iPhone SE 2022 review | And alternative budget smartphones! | Mark Ellis Reviews

THANKS, REBOXED!

The new iPhone SE is here! But it’s the same, old body, albeit with a new, super-fast chip. That begs the question - who is this phone for, and what are the alternatives? Find out in my fully iPhone SE 2022 review.

CHAPTERS
00:00 - Intro
01:18 - Price and specs
01:56 - Design
03:05 - Performance
05:01 - Camera
05:51 - Battery life
06:58 - Who is it for?
08:07 - Alternatives

PHONES IN THIS VIDEO
Samsung A21s
OnePlus Nord 2 5G
Google Pixel 4a
Moto G50

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WHAT IS THIS CHANNEL ALL ABOUT?
I have zero interest in deep spec dives or long-winded comparisons. I review laptops, smartphones, tablets, headphones and the latest tech based on real experience. I'll tell you how it'll make you feel, whether or not it's worth your time (and money) and help you find the tech you need to get stuff done.

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I'm a UK-based freelance marketer and broke free of a regular job many years ago. Watch my videos to find the tech you need, without the jargon.

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[MarkEllisReviews]

Are you going to buy a 2022 iPhone SE? Or something else?

[pabvision]

It’s not a tired design it’s a classic design. And you can rest your fingers on the side of the screen without disturbing the screen.

[f_bara]

Honestly I'm thinking about the new iPhone SE 3 just because even though I really like my iPhone 12 mini, I don't take a lot of photos or videos I just take notes screenshots, sometimes I like watching content, but it's basically something I can do with my iPad mini now so having a "less attractive" iPhone could help me to remember that our devices are just tools and we are not supposed to spend a whole day on it… 😓

[clivewuest]

Agree Matt the SE is an old design, but I suspect the people who buy this phone wont be looking at the competition because they want the form factor and size they are familiar with. The competitors you mention in your review are all large phones that can’t be easily used with one hand nor fit discretely in a pocket. I think Apple have this market to theirselves because a lot of people want a smaller phone, so the only options are this and the mini. Bottom line if someone wants an iphone, they want an iphone end of. I think they should rename it iPhone Classic. That will make is timeless. Rant over. Love your reviews, and a great channel.

[markingle]

From a corporate point of view, the iPhone SE has a lot going for it compared to Android competition if you exclude the Chinese makes like Xiaomi. We used to supply the Samsung A50, later A51 and A52 to employees but have pretty much moved completely to iPhone SE because an iPhone SE does the job, and if bought through a corporate reseller with DEP enabled is so much less fuss to setup and manage. We did the maths and with the previous SE model it costs IIRC 60 pounds more compared to Samsung A52, but the overall cost works out cheaper by the time one has factored in the setup time. We also find Jamf more intuitive in managing the devices compared to Workspace One though that's not relevant to the device itself. Strangely we have found WiFi calling works much better on iPhone than Samsung A5x though haven't figured out why. Wireless charging also comes as standard, and to get this on a Samsung phone you need to go for the high end devices. But maybe battery life could be better....

[botch]

Tonight I sliced up some chicken and veggies for my stir-fry supper, with my 35-yr-old henckel's chef's knife. Its form factor hasn't changed in that time, and it still fits my hand perfectly, so I don't understand this desire to "change" the "obsolete" physical design of a phone.  Once it's dialed-in, don't F*ck with it!
I had to retire my 2007 flip-phone because 2G wasn't being supported anymore, so I now have a 2nd-gen SE. It fits my hand fine, and the camera is convenient; otherwise, I have no real reason to want to replace it (which I know I will have to do when 4G/LTE goes away, but hopefully I'll be dead by then).

[jedlomax]

All iPhones are more or less the same, I'm sure this is fine for 90% of people.

[meetankush]

Mark, what you missed is the power efficiency between the A13, A14 and A15 is that much better. The new SE lasts me 6 hours, with 35-40% battery still left. Granted I've forced to be on 4G but who in the world needs 5G right now when the tech isn't there fully? 4G speeds have ever been plenty sufficient.
People who use public commute options, share public spaces are tired of shoddy Face ID with a mask each time they have to unlock the phone. It also makes the phone easier to lose when people see you constantly typing in the PIN every time you have to unlock it. I can use my phone at work or dead asleep at night without having to even look at it.
The "better" options every one is talking about is extremely subjective, and I am quite disheartened by the reviews from many YouTubers who are dismissing this phone because they personally don't see the "value" in it.

[JeremyDeBose]

This phone is for the non power users so I’m fine with that. I would have also been fine if they waited another year to upgrade since I don’t think the target market is just clamoring over 5G. Price hike for the same phone is weird.

[HusseyByNature]

Hi Mark. I am so grateful that Apple have kept the SE. My 82 yo mother has my original SE. I need to replace it soon. She knows how to use the home button. Her hearing aids work through the phone. She loves the camera. She's uses the features. I was dreading having to teach her how to use the newer versions of the phone. Not that she can't learn but I want to spare her the anxiety of not knowing or remembering how to do something on her phone. The same goes for my mentally disabled brother. Muscle memory is so important.

[whocares]

I have to laugh with the preoccupation of folks about the colors and exterior shapes of cell phones in general. All i care about is the screen size, overall size of phone..smaller is better, and the internal technology of the various products which are available. Guess i dont use my cell phone...the old SE 2016....enough, but i put the phone in my pocket so the smaller the better.

[Piotorro]

Just bought SE3 to my mother, she couldn’t be happier with the “same but better” phone then her trusty iPhone 7. And this phone is exactly for such people who like to be in iOS ecosystem, but are basic smartphone user with calling / texting and occasional browsing. One additional point was that I was thinking to hand over my old X but didn’t want to go thru learning curve with the gestures, swiping etc all over again. So maybe it is a dated design, but for some people (most of people), familiar and better is gold struck.

[patrickwhitehead]

What about updates? The SE will get updates for years to come, with android you're lucky to get more than two years. I've just moved to iOS (iPhone 13) for this reason, my less than two year old phone wouldn't update to android 12

[mukhtar__]

idk dude, but something about your videos, especially about iPhones, something about the videos just gets me. keep up the awesome work!

[wmblemania]

I love the size of these things.
My daily phone is an old iPhone 7, just because of the size. It fits in my pocket.
Whereas my iPhone Xr is too big to carry, use. In fact, I hate the Xr. I have it permanently tethered to my Mac mini, as a development phone.
This is the phone I'd buy for my parents.

[DarZen_no]

I bought the SE2 for my mum (72y old). She`s so happy about her "new computer", and she`s impressed about the phone. The small screen isnt a problem for her. We have to remember that we ("tech-nerds..) are just looking for the best of the best. This SE3 is a perfect phone for some people. On top of that: Android is too advanced for people like my mum. IOS is perfect for elderly people - and people that use a phone for calling, texting and randomly reading an article on the web. Camera is also ok for "ordinary people". - I`ve got the 12 pro max, but to be honest; I dont need all the specs. I just got it because of the battery.

[steveb]

The SE 3 is now the only new option for us 10% who can’t use OLED due to PWM!

[krzysztof]

7:11 It's funny because, looking at all these models, the SE still looks the best..When it comes to alternative phones, the comparison doesn't make sense because you can operate the SE with one hand, while you're including phones with 6.5-inch displays in the comparison. These are for a different group of users. Furthermore, all Android models, even those with 10 cameras, will still take worse photos in everyday use compared to the iPhone SE, which is funny but true.

[heisenberg]

The SE 3 feels so nice to hold, it's such a good shape.

[bradnelson]

I own the iPhone SE II. I bought it for the price ($299.00 at Consumer Cellular at the time) and because it is small. My first iPhone was the 6 Plus. In theory, a bigger screen is always better. In practice, there was just no way I could jam that thing in my pocket and forget about it. I have an iPad Pro. And I don't need a tablet phone. The SE is a perfect pocketable size.

What I need (want) out of the next SE is: a telephoto camera and a larger screen in the same size body.

That is, I see zero reason to upgrade to this next SE. Not only that, these Einsteins raised the price 40 bucks so the inducement of an ultra-low-cost phone is spoiled. This is likely a phone looking for an audience that just isn't there anymore.

Had Apple priced this phone at, say, $375.00, then this new SE would have been legitimate as a low-cost entry-level phone. It could justify it's old case design and large bezels. But not at $440.00. I see this product as a big fail. Thanks for the informative video, Mark.