Each To Their Phone

These five handsets all offer something a bit different, but can 2020’s odd squad lure you away from the status quo?

Apple iPhone SE Price from R10 000 /myistore.co.za

What’s the story?

If you scoff at the thought of paying over R20 000 for an iPhone, Apple has extended you a cute little olive branch in the shape of the sub-R10 000 SE model. Take some components from its flagships (like the A13 Bionic chip and speedy charging), compromise with the display, single camera and lack of Face ID, squish all that into a smaller body, and you have Apple’s compact entry-level contender.

Is it any good?

If you’re already an iOS diehard with an iPhone 8 onwards, the SE isn’t for you. But if you’re in dire need of an Apple upgrade, step right up – and at this price, the SE might even lure a few Android users. With its dinky 4.7in display and refreshingly lightweight form factor, the SE is a bit of a wolf in bubblegum-colored clothing.

There’s no OLED, just an LCD ‘Retina HD’ screen with the same pixel density as the one on the iPhone 11. Indoors it’s bright and clear, but in direct sunlight the struggle is real.

The 12MP camera is capable, though it relies heavily on that A13 chip for image processing. Portrait mode isn’t as effective but you can get some great results in bright light, while a 7MP front snapper is sufficient for FaceTime calls. Video-wise, you can shoot 4K up to 60fps, but it does have a weird smoothing effect to it.