I was actually very happy with the iPhone SE, no Face ID! The price is also not that bad if you use it for a long time, I expect it to last 6 years, try that with a cheaper Android phone…
The SE has multiple audiences, one of which is mine, people who don’t want specific core (enforced) features (like FaceID). Another group is people who would like to have an iPhone, for example because of the OS, the software offer, or the long support cycle, but do not want to pay the top price for the top models. The latter group will certainly postpone such a buyout as long as possible in poorer economic situations, so if the old iPhone can still last for another year with, for example, a battery replacement, people will go for it sooner if the future prospects are not so rosy. We also saw that at the start of the corona crisis in 2020…
Personally, I find nothing wrong with the old familiar design of the SE. I hate those graphic US designers who always have to change everything because the weather has to be different… 😉
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