Apple currently offers three “budget” iPhones to cater to a wide range of customers: the 2020 iPhone SE, the iPhone XR, and the iPhone 11. Despite the three iPhones being considered as budget-oriented by many, that’s not really the case. If you are confused as to which iPhone should you buy between the iPhone SE, iPhone XR, and the iPhone 11, read our guide below.
All three iPhones are meant for different consumers and they do not overlap each other in terms of pricing as well. Of the three, only the 2020 iPhone SE can be considered a ‘budget’ iPhone in the truest sense as its $399 reflects that. The iPhone 11 starts at $699 which is clearly not budget by any means. The iPhone XR lives between these two iPhones and can be considered as a mid-range offering from Apple.
Who Should Buy the 2020 iPhone SE?
The 2020 iPhone SE is the cheapest iPhone that Apple currently sells. Despite its $399 price tag, the iPhone SE is a performance beast thanks to the A13 Bionic chip inside it. The device also packs all the features that have become commonplace today including Qi wireless charging, Gigabit LTE, Wi-Fi 6, and more.
The 2020 iPhone SE is meant for two types of consumers: ones who are on an extremely tight budget and don’t want to spend more than $400-$450 on a smartphone and two, those who want a compact smartphone. Many people are still using the original iPhone SE or the iPhone 6/6s either due to budget constraints or because they love the compact form factor. Apple aims to serve exactly those customers with the 2020 iPhone SE refresh.
If you are using any other iPhone like the iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus, or even the iPhone X, you are not going to like the iPhone SE because of its small display size. If you are planning on buying the 2020 iPhone SE, make sure to read our guides below.
➤ Which 2020 iPhone SE Storage Capacity Should You Buy — 64GB, 128GB or 256GB?
➤ Which Color 2020 iPhone SE Should You Buy – Black, White, or (Product) RED?
Who Should Buy the iPhone XR?
Apple launched the iPhone XR in 2018 alongside the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. Back then, the phone was priced at $749, but after the launch of the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro series in 2019, Apple dropped its price to $599. While the iPhone XR is still a fine phone by all means, it is not worth $599 in my opinion. If you have a budget of around $600 for a new iPhone, I will strongly recommend you to extend it by another $100 and get the iPhone 11 since it offers more value for money than the iPhone XR. That is unless you find some good deals on the iPhone XR which drops its price to around $500.
Who Should Buy the iPhone 11?
The iPhone 11 retails for $699 making it just a wee bit more expensive than the iPhone XR and notably cheaper than the iPhone 11 Pro series. For its price tag, the iPhone 11 offers excellent value for money since it has almost all the good bits of the iPhone 11 Pro series — a competent dual-camera system which includes a 12MP ultra-wide angle shooter and an improved primary camera, A13 Bionic chip, and more. The iPhone 11 also has Night mode in the camera app which allows it to take stunning photos in low-light scenarios. This feature is missing from the other two iPhones on the list. The iPhone 11 also has the U1 Ultrawide Band chip that has a lot of potential waiting to be unlocked.
Throw in everything and you will see that buying the iPhone 11 for $699 makes more sense than the iPhone XR at $599. Since the iPhone 11 is now more than six months old, you can find some good deals on it as well which will further sweeten the deal on it.
