4-inch smartphones are so 2013! During the entire smartphone world in phablet-megalomania is, Apple introduced with the iPhone SE in March a new edition of the three year old iPhone 5s on the market. In test checks a staunch iPhone 5 owners, whether the migration is worth and whether 4 inches and 2016 are still relevant.
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| How beats the iPhone SE and whether a switch worthwhile, answer our test. |
Preliminary a few introductory words to sort this test the iPhone SE: I am confident user of a 4-inch smartphones. All mobile phones with phablet-size that I previously was allowed to test for TURN On - whether Nexus 6P, Galaxy Note 4 or Nexus 6 - were just too big to me. Maybe I'm obsessed with Steve Jobs wisdom of not more than 4 inches, maybe I have also just incredibly small hands (unlikely) - but with screens of 5 inches beyond I simply no fun. And the argument that you can better look at phablets video and photos, I also do not accept. But one has yet PCs, tablets or laptops! A smartphone, however, I want to laid-back with one hand and can then easily disappear in your pocket.
And so, with a three year old iPhone 5 you will sometimes ridiculed in a technology-editors like
mytectech.blogspot.com. True to the motto: What, you still have a 4-inch smartphone from 2012? I was so far but still firmly to my trusty 4-inch companion. Why not? After all, the iPhone 5 is still supplied by Apple with the latest iOS updates itself.
After the group but was switched with the iPhone 6 and especially the iPhone 6 Plus in 2014 to larger screens, I had slowly resigned myself mentally so, to exhaust my iPhone 5 until the last battery percentage point and then at some point on a (used to upgrade) iPhone 5s. Love for 4-inch screens I share but apparently with many other Apple users. In March 2016, the Group heard finally our requests and put the iPhone SE ago. In the following test I check explicitly from the perspective of an iPhone 5 owner if can convince me the new 4-inch smartphone.
The first unpacking: Spot the difference!
After the first Unpacking the iPhone SE happened something curious - when I know that the new Apple smartphone has exactly the same dimensions as my old iPhone 5 and only one gram weighs more, I immediately had the impression that another smartphone in hand hold. Whether me here my expectations were playing a prank or whether it was because the iPhone SE was never used, was once undecided.
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| Links the iPhone 5 and the iPhone right SE with Touch ID button. |
Objectively seen the iPhone SE anyway exactly like an iPhone 5 from - up to the Touch ID button of course. The SE measures 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm and weighs 113 grams. The casing edges are chamfered as continue with the iPhone 5, but now matt lacquer. An outsider would but probably not notice any difference when he sees the silver test iPhone SE beside my old, also silver iPhone. 5
However, for me that is not a real point of criticism: The design of the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s with its slightly box-like compactness is my opinion timeless and still chic. Who has however become accustomed to the more rounded shape of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s, which could be the iPhone SE to look frumpy something. For this, the SE is with its more angular exterior grip in his hand as about the iPhone 6s in which I somehow always am afraid that it is equal to slide out of my hand.
First try: Small iPhone, full power
While the iPhone SE so is handy as ever, the buyer of the small Apple smartphones will not be punished for luck with slimmed Specs. Inside the 4-inch device that is dormant 6s a mix of iPhone 6 and iPhone. So tinkers in iPhone SE chip Apple A9, which is also installed in the iPhone 6s. He receives support from 2 GB RAM - also the same as the iPhone 6s. When Qualcomm modem and the RF transceiver to Apple, however, has served on the iPhone. 6 The touchscreen controller comes even from the iPhone 5s. Something strange contrast seems to the fact that Apple has the iPhone SE missed the back camera of the 6s with 12 megapixels, while the selfie cam continued to rate 1.2 megapixels ... but so be it. The screen dissolves continue with 1136 x 640 pixels and acts in direct comparison with the iPhone 5 a little brighter.
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| In iPhone SE of iPhone 6s chip A9 is used. |
When first playing around with the iPhone SE becomes quickly evident that the small Apple smartphone is full thanks to the latest technology on the cutting edge. Apps and Websites open butterweich, also not open in tabs sites have to be reloaded thanks to the 2 GB of RAM, as is the case with the iPhone. 5 When I put my old iPhone alongside the iPhone SE and the same actions lead, the difference is even more apparent. On the new machine to websites and apps a bit open always faster than my trusty 5er. Mind you: The difference is not about a few seconds, but it is still noticeable.
New for me as an old iPhone 5 Hare also is the Touch ID in the home button - although Apple's fingerprint scanner naturally built since the iPhone 5s. Touch ID worked in the test sufficiently fast, although still the first generation of the sensor is installed in the iPhone SE. On this front, there is of me so no complaints.
The first day: it runs and runs and runs ...
Honestly: What interested me the new iPhone SE most was the battery life. My veteran iPhone 5 has yet to fight after three years of use namely with wear and holds under normal use only just by a day. The new iPhone SE battery is with 1642 mAh between the iPhone 5 (1440 mAh) and the iPhone 6s (1716 mAh). However, the 4-inch smartphone as the bigger iPhone has on his screen, of course, much less represent 6s. Therefore, the iPhone SE effectively keeps longer than by the big brother.
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| The usual hardware buttons of 5-generation are installed. |
In my battery test on the first day of time the iPhone SE was indeed a very durable. In normal use, with occasional surfing and one or another video at the end of the day plenty of battery life was left - at least half a second day should therefore be in there.
A disadvantage of the small screen, the user at least larger smartphones should quickly notice is the smaller keyboard. User with sausage fingers are likely far more common on the wrong letter advised than about the iPhone 6s when typing on the iPhone SE. For me, this is a pure (re-) is however matter of habit. Somewhat annoying is probably because the lack of 3D touch feature. Anyone who has used the iPhone 6s to the gestures Peek and Pop, you may miss this when iPhone SE. Presumably Apple has the function simply omitted from the 4-inch device, so as not to cannibalize the larger brothers.
A whole weekend: A friend, a good friend ...
After taking the iPhone SE also home and used a weekend in parallel with my old iPhone 5, the impression of the good battery life strengthened. When allowed to the smartphone, for example, a whole day in standby mode alone, the battery indicator fell by just under 10 percent - without power saving mode. The longer duration is certainly also due to the 200 mAh more, stuck in comparison with the 5 Series in iPhone SE battery.
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| With a capacity of 1624 mAh battery provides a decent life. |
Even otherwise, the iPhone SE felt like an old acquaintance, the one hundred times already was in his hand, which suddenly is surprisingly fast on the road. With the new back camera of the iPhone SE, the aufbohrte Apple compared to the iPhone 5s from 8 megapixels to 12 megapixels, a few snapshots were also made. The better quality of the iPhone SE images a photo-amateur falls well as my eye. Since Selfies rather not belong to my pastime, and Apple dropped the front camera with 1.2 megapixels up to the Retina Flash unchanged, I've saved me here the comparison with the iPhone. 5
The conclusion: The best of both worlds
For me, the iPhone SE a clear win-win situation: I like small and handy phones and the SE is the currently most advanced 4-inch device in the market. At the same time the mobile phone is as fast as the barely half a year old iPhone 6s. Also in the price of the iPhone SE this time there really nothing to complain about. Sure, Apple will be never to buy a real "cheap smartphone". But with 489 euros for the 16 GB version actually offers the iPhone SE the best entry in the iOS world, ever. Really recommended 16 GB in 2016, of course not - for the 64 GB version will be again 100 euros more mature. For all iPhone 5 / 5s owners an upgrade to the iPhone SE therefore likely to pay off consistently. The smartphone features the famous (and beloved form factor) and combines it with the latest technology from the iPhone 6s.
