9 iPhone SE Alternatives That Are Cheaper
Apple recently unveiled the smaller, less expensive iPhone SE, which starts at $399, to appeal to new buyers. But there are lower-cost alternatives. Here are 9 choices to consider.
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All eyes in the tech world were on Apple this week when the company held an event to unveil and showcase new devices and software, including an upgraded, smaller iPad Pro, the official rollout of iOS 9.3, software updates to Apple TV, and new bands for Apple Watch. But one of the most talked about product debuts was the smaller -- in size and price tag -- iPhone SE.
The launch of the iPhone SE reflects a strong, consistent demand for smaller iPhones. During the Monday event, Apple claimed more than 30 million 4-inch iPhones were sold in 2015. While many shoppers simply prefer more compact devices, this size is also popular among first-time iPhone owners.
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The iPhone SE, which was predicted weeks before the event, has a four-inch display, 64-bit A9 chip, and integrated M9 motion coprocessor for functions like "Hey Siri" and daylong fitness tracking. The company claims its CPU packs twice the speed of the iPhone 5s and its GPU is three times as fast.
As for cost, the 16GB model goes for $399 and and the 64GB version is $499.
Preorders for the iPhone SE began Thursday, March 24 and it ships March 31. The device is available in silver, gold, space gray, and rose gold.
While the SE's price point is cheap for an iPhone, it could easily break the bank for someone on a tight budget. While the iPhone SE may be an appealing option for those committed to iOS, browsing outside the Apple store can help you find even less expensive devices.
Here we take a closer look at smartphones with lower price tags than the iPhone SE. They may not have all the same features as high-end competitors, but they'll keep you connected without leaving you broke. Do you own any of these devices? Would you consider one?
The Moto G, an Android smartphone, has a 5-inch Corning Gorilla Glass display, a Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor, and a 13MP camera. You can choose 8GB storage (1GB RAM) or 16GB storage (2GB RAM). The phone includes a microSD card slot for expanding memory to a maximum of 32GB.
For durability, the Moto G is protected with IPX7-rated waterproofing to safeguard against splashes and drops into puddles. A 2470 mAh battery "lasts all day," Motorola claims.
In a fun twist, you can build and customize the Moto G with front, back, and accent colors, or choose to engrave the device.
Prices for the Moto G start at $180 or $25 per month with a Motorola Credit Account.
The Alcatel Onetouch Idol 3 smartphone comes in 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models. Alcatel is marketing it as "the first reversible smartphone," meaning the user interface will rotate to match the way you're holding the device.
The Android device packs a 64-bit Snapdragon 615 processor, Adreno 405 GPU, 16GB memory, and 2GB RAM. The rear-facing camera is 13MP; a front-facing camera is 8MP. It also includes a non-removable Li-Ion 2910 mAh battery.
At the time of this writing, the Alcatel Onetouch Idol was selling for $250, on sale from its original price of $280.
The 5-inch Lumia 640 has a 1280x720 HD display and runs on a quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor. It comes with a main 8MP camera, 8GB storage, and 1GB RAM. A memory card slot boosts capacity to a maximum of 128GB. Its 2500 mAh battery promises nearly 21 hours of talk time.
The Lumia 640 is among a limited number of smartphone models recently upgraded to run Microsoft's new Windows 10 Mobile operating system. The upgrade improves on the Windows 8.1 OS for eligible devices, but some features including Continuum and Cortana may be limited due to hardware restrictions.
The smartphone, which also ships with the Microsoft Office suite, was selling for $90 at Cricket and $30 at Best Buy at the time of writing.
Acer's Liquid Jade Z is a 5-inch smartphone running an Android OS. It packs a Mediatek 1.5GHz quad-core processor.
Other specs include a 1280x720 display, 13MP rear-facing camera, and 5MP front-facing camera. It ships with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage, but a memory card slot gives the option to hold up to 32GB. The battery promises up to 4 hours of talk time.
At the time of writing, the Liquid Jade Z was selling for $230, a discount from its original price of $250.
The Samsung Galaxy J5 has a 5-inch super AMOLED screen and 1.2GHz quad-core processor. It runs an Android OS.
The smartphone comes with 1.5GB RAM and 8GB ROM, which can be expanded up to 128GB with a microSD card. It has a 13MP main camera and 5MP front-facing camera. Its 2600 mAh battery promises up to 9 hours of Internet usage and 18 hours of talk time.
At the time of writing, the Galaxy J5 was selling for $240 at Best Buy.
As its name suggests, the Sony Xperia M4 Aqua is a waterproof smartphone, but the company cautions against completely submerging it. The protection also safeguards against dust.
The Android smartphone is powered by a 64-bit Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor. Its 2400 mAh battery promises up to two days of power. Cameras are 13MP in back and 5MP in front. It holds 2GB RAM and up to 8GB or 16GB flash memory, which can be increased to 200GB via microSD card.
At the time of writing, the Sony Xperia M4 Aqua was selling for $200 at B&H. Its original price was $250.
The Asus Zenfone 2 runs on Android and packs a 64-bit Intel Atom quad-core processor. It measures 5.5 inches and has a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 display.
The Zenfone 2 comes with 2GB or 4GB of RAM, and choices of 16GB or 64GB storage, which can be expanded by up to 64GB with a microSD card. Asus also promises 5GB of free lifetime Asus WebStorage.
It sports a 3000 mAh battery. And as an added bonus, the ZenFone 2 has been updated with fast charging and can recharge up to 60% of battery capacity in about 40 minutes.
The 2.3 GHz version of the Zenfone 2 costs $269, and the 1.8 GHz model costs $199.
The 4G LTE version of the Android-powered Motorola Moto E runs on a Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor. It has a 4.5-inch display covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 3.
Motorola promises a full day of mixed usage from the 2390 mAh battery. The Moto E comes with 1GB RAM and 8GB storage, which can be expanded to 32GB with a microSD card. It has a 5MP rear-facing camera and VGA front-facing camera.
The Moto E starts at $120 for the 3G model and goes up to $150 for 4G LTE.
The Huawei Honor 5x runs on a Snapdragon 616 octa-core processor. It measures 5.5 inches and has a 1920x1080 display.
Additional specs include 2GB RAM and 16GB storage. It also has three card slots for nano-SIM, micro-sim, and microSD, which can be used to boost storage to 128GB. There is a 13MP rear-facing camera and 5MP front-facing camera. A 3,000 mAh battery promises 1.46 days with moderate use and longer than one day with heavy use.
For security, the Honor 5x comes with a fingerprint reader on its back panel and other safeguards including File Safe, App Lock, and Visitor Mode.
The Honor 5x costs $200.
The Huawei Honor 5x runs on a Snapdragon 616 octa-core processor. It measures 5.5 inches and has a 1920x1080 display.
Additional specs include 2GB RAM and 16GB storage. It also has three card slots for nano-SIM, micro-sim, and microSD, which can be used to boost storage to 128GB. There is a 13MP rear-facing camera and 5MP front-facing camera. A 3,000 mAh battery promises 1.46 days with moderate use and longer than one day with heavy use.
For security, the Honor 5x comes with a fingerprint reader on its back panel and other safeguards including File Safe, App Lock, and Visitor Mode.
The Honor 5x costs $200.
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