I only wanted one thing out of 2018's iPhone event: a new iPhone SE. In failing to provide it Apple seems to have quietly put the model out to pasture - and for this I curse them eternally. If you were one of the many who passed over the SE back in 2015, when it made its debut, that's understandable. The iPhone 6S was the latest and greatest, and of course fixed a few of the problems Apple had kindly introduced with the entirely new design of the 6.
But for me the SE was a perfect match. See, I've always loved the iPhone design that began with the 4. The 4 established an entirely new industrial design aesthetic that was at once instantly recognizable and highly practical.In the place of those soft curves were hard lines and uncompromising geometry: a belt of metal running around the edge, set off from the glass sides by the slightest of steps. It highlighted and set off the black glass of the screen and bezel, producing a specular outline from any angle. The camera was flush and the home button (RIP) sub-flush, entirely contained within the body, making the device perfectly flat both front and back. Meanwhile the side buttons boldly stood out.
Volume in bold, etched circles; the mute switch easy to find but impossible to accidentally activate; the power button perfectly placed for a reaching index finger. Note that all these features are directly pointed at usability: making things easier, better and more accessible while also being attractive and cohesive as parts of a single object. And don't think I'm speaking as an Apple fanboy; I was not an iPhone user at the time. In fact, I was probably still using my beloved G1 - talk about beauty and the beast!
The two-tone grey iPhone 5S, however, essentially left no room for improvement. And after 4 years, it was admittedly perhaps time to freshen things up a bit. Unfortunately, what Apple ended up doing was subtracting all personality from the device while adding nothing but screen space. The 6 was, to me, simply ugly.
It was reminiscent of the plethora of boring Android phones at the time - merely higher quality than them, not different. The 6S was similarly ugly, and the 7 through 8 somehow further banished any design that set themselves apart, while reversing course on some practical measures in allowing an increasingly large camera bump and losing the headphone jack.
The X, at least, looked a bit different. But to return to the topic at hand, it was after the 6S that Apple had introduced the SE. Although it nominally stood for "Special Edition, " the name was also a nod to the Macintosh SE. Ironically given the original meaning of "System Expansion, " the new SE was the opposite: essentially an iPhone 6S in the body of a 5S, complete with improved camera, Touch ID sensor, and processor.
The move was likely intended as a sort of lifeboat for users who still couldn't bring themselves to switch to the drastically redesigned, and considerably larger, new model. So why not coddle them a bit through this difficult transition? I don't have particularly large or small hands, but I preferred this highly pocketable, proven design to the new one for a number of reasons. Flush camera so it doesn't get scratched up? Actual edges to hold onto? Thousands of cases already available? Check - although I didn't use one for a long time. The SE is best without one.At the time, the iPhone SE was more compact and better looking than anything Apple offered, while making almost no compromises at all in terms of functionality. The only possible objection was its size, and that was (and is) a matter of taste. It was the best object Apple ever designed, filled with the best tech it had ever developed. Ever since the 6, it seems to me that Apple has only drifted, casting about for something to captivate its users the way the iPhone 4's design and new graphical capabilities did, all the way back in 2010.
It honed that design to a cutting edge and then, when everyone expected the company to leap forward, it tiptoed instead, perhaps afraid to spook the golden goose. To me the SE was Apple allowing itself one last victory lap on the back of a design it would never surpass. This is in keeping with similarly user-unfriendly choices made elsewhere in its lineup. After all, it's disappointed me for years.
But I still have my SE, and I intend to keep it for as long as possible. The listed price is not a typo, if you cannot afford the price do not message. This original iPhone SE is unopened and untouched! Somehow the original iPhone SE still isn't dead! Apple deliberately plans obsolescence into its devices, don't believe me, simply DuckDuckGo "Batterygate".
Most devices get slower and worse over time with updates, however this original iPhone SE has defied all odds. This iPhone SE does NOT have the bullsht big brother "Exposure Notification" tracking software imbedded into the iOS or kitty porn scanning of all photos (as long as you do not update). If "Exposure Notification" spying software was truly a choice like Apple pretends to claim then why not offer this in the App Store instead of imbedding it into the iOS where there is no effing way to remove. It's always there whether you like it or not.
Can we really trust Silicon Valley and its privacy doublespeak? Having worked in the industry, absolutely NOT. And Apple design team, if you're reading.. Apple iPhone SE 128 GB Space Gray - Unlocked - A1662 (CDMA + GSM) Model Number MP7X2LL/A.This item is in the category "Cell Phones & Accessories\Cell Phones & Smartphones". The seller is "masicadesign" and is located in this country: US.
This item can be shipped to United States, Canada.