Apple iPhone SE (2016)

IT PRO | Adam Shepherd

... it's one of the smallest premium smartphones still on the market.

Expert Reviews | Nathan Spendelow

...we've got a metal handset with the latest processor and a top-notch camera. In fact, the only thing that the mini phone doesn't have, which the larger iPhone 6S does, is 3D Touch, and that's something you can easily live without. For anyone that didn't want to upgrade to the larger iPhone 6S or iPhone 6S Plus but still hanker after a powerful 4in phone, the iPhone SE is an amazing choice and nothing else comes close to it at this screen size.

Alphr | Thomas McMullan

It's small, but as powerful as anyone could need it to be; the battery life exceeds even Apple's plus-sized handsets; and the screen, camera and all-round quality should be enough to seduce almost anyone who's in the market for a smaller phone. (...) The iPhone SE is a tiny phone with the heart of a giant.

S21

The Apple iPhone SE gives you the power of the latest iPhone 6s in the compact and stylish body of the iPhone 5s! It's a winning combination, and the fact that this is the most affordable iPhone for years makes it a top buy.

Recombu | Alex Todd

Sure, the Apple iPhone SE looks out of place, but that's more indicative of how comfortable we've grown to bigger handsets, even if their size has impacted on ease of use for many users. A four inch screened device as powerful as this is a rare thing in 2016 and despite any fanfare at launch, it's still an unquestionably important phone for Apple.

V3 | Carly Page

The iPhone SE may be small, but it's proved to be one of Apple's most powerful handsets. The 4in screen will be too big a down-size for many, but those in the market for a pint-sized, affordable smartphone will struggle to find anything better.

Stuff | Elissa Loi

The iPhone SE doesn't feel small, it feels compact. And there's a massive difference between those two concepts. Given that most phone makers are saving their best specs for their biggest phones, the fact that Apple has crammed all that tech into such a small package is a feat in itself.

Macworld | Susie Ochs

The iPhone SE is powerful, speedy, and a worthy addition to the low end of the lineup.

The Inquirer | Carly Page

The iPhone SE is by no means perfect with its 16GB storage option and poor front-facing camera, and it'll no doubt be too small for some, but it's undoubtedly the best 'mid-range' smartphone on the market today.

NotebookCheck | Florian Wimmer

The iPhone SE (which is short for Special Edition) goes back to the roots and revives the hardly used 4-inch form factor... If you do not like Apple, the iPhone SE will not convince you, but all other users will once again get a nice and powerful device with a compact and light case.

Mobile Choice | Sunetra Chakravarti

The iPhone SE is a masterstroke from Apple to go into the upper mid-range handset market which is quite direction-less and get a new generation of users to convert... It is an amazing phone which packs all that's important and worthy in the predecessors into a smaller albeit retro style while still maintaining its premium looks, all at a price-point that will wow many users.

news.com.au | Rod Chester

The iPhone SE is not the phone for everyone. But it is a powerful 4-inch phone with a great rear camera and for some iPhone users that is exactly what they want.

The Verge | Walt Mossberg

... I can strongly recommend the iPhone SE to fans of smaller iPhones who are looking for greater power and better features.

Engadget | Chris Velcazo

Regardless of Apple's reasons for making this thing, the iPhone SE is a lovely smartphone for iOS newcomers and small-handed users alike.

The Verge | Lauren Goode

It's actually a much-improved, well-designed, small phone with great battery life. It's not the answer for people who have adjusted to larger phones. For people who like a small phone - and by the way, there's nothing wrong with liking small phones - or for people who have been holding onto their 4s or 5s phones, the iPhone SE will feel like a kickass little upgrade.

ZDNet | Cliff Joseph

There's nothing innovative or ground-breaking about the iPhone SE: to all intents and purposes, it's simply a smaller version of the current iPhone 6s. It provides comparable performance and a broadly similar range of features wrapped up in a more compact 4-inch design with a price cut.

pocketnow | Juan Carlos Bagnell

This isn't a crown jewel phone. Outside of the Apple ecosystem, this phone is priced high enough to face tremendous competition from "nice" mid rangers and "cheap" flagships, but we still recommend it as a solid offering depending on what an individual consumer's needs might be. If nothing else we can hope this encourages even more of a race towards building powerful, "flagship" performance into mid-tier devices.

CNET UK | Scott Stein

While the rest of us wait for the iPhone 7 later this year, the iPhone SE is a great choice for small phone fans looking for an 'iPhone 6S Mini.'

Pocket-lint | Stuart Miles

The iPhone SE is a great smartphone that brings plenty of power in a small package. It's designed to appeal to those who aren't fussed by today's typically large flagship phones.

MobileTechTalk | Craig Bradshaw

It has a good camera with the capability of grabbing some great stills and very good video footage as you've seen above... It's not perfect, and yes, it's ageing, but it's also the cheapest way to get a 2016 iPhone, with most the bells and whistles. Could this just be the best bang for the buck iOS device available as the market sits currently? If you're after a smaller form factor, then yes, we think it just might be.

Gadgets Now | Debashis Sarkar

The SE is just a matter of choice for people who prefer to use small screen and Apple doesn't want them to use old hardware to run new apps.

PC Mag

The Apple iPhone SE is the best choice if you're looking for a small, but powerful smartphone.

TechRadar | Gareth Beavis

Ultimately, Apple's given consumers a great choice here and actually for a half-decent price. The iPhone SE is a brilliant phone for those that want something smaller in their pocket and don't care about tired design - and I suspect there will be quite a few of those buyers out there.

Know Your Mobile | RIchard Goodwin

If you're good with how much the iPhone SE costs, arguably its only unappealing trait, then you're looking at a very attractive handset that is, for the time being, completely unparalleled in the mobile space. This is the best 4in smartphone on the planet now - bar none - hence the premium price tag.

Phone Scoop | Eric M. Zeman

The SE's design is appealing, the materials and manufacturing top-notch, and key behaviors, like voice quality, battery life, and data speeds, all hit the mark.

Digital Trends | Malarie Gokey

Apple's iPhone SE is the best 4-inch smartphone you can buy, period.... It fills a gaping hole in the market, serving people who want a smaller phone that they can actually hold and carry comfortably.

T3 | Dan Grabham

The iPhone SE certainly isn't a ground-breaker, but it is a solid attempt at building a 4-inch smartphone that doesn't compromise on features (and after all, who really, really needs 3D Touch?).

Tom's Guide | Mark Spoonauer

The iPhone SE has a premium design, and the combination of the fast A9 processor and robust 12-megapixel camera makes this device stand out among midrange handsets. However, I do wish the front camera were sharper, and that you didn't have to give up 3D Touch capability.

AnandTech | Brandon Chester

It's really not difficult to come to a conclusion on the iPhone SE. It's clearly the best 4-inch smartphone on the market, and you can ignore all of the specs when making that assessment because it achieves that by virtue of being the only offering at this size.

What Hi-Fi?

The SE is a good value powerful phone for those who need a small screen, but its pricier sibling does better with audio and video.

International Business Times | Alistair Charlton

My problem isn't with the iPhone itself, but with how quickly and drastically our perception of a smartphone has changed. A 4.5in screen with the same design would be perfect for me and I really hope Apple does this for its next Special Edition... Back to today's SE, and the conclusion is simple: This isn't a lesser smartphone, it's simply the range-topping competition in a different size.

Mashable | Christina Warren

The iPhone SE is the most powerful 4-inch smartphone ever. It's powerful, has a great camera, is affordable and it easily fits in one hand. I still prefer larger displays - and I don't see myself going back to the classic design - but this is a great device, especially at its price.

TechnoBuffalo | Brandon Russell

The iPhone SE isn't overly exciting, nor does it introduce any grand ideas. But just because we're not shouting in elation doesn't mean Apple's handset isn't. At this size, the iPhone SE is tough to beat, and that's the point of Apple's master plan, even if it upsets its legions of adoring fans. It may be small but the iPhone SE packs a serious punch for just its price.

SlashGear | Chris Davies

For those reasons, it's the smartphone to have if you're not wowed by phablet-scale screens, not to mention a good reason - finally! - to retire that aging iPhone 5s. Just don't be surprised if the iPhone 7 leaves you looking enviously at those more comfortable with bigger displays.

Trusted Reviews | Evan Kypreos

It may not be the most exciting phone Apple has ever released, but the iPhone SE will be a godsend for those who want a high-quality phone that isn't massive.

The Guardian | Samuel Gibbs

It is much more pocketable, easier to grip and costs less, but it still isn't a "budget" iPhone and is still relatively expensive compared to competing smartphones from other manufacturers.

NDTV Gadgets | Kunal Dua

The underwhelming front camera aside, the iPhone SE is the complete package, and the overall experience is everything you'd expect from an Apple product. In most ways that we use our iPhone everyday, the iPhone SE is just as good as the iPhone 6s, provided you can live with a smaller screen - and that's something that will ultimately boil down to personal preference.

The Telegraph | Rhiannon Williams

The iPhone SE will effectively divide people into two camps: those who are committed to the smaller form and those who could never imagine using a handset that small again. Where the iPhone 5s was a good phone, this is a great phone - complete with the advanced features which have made the 6 and 6s cycles so popular, at a price which will appeal to a wider demographic than ever before.

Digital Spy | Luke Johnson

While the SE might have new iPhone 6S-echoing skills, the fact that it's wrapped in a body that's all too familiar and shrouded in a bygone display will disappoint digital show-offs. That said, it's a handset your mum's going to absolutely love (rose gold, trust us) and, importantly, be able to use for the next five years without much fuss (or many phone calls to help sort it out).

Ars Technica | Andrew Cunningham

[The iPhone] SE is a great option for people who just don't want to deal with something bigger. The flagships are likely to remain larger, and they're likely to get new features faster ... but the SE at least makes it so that people who prefer small phones don't need to time travel back to 2013 to get a decent one.

AndroidPit | Eric Ferrari-Herrmann

The iPhone SE has impressed me to the point that I would recommend you consider buying it.

Brighthand | Brighthand Staff

The single biggest advantage that the iPhone SE delivers is lower cost … both in terms of the total cost of design and assembly for Apple and in terms of delivering a high-performance phone with a low cost per GB of storage.

Gizmodo UK | Alex Cranz

The iPhone SE isn't an awful phone. If you've been staring off into the distance singing "someday my tiny phone will come" then you can stop. This is it. The best phone under 4 inches currently available.