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Apple iPhone SE Upgrade Is Good News for Bargain Hunters

Apple just doubled the storage capacities of its "affordable" iPhone SE models, from 16G and 64GB to 32GB and 128GB. The move, which comes on the one-year anniversary of the original iPhone SE launch, is driving down prices on the older models. And that makes them a really good deal for bargain-hunting phone shoppers.

Besides the storage upgrades, the new phones are the same as the old ones—and the prices haven't moved upward either. Just as in 2016, the price is $399 for the model with less storage, and $499 for the larger model.

But while that's inexpensive for an iPhone, it's not as cheap as many Android devices. That's why iPhone fans may want to shop for the previous SE models. Prices have been dropping throughout the day, with the 16GB version already below $300 on eBay, and the 64GB model selling for well below $400. Those are for new phones; used ones, as you'd expect, are going for even less.

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The iPhone SE has aging technology, but it's still an excellent choice for many consumers, especially those who want a smaller model. It has a brilliant 4-inch display and weighs 4 ounces. The SE’s display is the same as the one on the old iPhone 5s: 1136-x-640-pixel resolution at 326 ppi, which is very good for a 4-inch screen.

In addition, it has a very good 12.2-megapixel camera that can record video in slow motion, as well in Ultra HD (2160x3840). Talk time is a solid 9 hours.  

It's also one of the last iPhones you'll be able to buy with a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is missing on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Another SE advantage over iPhone 7: The SE has a physical Home button that reacts to glove-covered fingers, unlike the solid-state button on the iPhone 7s. 

Like other recent iPhones, the SE also supports Apple Pay, which allows you to pay by phone at the register with a tap.



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