Should I buy an iPhone SE 2022?

Apple just unveiled the iPhone SE 2022, the budget handset in the iPhone line-up, and as we note in our official iPhone SE 2022 review it looks pretty neat, especially if you don't mind not having the most modern smartphone design.

At an event that saw a new iPad Air, Mac Studio, and 27-inch Apple Studio Display  launched, for some the revamped iPhone SE will be the standout.

The previous iPhone SE 2020 was a much-needed update that essentially paired the iPhone 8's physical design with the internals from the iPhone 11. It was a potent – and pretty cheap – mix.

Apple has gone down roughly the same route this time, implanting up-to-date internals into the same physical design, which is a win for those who want Touch ID instead of Face ID to unlock the device or prefer a smaller handset.

So, should you buy the iPhone SE 2022? Let's look at the pros and cons.

Why you should buy the iPhone SE 2022

The iPhone SE has one big thing (or small, depending on how you look at it) going for it: the same 4.7-inch display found in iPhones of old, before Apple started making high-end, 6-plus-inch devices. 

If you have small hands and/or prefer a smaller phone, then the iPhone SE is pretty much an automatic buy. Everything great about the iPhone in a smaller package. 

The iPhone SE is also the cheapest iPhone available, starting at $429/£419 for the 64GB configuration and going up to $579/£569 for the 256GB model. For contrast, the iPhone 13 starts at $699/£679. 

The latest iPhone SE now comes with 5G, the powerful A15 Bionic chip, an updated camera system, and iOS 15. It's the real deal, rather than a cheaper, worse iPhone. 

Why you shouldn't buy the iPhone SE 2022

There are two main reasons for not buying the iPhone. 

The first is that you want the big screen and everything that entails, in which case you'll be best suited to getting an iPhone 13 or iPhone 12, which Apple still sells. 

The high-end iPhones are incredible devices, easily among the best smartphones, and Apple has put a lot of time into making them as good as possible. If you can stretch to it, we would recommend one of the larger models. 

The second reason is that you want something Android-based – and that's not a bad shout at all, especially if you're looking for a bargain. We've spent a lot of time finding the best cheap phones and the list is all Android except for the iPhone SE. 

Devices like the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE, for example, offer everything the expensive Galaxy handsets do but for much less money. The same goes for the Google Pixel 4a and OnePlus Nord 2.

Conclusion 

So there is is: the iPhone SE 2022 is perfect for anyone who wants to get in on the iPhone without breaking the bank or your hands. It has everything the bigger iPhones have but for less money and in a smaller package.

Excellent Android rivals exist, of course, but there is something special about an iPhone, especially if you're already locked into the ecosystem. Plus you can count on iOS 16 delivering some major updates in a few months.

• We've found the best iPhone SE 2022 deals