Customers often highlight the iPhone SE (2nd generation)'s affordability, compact size, and user-friendly interface as positive aspects. The phone's camera quality, ample storage, and wireless charging capabilities are also well-received. However, some users express concerns about its battery life, while others lament the removal of the headphone jack and the outdated design.
This summary was generated by AI based on customer reviews.
The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
Page 1 Showing 1-20 of 710 reviews
Pros mentioned:
Price
Cons mentioned:
Battery life
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Good iPhone for the price
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Posted . Owned for more than 2 years when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Great iPhone for the affordability!
I use the phone for my delivery side gig with no problems. FYI my battery needed to be replaced after two years.
This review is from Apple - iPhone SE (2nd generation) 128GB (Unlocked)
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Price, Size
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great Apple Product
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Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I LOVE apple products, I went from an IPhone 7 to this IPhone SE and I’m loving the new bionic A13 chip, it is fast. The size of the SE is the same size as my IPhone 7, which is perfect for the small wristlets and purses that I normally carry. It is also bigger than the IPhone 12 mini and less money. For the difference between 4G and 5G appears to be negligible. I am very happy with this purchase.
This review is from Apple - iPhone SE (2nd generation) 128GB (Unlocked) - (PRODUCT)RED
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Size
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great smart phone for my son
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I bought this iPhone SE for my 11 yr old. He's been pestering me for a year for one. I finally broke down and got him this iPhone SE and he couldn't be happier.
Easy to use and navigate, perfect size for a kids hand and pocket. I also got him a WSD glass screen protector and a clear Orbit otterbox style case on Amazon which works great together for maximum drop protection.
This review is from Apple - iPhone SE (2nd generation) 128GB (Unlocked) - (PRODUCT)RED
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Upgrade !!!!
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Posted . Owned for 2 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This was my first brand new, not refurbished iPhone. I had a 6s 32 Gb and this 2020 SE has 128 Gb and man it is SUPER! The video and pics are amazing, every function a dream, I do recommend buying the iPhone 7 Battery case it fits perfect and gives the A 13 CPU all the juice it needs expanding usage to two days for me very good value for the money and then some !
This review is from Apple - iPhone SE (2nd generation) 128GB (Unlocked) - (PRODUCT)RED
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Price
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great iPhone for everyone
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This is the most value for money iPhone released ever. All latest internals, great cameras.
This review is from Apple - iPhone SE (2nd generation) 128GB (Unlocked) - (PRODUCT)RED
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Size, Speed
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
So close to perfect
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Waited a month to review as this phone is my daily driver. I have been a sucker for smaller firm factor phones as carrying a tablet makes no sense to me. This phone is crazy fast, great camera, waterproof and has wireless charging. Software is as you expect simply the best for a mobile device. The only hit was I with they could have made the screen taller so I could keep the home button. Yes I love the home button and for me was a huge plus for getting the phone. I have moved on to the wireless headphones so the loss jack wasn’t a negative for me.
I pair this with my iPad mini 5 so when I want to read, review excel or PowerPoint for work or simply join a WebEx call I use the iPad. For calls and texts I use the iPhone but for work, browsing or media consumption I switch devices. This way I don’t compromise due to a small phone or lug an oversized phone with me everywhere I go.
This review is from Apple - iPhone SE (2nd generation) 128GB (Unlocked) - (PRODUCT)RED
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Price
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
My girlfriend loves this!
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Posted . Owned for 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This phone replaced an iPhone 7 that had some weird unexplainable issues. Features that separate the SE from that are as follows:
- Better battery life by 2-3 hours (from her usage pattern, not mine)
- Wireless charging
- Portrait mode (Made possible by the A13 Bionic chip)
- An additional gigabyte of ram
- Roughly 3x the CPU performance
- eSIM support
I used to play a few multiplayer games over the phone with my girlfriend and she almost always experienced lag on her iPhone 7. At times, games like Call of Duty Mobile was unusable for her, and lag spikes would transport her to random places on the map. Now she doesn't experience any of the same issues; we can both carry our team again! The iPhone 7 base model only had 32gb of storage, and that's not enough for most people. My music library would take up a quarter of that! The SE starts out at 64gb, but offers 128gb and 256gb storage tiers. For a $50 premium, I believe the 128gb tier offers the best value since it doubles the base storage. Before I gave her the phone, I quickly compared performance throughout the operating system on different websites to the 11 Pro I use. The SE offers similar performance in everything except battery life and multitasking, but for a $450 phone, it definitely holds its own. I'd even consider buying another as a backup (my first 11 Pro unit had charging, booting, and display issues within a month!).
**Now that the iPhone XR's price has been cut due to the release of the 12 and 12 Pro, it'd be wise to compare the two. The iPhone XR has an older processor, but it has an edge-to-edge display and face ID for $100 more. Those who frequently wear a mask may still benefit more from the SE since it is cheaper and has Touch ID.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Camera, Price, Size
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Bang for the buck
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Posted . Owned for 2 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Was looking for a new phone and Apple came out with this one. I didn’t want to spend upwards of a grand for a phone. The size is perfect for my pocket and the processor is fast and zippy. I really enjoy the wireless charging. Yes the camera doesn’t do everything the newest iPhone does but it takes really good photos anyways. I can see holding on to this for a long time!
This review is from Apple - iPhone SE (2nd generation) 128GB (Unlocked) - White
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Camera, Size
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great Phone For Cost
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Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
My wife had the first gen SE and loved it for the size. They have gotten a little carried away with the larger phones. I like something a little larger than this, but understand the need for these. For the most part it is fairly close to the iPhone 11. It has the same chip, is still water resistant, and has the same camera without the ultra wide one. We can use the Qi wireless chargers that I use on my work phone which is Android. It’s a good value and performance. I have the 7Plus and will have to decide on the 11 or 11Pro is worth the extra money when time to upgrade.
This review is from Apple - iPhone SE (2nd generation) 128GB (Unlocked) - (PRODUCT)RED
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Price, Size
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Less Space in Pocket, More Money in Wallet
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Posted . Owned for 4 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
With cell phones getting more and more expensive, I decided to go cheaper. I had been upgrading to the larger plus models over the last several years. But, honest to God!, what do you want your phone to do? As far as functions go, I use this phone in exactly the same way my wife uses her iPhone 11, including streaming video, taking good pictures, sinking to our other smart devices, and other stuff. I know that there are things the iPhone 11 does that my SE doesn't, but I don't need those things. Before you upgrade to newest model with all the bells and whistles, think about whether you are actually going to use all that stuff. This $400 iPhone will meet your needs at a much cheaper price. You might even find this smaller phone that takes up less space in your pocket will also take up less space in your life!
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Price, Speed
Cons mentioned:
Battery life
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Switched from iPhone 6s to iPhone SE
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Posted . Owned for 2 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I bought the iPhone 6s when it first came out years ago and have had it since I heard about the iPhone SE. it caught my attention because of the price because I paid more for my iPhone 6s than the SE and to me it’s much faster. I can’t tell you that if it’s faster because it’s brand new and my iPhone 6s has had the battery changed twice but the battery on the phone SE is good but not great. I haven’t had any other iPhone but these two so I’m not sure if small iPhones have less battery life than the large ones. Overall for the price it’s like getting an iPhone 8 with a iPhone X chip swap.
This review is from Apple - iPhone SE (2nd generation) 128GB (Unlocked) - White
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Size
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Nice phone. Small size. Wireless charging.
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Posted . Owned for 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
If you're looking for an iPhone with a home button this is the one to get. Priced well while still offering quick speed and decent battery. We bought this phone for my elderly mother's first cell phone and the physical home button was more intuitive for her than learning gestures.
She is small and the size of this phone is a good size for her to grip. Wireless charging was the main reason we bought this phone over a similarly priced Android.
She's going to take a little bit to figure out the phone but it works well and makes it very clear calls.
This review is from Apple - iPhone SE (2nd generation) 128GB (Unlocked)
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Camera
Cons mentioned:
Battery life
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Excellent size for small-medium hands
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Posted . Owned for 10 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
+ Software and hardware experience in harmony.
+ Very fast A13 chip and iOS optimization means UI, app launching and switching are seamless.
+ The form factor is great for us with average hands
+ Touch ID is versatile especially in these times
+ takes high quality photos
- photo format in .heif only and is not compatible viewing in Windows. Having a Mac would complement owing an iPhone
- small battery size means battery life is on the short size
- bezels
- Touch ID is glitchy when you have sweaty hands (this depends on the person though)
This review is from Apple - iPhone SE (2nd generation) 128GB (Unlocked) - (PRODUCT)RED
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Camera, Price
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
iPhone SE is a great phone!
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Posted . Owned for 7 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I bought this phone to replace my old iPhone SE which was showing wear. The SE line is the "value" version of the iPhone but they still have the insides and features of the newer phones in a smaller form factor.
The phone is fast, has enough storage for all my needs.
The battery last a long time, the front and back cameras are good.
The display looks great!
If you are looking for a new iPhone but don't want to splurge for the iPhone 12, this is the perfect phone!
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Size
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great choice for most iPhone users
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Posted . Owned for 7 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Perfect iPhone for those who want a reasonably sized smart phone that fits easily in your pocket, and has modern features like wireless charging and water resistance. And if you like Touch ID and Home button and don't feel like learning all the new gesture-based controls. this is the right iPhone for you. Super happy with the iPhone SE 2020!
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Price, Size
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Excellent
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Posted . Owned for 2 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I hate large phones. I felt the previous SE, at 4.87in tall, was the PERFECT size for my hands, one-handed browsing, pocket real estate, and several other benefits. So imagine my dismay when Apple announced the next SE was going with the 7/8 size. My old SE started getting slow and I was looking into other non-Apple, similarly sized alternatives. But hearing that this had the same guts as the top of the line XI, and it still had the physical button and absence of the "notch" (no offense to fans of that style, it's just not for ME), at a price point of $399, for 64GB MINIMUM, well, I dove in. Not disappointed so far. Blazing fast, razor sharp, easy to hold. The adjustment to the larger dimension was not as much as I'd feared, and the VALUE. Oh my goodness, dollar for dollar, this might be the greatest Apple phone value EVER (i get it, Android fanboys, there's probably a Google phone or Samsung Device that has more value than this product, but for Apple users, this is the BEST). I'll always miss and love the old SE, but this is a worthy, gorgeous, powerful, and "budget-friendly" successor well worth your time.
I would recommend this to a friend
Cons mentioned:
Battery life
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
IPhone SE second gen.
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Posted . Owned for more than 2 years when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
3 years no issues, and everything works like the first day, only the battery has been downgraded a little bit but still very good.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Price, Speed
Cons mentioned:
Battery life
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
If only it had a bigger battery
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I don’t use it a lot throughout the day but it does tend to drain the battery quickly. I’ve bought a few extra cables and a car charger so I can charge whenever possible.
Otherwise it’s a pretty good value for an iPhone. It’s very fast and you can get the latest iOS so it runs great!
This review is from Apple - iPhone SE (2nd generation) 128GB (Unlocked) - White
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Size
Cons mentioned:
Battery life, Headphone jack
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Usually dependable
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Smaller size is often an advantage. Battery can drain faster than expected depending on what’s running. Prefer the finger sensor to more cumbersome verification methods, and work with existing lightning connectors. Wish it still had a headphone jack rather than relying on Bluetooth.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Price, Size
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Love It!
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Posted . Owned for 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I like the smaller phone and I was able to get a bunch of different cases for this (at reasonable prices) because it is the same size as the Iphone 8/7. Great price on the phone with it's higher specs. I had an Iphone 11 before this and I'm just as happy with this. This is so easy to carry in your pocket. I love the way these are black in the front. The black with the red phone is fantastic! Of course I had to have the red one.
This review is from Apple - iPhone SE (2nd generation) 128GB (Unlocked) - (PRODUCT)RED