Competitors se. Is the SE even a flagship? Compared to Samsung Galaxy S8
Despite the fact that not much time has passed since the announcement of Apple iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, we are again seeing new device. It remains to be seen whether the annual release of three iPhone models tradition or is it just an experiment like the one with the iPhone 5C.
Thanks to First-Store, we got the chance to review Apple's latest new model.
It is worth noting that now users have access to as many as three (it’s scary to imagine!) sizes of smartphones for iOS control, from the ultra-compact iPhone SE by today's standards to the familiar “shovel” iPhone 6s Plus. As expected, the “old man” iPhone 5s was discontinued.
There were a lot of conflicting rumors about the design of the new device on the Internet, large portals even offered various concepts to readers, but there were no more or less reliable leaks about the design of the case, which seemed strange to many. However, at the presentation the announcement of the new model caused confusion. Why? Yes, you already know why:
Under the pretext of caring for environment We were presented with the iPhone 5S with a new rear camera and SoC. Oh yes, sorry, they added it pink color. But we looked at the robot and listened to Apple’s contribution to protecting the ecology of our planet.
However, there really aren’t many innovations this time; this performance looked especially dull compared to the very successful Samsung flagships – Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, but that’s a completely different conversation.
Apple iPhone SE Specifications
| Model | Apple iPhone SE | Apple iPhone 5S |
| Device type | Smartphone | Smartphone |
| CPU | Apple A9, 2 x 1840 MHz, Twister | Apple A7, 2 x 1300 MHz, Cyclone |
| Video processor | PowerVR GT7600 (6 clusters) | PowerVR G6430 (4 clusters) |
| operating system | iOS 9 | iOS 8/9 |
| RAM, GB | 2, LPDDR4 | 1, LPDDR 3 |
| Internal memory, GB | 16 / 64 | 16 / 32 / 64 |
| Screen | IPS 4.0", 1136 x 640 | IPS 4.0", 1136 x 640 |
| Cameras, Mpix | 12.0, front 1.2 | 8.0, front 1.2 |
| Net | GSM 850/900/1800/1900 | GSM 850/900/1800/1900 |
| Number of SIM cards, pcs. | 1 | 1 |
| MicroSD support | No | No |
| Data transfer | GPRS, Wi-Fi (b/g/n/ac), BT*, 3G, LTE, NFC* | |
| aGPS/GPS/GLONASS/Beidou | Is/Is/Is/? | Is/Is/Is/? |
| Battery, mAh | 1 624 | 1 560 |
| Dimensions, mm | 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 | 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 |
| Weight, g | 113 | 112 |
| price, rub. | 33 000 – 48 000 | 20,000 – 30,000 (discontinued) |
All improvements to the Apple iPhone SE relate specifically to the hardware. It came as a surprise to many that the manufacturer decided to use the most advanced SoC it had, coupled with 2 GB of RAM. Previously it was assumed that we would see the A8 so that the models would not compete with each other, but due to the standard size this will not happen anyway, so the move, in my opinion, is logical.
In addition, the manufacturer installed a fresh 12.0 megapixel photo module in the rear camera. Battery capacity has increased slightly, but the increase is so small that I wouldn't count on any improvement in battery life.
On Tuesday, March 21, at his headquarters in California, Apple CEO Tim Cook presented new iPhone SE. Last iPhone version The 6S had 4.7” (5.5”) displays, rounded edges and buttons, which made it unusually different from all its predecessors. And now the corporation has corrected itself: in essence, the SE is a 6S in a 5S body. 4-inch display, A9 chipset, six-core graphics accelerator and 12 MP camera with excellent shooting quality. And the price: 37,990 rubles for the version with 16 GB, 47,990 rubles for 64 GB.
New iPhone smartphone SE will appear in Russia in April
Today's Appleno longer able to dictate its terms to the gadget market. Sixth generationiPhoneshowed low level sales backgroundAndroid-flagships, and fans of the brand found the 5.5-inch screen and proportionately high cost controversial. At the same time, a direct competitorApplefrom South Korea He created his flagship that was both more interesting and cheaper. The recession in the economies of the largest purchasing countries is forcing the corporation to make cheaper prices, and the new SE is one of these concessions. Analyzing the market, Cook’s company noticed that during the crisis, “budget” ones were more readily purchased.iPhone 5Swith a 4-inch touchscreen, and a comparable 6S model in the lineAppledid not have. And here we are, greetingsIPhone SE.
The price of the new Apple turned out to be even lower than analysts expected, but in a country where the crisis is growing stronger, the high cost of the logo on the back panel is increasingly becoming a stumbling block. We analyzed the market and selected five alternatives to the new iPhone for you, depending on your preferences.
SAMSUNG GALAXY A9
This, of course, is not the flagship S7 with space-age characteristics, but the A9 is more than enough to put the new iPhone in its belt. Judge for yourself: at the same cost, two SIM cards, a 6” touchscreen, a 13 MP camera plus an 8 MP front camera, an 8-core processor from Qualcomm, 32 GB internal and 3 GB random access memory, as well as a 4000 mAh super battery. What else do you need?
Price: about 35,000 rubles
SONY XPERIA Z5
Great alternative for those who knock their boots on the table, claiming that Apple cameras have no competitors in the segment. The Japanese still produce the best optics in the world, and the Z5 has a simply fantastic 23 MP camera with autofocus - all other things being equal. Add here 32 GB of memory and a slot for microSD, so necessary for amateurs mobile photo, – and think about it.
Price: about 37,000 rubles
LG NEXUS 5X H791
While the whole world is waiting for the futuristic LG G5 presented at MWC 2016, you can take your time and consider saving money with the Nexus 5X. Having approximately similar characteristics to the SE, the South Korean smartphone costs significantly less: from 30,000 rubles, although phones without the RosTest badge can be purchased for 21,000 rubles. Included: 6-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808, 16 GB internal memory, 2 GB of RAM, 12.3 MP camera, 4k video recording and a fingerprint scanner. An excellent anti-crisis set.
Price: about 30,000 rubles
HTC ONE M9 PLUS
Despite the fact that the British-Chinese brand is not doing well right now, the M9 impresses with its resume. Firstly, HTC is always a spectacular design. If Apple products are primarily about style for you, then this is the place for you. Secondly, this smartphone has a double camera, 20 megapixels, F/2.2 aperture, and that’s not counting the front one. Thirdly, the processor MediaTek Helio X10 Turbo, 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of hardware memory, a capacious battery and other benefits of progress - everything is there, as befits a flagship. It's really pleasing to the eye.
Price: about 32,000 rubles
XIAOMI MI5 OR MEIZU PRO 5
For those rational people who don’t care at all about the logo and name of the gadget, mega-functionality from Chinese manufacturer for all the same money. Let the skeptics be put to shame by the numerous testimonials and reviews; let the disdainful be reminded that i Phone SE They solder in exactly the same way in China. The characteristics of these two flagships will drive you crazy: the most powerful processors, gigabytes of memory, the most sensitive cameras with sets different functions, capacious batteries and good build quality. Even the design is on the verge of plagiarism with Apple– what could be better?
Price: about 32,000 rubles (Xiaomi MI5) and 29,000 rubles ( Meizu Pro 5)
"What?! - the indignant reader will cry. – After all, this site is dedicated to Apple and iPhone in particular, which means that the materials must be appropriate. Why, really, promote competitors’ products?” There is absolutely no point, I agree, and I ask ardent opponents of alternative views to stop reading. Those who have no problems with a systematic approach when considering the market for modern smartphones are welcome.
Nowadays, choosing a smartphone is both a simple and extremely difficult task. The reason for this is quite obvious: the niche of “smart” phones is no longer full of variety, as in the mid-2000s, and the days of clamshells and sliders are irrevocably gone. Today, most of the products produced by smartphone manufacturers are unremarkable bars of metal or plastic, less often five-inch glass.
Otherwise, everything is terribly monotonous, and even differences in hardware do not provide what consumers need effect. By at least, many of you think so, and, to be honest, your humble servant held the same opinion until he started writing this material and scoured the Internet for really worthwhile and, importantly, compact smartphones.
Sony Z5 Compact
Sony is certainly one of those manufacturers still striving to meet the demand for (relatively, of course) compact smartphones. It is for this purpose that the Japanese continue to regularly support and develop a line of sub-flagship devices with the Compact prefix in the name.
The latest incarnation of their ideal smartphone turned out to be quite competitive even against the background of the newer HTC 10 and LG G5. And although the smartphone has become less like a device from the premium segment, having received a plastic body instead of the usual glass and aluminum, it is no less productive than its “big brothers” in the form of the Z5 and Z5 Premium.
Alcatel Idol 3
Perhaps not the most best competitor new iPhone SE, but don’t rush to make final conclusions. Considering the price of 13,000 rubles, Alcatel’s brainchild’s not the most productive hardware is unlikely to cause you indignation. Today you can hardly find even an iPhone 5c for that kind of money. What can we say about 5s. However, not everything is so bad. Decent design and high quality the builds make those who need a second smartphone as a backup think about buying Idol 3. The software “fine-tuning” of the device by JBL specialists will appeal to those who like to listen to music, and the included headphones will please not the most sophisticated music lovers.
Samsung Galaxy A3 (2016)
An excellent device that looks like the flagship Galaxy S7. The compact and monolithic body made of glass and metal literally flows into the hand, forcing you to experience a tactile orgasm. I bet you, it won’t even occur to you that you are holding a mid-budget device in your hands, and not a flagship costing 50,000 rubles. From distinctive features Of note is the excellent 4.7-inch AMOLED screen and 13-megapixel camera, which produces really cool pictures in good lighting. The cost of the “galaxy” does not exceed $300.
OnePlus X
Another class representative budget devices not far budget building. The 5-inch display, enclosed in a glass-aluminum sandwich, produces an excellent picture, famous brand inspires confidence, and the presence of a ceramic version will delight lovers of premium materials. The cost of “X” is only $250, which is cheaper than most competitors.
iPhone SE 2017 is distinguished exclusively by updated memory and, therefore, price. Instead of the usual 16 and 64 gigabytes of memory, 32 or 128 are now available, and the cost will be 32,990 rubles. and 40990 rub.
The colors remain the same gray space, silver, gold and pink gold. SE is equipped with 2 gigabytes of RAM and Apple processor A9 plus M9 coprocessor. However, due to the low screen resolution, the SE is faster than the iPhone 7. It runs all the most powerful games, and applications open instantly.
Screen
As for the screen, the problem with color deviations has not been solved; the installation here is not the best IPS matrix, with a resolution of 1136x640 pixels. At angles, the black color goes into red, everything else goes into blue, this is not good, but bad screen I can't call it, it's just not ideal.
Cameras
Cameras. On the back, it's still a 12 megapixel sensor, the same as the iPhone 6s. And I’ll tell you that the quality of the camera is almost no different from the iPhone 7; even now it can be called top-end in the SE, which cannot be said about the 1.2 megapixel front camera; frankly speaking, the quality is not acceptable by today’s standards.
Autonomy
But the SE has incredible autonomy; having a battery of only 1624mA, the phone can last from a full day to two days under moderate load. Simply put, it keeps at the level of 7 plus, and better than 7.
What is so good about SE?
What is so good about SE? Now, in fact, this is the only option for those who need modern smartphone with a small screen. It is very compact, and even in a case it remains compact. Simply put, using one hand is extremely convenient.
It’s a pity that they didn’t update Touch ID, it’s the first generation here and quite slow. If Apple had made the only key on the front part touch-sensitive, like in the iPhone 7, then all questions about the SE would disappear altogether.
All the same colors
Of course, it would be great to see the SE in onyx color, but space gray doesn’t look bad either. In a word, the 4-inch iPhone could be improved a little more. But maybe Apple is preparing a mini version for the next generation. Let's see.
Now, when choosing an iPhone, you definitely shouldn’t look at the 6S or 6S plus; the 7 costs a little more, but the SE seems to be the most balanced iPhone. This phone doesn’t have any serious problems, you just need to love its compactness.
Why not iPhone7?
Why not 7? No, the seven is also good, only after the Galaxy S8, Apple is unlikely to release some kind of weak update with the letter S. We will most likely see a completely new, anniversary iPhone with a frameless screen and the seven will look like the last century against its background. A SE has been outwardly like the last century for a long time, so there is nothing to worry about here, you immediately know what you are getting into.
Compared to Samsung Galaxy S8
Conclusion
Replying to main question, yes, in 2017 year iPhone SE is more than relevant.
William Iven/unsplash.comMy smartphone is an iPhone 6s Plus, and I can't say I'm delighted with it. It is obscenely huge, thanks to the wide frames around the display. Big screen- this is great, but I periodically hate this shovel, which does not fit into any pocket. And nothing can be done about it, because Apple has no alternatives. It's either an iPhone 6s with the same design, but a smaller screen and battery, or a tiny one in a 2013 body... Hmmm.
At the same time, in the world of Android smartphones such a problem simply does not exist. The screen diagonal does not limit itself to the notorious 4, 4.7 and 5.5 inches. You can take a compact smart with big screen. There are countless variations on the design and materials of the case. Glass, wood, plastic, even ballistic nylon.
Unlike iPhone owners, for whom everything has already been decided, Android device users have the right to choose.
Reason 2. Features that the iPhone will never have
Maliha Mannan/unsplash.com The iPhone lacks many cool features that have long been commonplace on Android smartphones. Waterproof case, normal NFC support, in the end. I can now pay using my Android smartphone instead of waiting for Apple Pay in Russia. And it’s not a fact that he will come. You will say that Apple only introduces important features and not just technology for technology's sake. On the one hand, this is true, on the other hand, who would refuse fast charging or a waterproof case?
You look with sadness at new flagship some Samsung and you realize that a lot of cool features are just passing you by.
Reason 3. iPhone in Russia is not as cool as in America
Vladimir Kudinov/unsplash.com The third reason follows from the second reason, but this is relevant mainly for our country. Every year of apple presents a new iPhone and iOS with interesting features that will again not work in Russia. We've been waiting for Russian for five years (!!!), Spotlight offers still haven't started working and the Beats 1 radio station is unavailable. On Apple TV 4, by the way, Siri has never mastered Russian, which is generally strange. Apple Pay also does not work, although they promise that it will happen soon, but it is unknown when this will happen.
Many people criticize Android: they say updates take a long time. But iPhone owners Russia is in the same situation. Essentially, for the same money we get a stripped-down iOS version. So is it worth paying more?
Reason 4. Android is freedom
Kate SERBIN/unsplash.com Many people choose Android because it open system and, in fact, you are free to do whatever you want. You can completely redesign the entire system, customize the interface to suit you, and there are plenty of tools for this. This is not iOS, where at most you can change the wallpaper and arrange icons by color. If you purchased a stylish one powerful smartphone, but the interface is not pleasing, everything is in your hands. Change the appearance of icons, install third-party launchers, fonts - the customization possibilities in Android are almost limitless.
One of the important advantages of Android before iOS - open file system. You can download an archive of music directly to your smartphone. FLAC format and listen without any dancing with a tambourine. Yes, you can use third-party ones on iPhone file managers, but this is a crutch that still won’t work normally. Therefore, if you want freedom and individuality, your choice is.
Reason 5. Android can be found for any wallet
Patrick Tomasso/unsplash.com If you need to buy inexpensive smartphone, you definitely don't belong to Apple. The only “cheap” one right now is the iPhone SE, which will cost 37,990 rubles. Or a used iPhone 5s, but this is not an option for everyone. But thanks to our Chinese comrades, we have the opportunity to buy already good smartphone near .
Now stylish mid-rangers like Samsung A5, which have an attractive appearance, good iron, but will cost no more than 25 thousand rubles. An excellent option for those who don’t need the hassles of flagship devices, but still want a beautiful and functional device. The iPhone can't offer that.
These are the five reasons I came up with in favor of Android smartphones. In the next article we will look at this situation from the other side, and I will talk about advantages of iPhone in front of Android smartphones, about the pros of iOS and the cons of Android.