Display - Small but highly detailed The iPhone SE really is a handset that has been designed for the small phone lover with its 4" Retina display. This sizing makes it an ideal replacement for Apple fans still using an iPhone 4s or iPhone 5s.

Just because the iPhone SE looks like an old device doesn't mean it acts like one. Apple squeezed flagship-level performance and the best battery life we've seen from an iPhone in years into a familiar (and relatively inexpensive) frame.

Update, Nov. 9: iPhone 12 is here. Read CNET's reviews of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

The new $399 iPhone SE looks like an iPhone 8 but works like Apple's top-of-the-line iPhone 11 Pro.

Affordable price; Long battery life so far; Great rear camera; iPhone 11 Pro-level performance;

Old iPhone design; Selfie camera is mediocre;

There's nothing innovative or ground-breaking about the iPhone SE: to all intents and purposes, it's simply a smaller version of the current iPhone 6s. It provides comparable performance and a broadly similar range of features wrapped up in a more compact 4-inch design with a £180/$250 price cut.

Compact; lightweight 4-inch smartphone; A9 processor delivers high-end performance; 12-megapixel rear camera; 4K video recording

Relatively low-res screen; No 3D Touch; 1.2-megapixel front camera; Meagre 16GB of storage in entry-level model

A very good budget phone by Google ...really impressed by its performance and camera quality..don't let the front facing megapixel fool you , it can easily defeat all the 8 megapixel camera of Android flagships..(well not the s7 though)but still at this price ..

Performance; Camera; Build quality

1st gen fingerprint sensor; No 3D touch; May be to small for some people

If you've been doggedly clinging to a battered iPhone 5 or iPhone 5s, then the iPhone SE is your dream made real: a 4in phone with all the power of Apple's latest handsets. If, on the other hand, you've become used to a larger-screened phone then the iPhone SE looks and feels disconcertingly tiny.

The iPhone SE is as small as the iPhone 5 but as powerful as the iPhone 6s – and it has the same great rear camera – all for $679 (or $749 for 64GB of storage).

The iPhone SE is a flagship in every right, but a screen size of four inches is too hindering today. Like all iPhone, the Rs. 39,000 price tag can seem overpriced, and is a big reason why the phone is tough to recommend today.

Excellent performance; Best-in-class ergonomics; Crisp; sharp display

4-inch display is too restricted; Battery life is still rather low; Lags behind in low light photography

The iPhone SE is one year older, but its added storage options and strong performance running iOS 10 still makes it a great choice for small-phone fans.

A small, hand-friendly design; Solid speed; Good front and rear cameras; More built-in storage (up to 128GB); The lowest priced iPhone you can buy.

Older giant-bezel design and limited screen size are love-it-or-hate-it; Hardware hasn't changed since its 2016 debut.

Update, April 22, 2019: There is a new iPhone SE for 2020 that costs $399. Original story follows.

The iPhone SE is one year older, but its added storage options and strong performance running iOS 10 still makes it a great choice for small-phone fans.

A small, hand-friendly design; Solid speed; Good front and rear cameras; More built-in storage (up to 128GB); The lowest priced iPhone you can buy.

Older giant-bezel design and limited screen size are love-it-or-hate-it; Hardware hasn't changed since its 2016 debut.