How Old Is An Apple Se Phone

Every year, a new iPhone is released with amend cameras and faster processor. At the same time, the older iPhone models are all the same at that place receiving iOS updates, which is great for people who don't upgrade their phones every year. But how decent are these erstwhile iPhones running the latest version of iOS? Well, I tested a offset-generation iPhone SE with iOS xv, and information technology's still surprisingly good.

I decided to write this article subsequently seeing a tweet comparing the iPhone 6s with the Samsung Galaxy S6. Both flagship phones were introduced in 2015, but while iPhone 6s came with iOS 9 and runs iOS fifteen, Galaxy S6 was released with Android 5 and was completely discontinued two updates later with Android seven.

Some may argue that although iPhone 6s will nonetheless receive iOS updates, their performance will be compromised past the latest software – and so I wanted to run across for myself if these former phones are all the same usable in 2022.

I don't have an iPhone 6s, simply I do accept a offset-generation iPhone SE. For those who don't remember, the first iPhone SE was introduced in early 2016 as a cheaper alternative to high-end iPhones. It features the same blueprint and 4-inch display as the iPhone 5s, but with the same A9 bit and 12 Megapixel 4K camera as the iPhone 6s.

Past comparison, the first iPhone SE was priced at $399 in the U.s., while the Milky way S6 was launched at $599. So how is the kickoff-generation iPhone SE half-dozen years after?

Showtime-gen iPhone SE and iOS fifteen

I won't discuss the iPhone SE blueprint here since the betoken of this article is to discuss how information technology performs with iOS fifteen. This phone was introduced when Apple had zip iPhones with a "borderless" blueprint, and the biggest iPhone you could get dorsum then had a v.five-inch 1080p brandish, then continue that in mind.

While Apple tree has ever claimed that the iPhone SE is a "special edition" for those who prefer pocket-size phones, it has e'er been very articulate that this phone is designed to be a more than affordable iPhone for those who don't need everything that a high-finish smartphone has.

To my surprise, the first-generation iPhone SE is still quite usable even with iOS 15. When using it for basic tasks similar surfing the web, listening to music, or opening social networking apps, it's difficult to discover apps that are unresponsive or running slowly. Some things take longer to open up when compared to newer iPhones, but it's nothing like using an iPhone 3G with iOS 4 or an iPhone four with iOS 7 (if you're former enough, you know what I mean).

Having admission to the latest version of iOS on a 6-twelvemonth-old phone means that y'all can go at least some of the aforementioned features bachelor on the latest iPhone 13. The iPhone SE has Focus Way, redesigned notifications, rich Spotlight results, new Emojis, and all the latest privacy and security improvements that come with iOS fifteen.

You can too download and install nearly of the apps available on the App Shop, which run just fine with the A9 chip. There are a few hiccups in multitasking since the showtime-generation iPhone SE has only 2GB of RAM, but regular users may not even notice them. Unfortunately, features like Live Text, which require more than calculating power, are non available on this phone.

2016 iPhone SE running iOS 15 with Apple Arcade.

The battery can be a problem when information technology comes to an erstwhile phone, just those who still have one of these at home can replace the bombardment with a new one to give the device a new life.

Wrap up

The matter is, you lot probably shouldn't buy a 2016 iPhone SE in 2022. Merely if you bought this phone when it was released, it nevertheless works well for basic things, and it can serve equally a good backup iPhone for emergencies – and I'thousand sure it was definitely worth the price y'all paid for it 5 or six years ago.

This is what happens when y'all take a phone congenital with the best chip available on the market place, and when the same visitor makes the hardware and software inside it.

Going back to the first iPhone SE with iOS 15 also makes me come across why the iPhone SE nevertheless has a identify in Apple'due south lineup. Despite its old pattern, the iPhone SE nevertheless has a lot to offering for people who just desire a reliable smartphone for a more affordable price. Thank you to Apple tree Silicon and the iOS optimizations, users can savor their iPhones for many years to come.

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