The 2022 iPhone SE offers a lot of bang for the buck. Apple has ensured that the device is a significant step up from its predecessor in every way and packs some solid internals. The only limitation seems to be on the storage front. The base variant starts at 64GB only, which was fine in 2020 but is definitely not good enough for some in 2022. Additionally, the device is available in two more storage variants of 128GB and 256GB. If you are confused about which storage variant of the iPhone SE you should buy, read this guide.
Picking the suitable storage variant is important because you don’t want to spend extra money on storage space you are never going to use. Similarly, you also don’t want to cheap out on it as in the long term, it will come to bite you back. This becomes even more important if you are on a tight budget. It might feel tempting to save some money and go for the base 64GB variant of the 2022 iPhone SE. However, if you plan to use the device for a few years and are a heavy user, you might want to reconsider your decision.
General Storage Guidelines
If you’re the kind of person who likes to keep their entire music library offline on their iPhones, or you download a lot of movies or apps, it’s best if you don’t skimp on your storage. If you like to keep your entire photo library available offline on the device, it’s best if you go for the largest possible storage capacity.
On the other hand, if you use music streaming services, stream movies and TV shows exclusively, and back up all photos and videos to iCloud Photo Library, you might just get away with the lowest storage tier. But even then, you should be prepared when you hit the wall. You’ll need to delete apps and back up photos actively to make sure there’s enough storage space available.
Also, if you are a gamer, I would highly recommend going with at least a 128GB variant. Also, do keep in mind that the default iOS system apps will take around 10GB of storage out of the box. So for a 64GB iPhone SE, you will have approximately 54GB of space to deal with.
Which 2022 iPhone SE Storage Capacity Should You Buy?
2022 iPhone SE – Capacity and Pricing
First, below is a quick rundown of the pricing of the 2020 iPhone SE for different storage tiers.
- 64GB – $429
- 128GB – $479
- 256GB – $579
Compared to the previous generation, Apple did increase the price of each variant by $30. However, looking at the overall package and upgrades you are getting with the 2022 iPhone SE, I feel the slight price increase is justified.
Who Should Buy the 64GB 2022 iPhone SE?
If you do not use your smartphone heavily and only use it for basic texting and calling purposes, the base 64GB storage variant of the 2022 iPhone SE is going to be enough for you. This is based on the estimate that you usually keep around ~100 apps installed on your device, keep a few hundred photos, and a few videos. Unlike Android smartphones, iPhones store photos and videos in HEIF and HEVC formats which take up significantly lesser space than regular JPEG and video files. Plus, there are plenty of space-saving features in iOS 15 that can be used to free up internal storage automatically.
If you are fine with having around 10-11GB of free internal space after a few months or a year or two of use on your 2022 iPhone SE, go ahead and buy the 64GB version. The money saved can be spent on AppleCare+, a case, and other accessories like the adapter for the device.
Before you pull the trigger, though: ask yourself how long do you plan to keep using your 2022 iPhone SE and look at the storage space free on your current device. If you estimate that you will be left with around 10-15GB of free storage space on your 2022 iPhone SE right at the end of day one, you should consider buying the 128GB variant. Thankfully, Apple is only charging an additional $50 premium on the 128GB variant of the 2022 iPhone SE, so the upgrade won’t sting your wallet as much.
Who Should Buy the 128GB 2022 iPhone SE?
If you plan to use your 2022 iPhone SE for at least 3-4 years, I strongly recommend you buy the 128GB variant. Over time, you will accumulate a lot of unused files, photos, apps, and videos, which will take up precious storage space on your device. Plus, your storage requirements will only increase with iOS, apps, and games themselves getting heavier.
What seals the deal for the 128GB iPhone SE is that you are only paying a $50 premium for it over the 64GB variant. Even if you have to delay your iPhone SE’s purchase by a few weeks to buy the 128GB variant instead of the 64GB one, do it, and you will only have yourself to thank in the long run.
Who Should Buy the 256GB 2022 iPhone SE?
Unless you are someone who likes to carry around their entire library of FLAC music or have tons of Netflix content downloaded for offline viewing, there is no need for you to buy the 256GB iPhone SE. While the jump from 64GB to 128GB storage is priced at $50 premium, the jump to 256GB storage has a $100 premium. This means the second-generation iPhone SE with 256GB storage will cost you $579. That’s a lot of money, and one can get the iPhone 11 for that much money which is why splurging so much on the 256GB iPhone SE makes little sense.
If you are really interested in buying the 256GB variant of the 2022 iPhone SE, well, you already know you have a use case for it which is why you are looking at buying it in the first place. First-time YouTubers and video creators should opt for 256GB iPhone SE 2022. They get the same excellent video recording capabilities and don’t have to spend a lot on the more expensive models.
Note that you won’t get much in return for a higher storage iPhone SE 2022 variant when you sell the device after a few years. This means you are unlikely to get $150 in return when you plan to sell your 256GB iPhone SE in the future. The second-hand market doesn’t work that way.
iPhone SE is the last iPhone model in the entire lineup to start with 64GB base storage. I hope to see Apple moving to the default 128GB storage on the future SE models.
Which 2022 iPhone SE storage variant do you plan to buy? Drop a comment and let us know about it! If you are getting confused about which 2022 iPhone SE color to choose? Read our dedicated post to pick the right color that matches your personality.
Buy iPhone SE 2022
You can buy the iPhone SE 2022 from any of the following retailers below:
