular Android users, who are not jumpers... ME and others... who could use extended OS updates! I for one, having been on Android since the beginning, unless Sammy gives additional years of OS updates, could see myself moving to a dual sim, unlocked iOS phone.
  • Nice comment, I agree with what you said, Android users on here are enthusiasts so updates don't matter to them as they have spare cash to buy the latest Android flagship every 6 months (most Android fanboys are Samsung fans) which the average user don't care about but it's no different with the iPhones enthusiasts either the only difference is they have to wait a year for the next iPhone but I think in general iPhone users care more about updates than Android users in general because nearly all iOS devices adopt the latest version of iOS far more quickly than on Android due to a number of things on the Android side, OEM indifference as well as user indifference.
  • True story: Just a few minutes ago I just asked a man in his twenties what version of iOS his iphone X was running. He gave me a blank stare and blinked. Asked a girl with an iPhone 6S Plus what version of iOS she was running, and she said "I don't know". My BFF calls herself an "Apple Girl", and her response is along the lines of "Uh, let me check.
  • The average iPhone users won't know the version of iOS their iPhones because are ruining and I like the fact that Apple eventually steps in and update their phone so they don't have to.
  • People complain about Apple articles on an Android site. But they always wind up with the most views and comments. As a business, id keep posting them too? Look down a bit at how few people cared about a brand new One Plus release. It's a ghost town. 😬
  • I currently own both Android (OG Pixel) and iOS (OG iPhone SE), both of which I use regular and both with their own lines tied to them, so I'm familiar enough with both camps. I purchased both devices used and both are 2016 phones (although only the Pixel was a flagship device at its time). Both have pluses and minuses, and if you are on this site, you've already decided what you like better, and as was mentioned, you probably will upgrade in 12-18 months anyway. My personal preference is to the Pixel, but increasingly, I've been moving towards iOS due to increasing apps breaking on the Pixel (not so much an Android issue as it is a developer issue) despite running Android 10. While my Pixel no longer receives security updates, my iPhone continues to do so. My only belief is, which is consistent with another article, is that the iPhone SE is probably a better phone for most ordinary people (ie non-power users). If you are reading this, then you probably don't fall into that category and wouldn't be purchasing it anyway, and if you can't decide, just buy both an entry level Android and iPhone SE. The two phones are about the same price as 1 flagship. :-)
  • Please explain "... (ie non-power users)...". All the folks I communicate, business and ordinary people, the vast majority use iPhone business apps for their everyday needs; your power user. They VPN into site, FTP to servers, use MS Office and their ilk, use databases, connect to servers updating data, use ERM, Evernote/OneNote, mail and calendar, photography apps, and the like, the list goes on. Power users are not for one phone OS only. If you are saying power users are folks (ordinary and business types) futzing with their phones changing settings etc, then you may be correct about Android vs iPhone users. Remember this "when you fiddling with your tools you are neither saving the world nor accomplishing anything, you are fiddling!"
  • Again I agree with most of your comment, I still have an interest in Android but it won't be my main interest anymore or daily driver once I get my iPhone 11 and iPad (2019) as I'm intend on going in to the Apple ecosystem with a Mac eventually but I will always have an Android phone so I have the best of both worlds.
  • My Nokia 7.2 gets regular updates too. Also has a much better screen (size and resolution), MUCH better battery.
  • Yes the screen, battery and resolution are better on your 7.2 the performance is poor against the iPhone SE because of the A13 bionic chip vs the dated Snapdragon 660 in the 7.2 the price is the only other advantage in favour of the 7.2 but otherwise the most important selling are in favour of the SE, 5 years of software support, wireless charging, water resistance as well as the A13 bionic chip which the Nokia 7.2 just can't compare with.
  • As you seem to be such an Apple fanboi why do you even come here.?
  • For gaming I'm sure it's noticable but who wants to play games on a 4.7 inch screen? I'll take the bigger and better screen along with better battery...but thanks anyway.
  • I hear (see) what the article is saying. Few, if any, will switch from Android to iOS because this phone exists, and I wholeheartedly agree that all Android phones should get longer software support. Personally, I would be wiling to pay a small fee (small = ???) to get monthly updates after the free standard two year upgrade cycle ends. This way the OEM's do not lose money on supporting phones that are getting "old". Let's face it, these companies only make money if they sell phones! If everyone starts to keep their phone for 3, 4, or even 5 years...well then most of the OEM's will go out of business. If that happens then we all lose. Imagine if there were only Samsung and Apple....you think phones are expensive now? LOL You would have to take out a 2nd mortgage just to buy a phone.
  • They are what sets it apart from flagships too. This will most likely get 4+ years of OS updates (and who knows how many security/bug fixes as well). IOS mops the floor with android in terms of updates. 
  • Definitely, but Apple needs to hire some beta testers. TWELVE updates to iOS 13 alone, with most of them fixing a list of bugs. Why can't they get it right?
  • Sadly I have to agree as my old 6s Plus was horrible to use with iOS 11 which was absolutely the worst iPhone experience I've had and it seems iOS 13 was almost as buggy, iOS 14 needs to focus on being mostly bug free.
  • The number of updates for a single version is not a bad thing. At least they are fixing the bugs. Unlike other manufacturers that supposedly release significant camera updates and then goes bankrupt. Lol
    See what I did there??
  • Yes I see what you did there lol.
  • You two make a great comedy team! And pretending to be clueless to make it funnier is brilliant!
    Oh, wait... that's not a part of the act? Explains a lot. There's really not much to say since you two worship Apple with all your might. Well, on second thought, Beno seems more reasonable. I've seen it first hand: You make a claim. That claim is soundly disproved. You ask for proof. Proof is given, and it is such an unthinkable atrocity to think that Apple is not perfect in all their ways, that you flatly refuse to believe anything could unseat the holy perfection that is Apple Inc. So, since you have no clue, let me fill you in. Bugs are software flaws that the coders have left in the release code, and they were ALSO missed by testers... if Apple has any that is. How did they do? iOS 13: F'd up.
    iOS 13.1: F'd up.
    iOS 13.1.1: F'd up.
    iOS 13.1.2: F'd up.
    iOS 13.1.3: F'd up.
    iOS 13.2: F'd up.
    iOS 13.2.2: F'd up.
    iOS 13.2.3: F'd up.
    iOS 13.3: F'd up.
    iOS 13.3.1: F'd up.
    iOS 13.4: F'd up.
    iOS 13.4.1: Still waiting to see.
    iOS 13.5 currently at beta 4: Still in testing, ha ha. Now let's take a look at your favorite spitball target, and we'll use a jump in software that is just as significant as iOS 13. How did HTC do? Android 9.0: Done. Well, look at that! Apparently HTC is pretty d@mn good at software! Or at least their beta testers DO THEIR JOB!
    And just to show that neither yourself or Beno are really aware of what's going on, the latest financial reports of HTC are out:
    "Quarterly revenue of NT$1.81 billion with gross margin of 25.7%, up 2.8% sequentially, and the eighth consecutive quarterly increase since Q4’17"
    These are legal documents, but I'm sure you'll say they are fake as well. By the way, how did that full sapphire screen turn out that Apple was working on?
  • Altema I never said Apple was perfect, my experience with my last iPhone (6s Plus) with how buggy iOS 11 was should be a lesson to anyone who says otherwise in fact Android has way less bugs than iOS theses days and hasn't been buggy since Android 5.0 Lollipop but at least Apple gets round to fixing them more quickly but again Android isn't really buggy these days
    .
  • @altema22
    Never said I was an apple fan. I own and like both. They BOTH have pros and cons.
    It's just htc has nothing but cons.
    Let see HTC's stats:
    2010 f'd up
    2011 f'd up
    2012 f'd up
    2013 f'd up
    2014 f'd up
    2015 f'd up
    2016 f'd up and bankrupt OH, you forgot to add the significant camera update for htc
    So I call your android 9.0 ( done ) a load of B.S.
    You are a spitting image of beno back in the day when he was obsessed with the pixel. Except your obsessed with junk which I find amusing to say at least.
  • Can anyone recommend an alternative Android site?
  • I recommend www.imore.com I heard they talk alot about android over there.
  • If only Android was owned by a corporation that has a search engine.
  • iPhone SEs major loss over mid-range Androids isn't software its hardware. Fix it.
  • The iPhone SE is a joke to be honest. Well not completely because it's for a very specific demographic group like those who want that smaller form factor with touch ID, the elderly that want a smartphone etc... But for everyone else I don't see how this is a good buy and how this is going to kill Android mid-range devices in any way shape or form. I guarantee you that any Android user who moves on to the SE will get rid of it faster than they got it because in the end, it's just a damn iPhone 8...or 7 or even 6s. First of all, this thing has the A13 chip...ok cool and? What is the point of putting such a powerful SoC in a hardware that will never use it's full potential? From the cameras to the display to the battery. The phone doesn't push many pixels, the camera isn't that versatile and the battery..well it's a joke. Speaking of battery, this thing won't age very well, you'd have to replace the battery every now and then, you can't last a full day comfortably and it doesn't charge the fastest. I mean what is the big deal of this phone. 5 years of software updates? You mean to tell me you wanna keep that 2014 phone design up till 2025 with a measly ass battery and a subpar display and call it the Android mid-range killer? Get the frak outta here man. This is cool for certain ppl but for the vast majority this ain't it, just keeping it 100. Even iPhone users upgrade damn near every year now so the "updates up to 5 years" isn't a good selling point. For$400 you could score and iPhone XS that will get you another 3-4 years of updates, isn't that much bigger than this crap and is a much better phone in everyway. Meanwhile, the upcoming pixel 4a will have a better display, most likely a better battery life, a better still shot camera with night mode, a headphone jack etc... And it'll last you a good couple of years. That would be the better but. So no, the SE isn't killing anything. Watch tailosive tech YouTuber, he calls himself an Isheep lol, his wife has had an iPhone 6 forever and she just got the SE and she says it's the same phone without the limited storage she had. So it's not exciting at all.
  • Ok let's be honest here, the article is spot on about updates setting the iPhone SE apart from mid range Android phones but also the fact that it has the A13 bionic chip and the other things that sets the iPhone SE apart is that Apple makes both the hardware and software while mid range Android phones rely on Google's for the OS and the Play Store and Qualcomm or MediaaTek for the SoCs because the hardware and design (are from 2014) isn't from 2020 like most Android mid rangers. But say what you want about the dated hardware, low res screen and so on, but the iPhone SE has raised the bar and Android mid rangers must meet that challenge.
  • It hasn't raised a bar about nothing. Nobody cares about the SE, it's not a big deal at all. If I'm going to spend$399 on a. iOS device it should be a XS, that's the smarter move.
  • Don't be silly, for what the iPhone SE offers for it's price you WON'T find that on a mod range phone and the closest Android had was the Pocophone F1 which had the Snapdragon 845 and 6GB - 8GB RAM and was cheaper than the SE so while on paper the Pocophone F1 had the better hardware than the SE it's performance was found wanting against more expensive flagships because of that Xiaomi bloatware and the phone was abandoned Iess than 18 months we get it, you're more interested in the hardware side of things but whether you agree or not and you're very much on the minority here, the iPhone SE had redefined what a value flagship should be and it's long term software updates alone makes it stand out against a sea of mostly mediocre mid range Android phones. So the selling point of the iPhone SE is the software and long term software, not it's hardware. You're not going to hear me defend that hardware and i still like the iPhone 6 design.
  • It doesn't redefine a damn thing. It's a glorified iPhone 8 and itll be forgotten any second from now. Nobody is excited about it because it doesn't offer anything exciting. It's a dated iPhone on arrival. If you love iPhone so much be smart and get you a XS for the price of the dinosaur called SE.
  • It does redefine what a valid flagship is, you're missing the point of the SE.
  • I meant "value flagship"
  • Yawn. All the people who keep a smartphone activated on a mobile plan longer than 3 years raise your hand.
    And 3 years from now, when 5G goes from being speculative to a requirement that the entire tech industry is revolving around - Comcast is planning on it, positioning themselves to be able to use 5G to be the primary source of home Internet replacing cable modems with Verizon working towards that also, AT&T is more iffy on the prospect and Sprint (before their purchase by T-Mobile) was actually already selling 5G hotspots with Ethernet ports - will this look like such a great deal? The whole "updates updates!" thing is primarily an argument for and by people who use iOS devices. It was never applied to PCs, for instance. (How many people would still be on Windows 7 if Microsoft allowed them to be? Windows 7 came out in 2009!) And the Apple people hammer on that because it is the only area that they have a real advantage over Android. But here's the deal: Android device owners don't care. They don't care because they don't plan to keep their devices on their mobile plans 4-5 years down the road anyway. They are going to sell them, trade them in or use them as Wi-Fi only devices for gaming and streaming. Why do we keep letting Apple set the narrative here? Why do Android people - Android BLOGS - feel the need to respond to Apple's blatant marketing strategy on "privacy", "security", "the most apps", "processor speed", "usability" etc. when Android has an 85% global marketshare in phones and a 65% global marketshare in tablets? It is Android who has the market dominance. It is Android who is responsible for 75% of the innovation. (And Android is much faster at adopting what true useful features that Apple brings along than Apple is at adopting the MANY useful features that Android introduces.) It is Android that offers a diversity of manufacturers, devices and price points. Why can't the Android camp either force the Apple one to respond to the Android narrative ... or failing that JUST IGNORE THEM? You can't even purchase and initiate app downloads from the web with Apple. It was almost 10 years before their iPads added multiple account support and stylus support and their phones still don't have them. They still don't have widgets and their notifications are where Android's were way back in Jellybean. They were only able to get their maps application working by acqui-hiring and it doesn't even work on the web. Which means that there are a ton of useful software and hardware features on a $200 phone like the Moto Stylus that won't be on the (likely $1200) iPhone 12! And yet we talk about the few things that iOS has that Android doesn't? Talk about an inferiority complex that is totally unjustified.
  • It seems that was another rant and while some of what you said is true, some of it isn't like when Apple bring a feature that Android has had for years, they generally improve it and and whether you like it or not, it's Apple that sets the smartphone trends not Android and while Android has the market share, Apple has the lions share of the profits and unless you're Samsung, most Android OEMs make little to no money from Android that's why they don't prioritise updates because they would go bankrupt if Android users held on to their phone as long as the average iPhone user. You're paying over a grand for a phone so I expect top tier support but because most people on here are Android enthusiasts, updates aren't important to them but updates have always been and always will be important to me but it's clear that if I want consistent updates for more than 3 years (that matters to me) then Apple is my only option and core features that are genuinely useful and make my life easier, using my smartphone are what matters to me and customisation isn't as important to me so iPhone is better for me because other than me setting up my phone, I will tinker with my phone again.
  • Hey Beno why you got a phone when you don't have any friends to talk to?
  • Don't make assumptions, you don't know anything about me to say that andnfornrhe record I do have friend not that it's any of your business.
  • Imaginary ones don't count
    🎣
  • I don't have to justify myself to you, believe what you want. I don't care less.
  • "I don't care less" - Beno, 2020
  • I don't think he gets it lol! 😂 So funny
  • Have you tried fishing Beno? You bait a hook and wait for the fish to bite (🎣) it's fun you should try it 😂
  • What Apple is doing is stabilizing the hardware so they can roll out accessories that work with the iPhone platform for 5 plus years and not 2-3 generations. Good for the use and business so they can roll out for example health rated products to the entire user base and not specific models. Hey I don't like Apple, I love Microsoft and only like Google because Windows Mobile is sadly gone. PS. If Microsoft had not invested in Apple to keep a competitive landscape alive, Apple wouldn't be here today. Dammit Bill....
  • Android user don't really care about updates. The phone has a 3 year old design, and in 3 years well it's really old.
    The A13 is good. The screen is not.
    It will work for kids and people who want an apple logo. It will be solid and that's it, nothing special.