# iPhone SE 84 Hacker News commenters recommended iPhone SE and 39 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 12 of 13 months; owners who said how long report a median of 4 years (11 owners). It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule. **Verdict:** People recommend the iPhone SE for its small size, light weight, and long software support at a low price. Common caveat: apps increasingly require newer iOS versions. ## Why people recommend it - Small size and light weight (5 comments): "It has the perfect size and form factor, I know it will be supported for at minimum 5y, and the cost is perfectly reasonable." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47013349)) "This satiated a lot of the demand for people holding out for a smaller phone." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47224932)) "You will be shocked at how good it feels. How light and effortless it feels." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45936315)) - Long software support (4 comments): "It has the perfect size and form factor, I know it will be supported for at minimum 5y, and the cost is perfectly reasonable." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47013349)) "An unmodified iPhone SE (2022 model) with OS support until 2032. This runs all my authentication, banking, health, etc." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46556643)) "I'm still using my iphone SE 2nd gen and it's still receiving software updates." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48096077)) - Low price for solid performance (4 comments): "It has the perfect size and form factor, I know it will be supported for at minimum 5y, and the cost is perfectly reasonable." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47013349)) "I still use my iPhone SE after 8 years and bought it for 170€. That's under 25€ per year" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45781582)) "I think these (refurbished) iPhones available on BestBuy are a great deal." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47497588)) - Physical home button with Touch ID (2 comments): "I also love having a physical button on my SE, I hope that device will survive for a very long time" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47230608)) "Big selling point (aside from its size and rounded corners) is the physical button with fingerprint" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47230656)) ## What people warn about - Apps dropping support for older iOS (3 comments): "iOS 16 requirement on a lot of apps is slowly killing the viability of this" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49654654)) "WhatsApp, Signal and my banking app still actively support iOS 15 so it works well enough for me, for now." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47230277)) "the OS hasn't been upgraded in a while (it errors) and some apps won't install on it now" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49091018)) - Missing features like Force Touch (3 comments): "These are all capable devices but they have enough missing capabilities to make them sound like giant on-ramps" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48896483)) "My current SE 2020 is good, but the lack of force touch really sucks tbh." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46477378)) "Recent model. Touch ID (last one?) and can't run Apple Intelligence." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46550460)) - Small screen hard to use (3 comments): "you must have really good working memory to remember all the relevant context NOT shown in the screen with that iphone SE" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50239842)) "I prefer the size, although the screen that spans the entire front surface would be the superior device" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47227337)) "She has an iphone SE which was the best compromise at the time, although she still finds it big." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48622184)) - Battery wears out near end of life (2 comments): "it’s fine performance wise, maybe needs another new battery in a year or so" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46779793)) "battery life gone, and with it nearing EOL it didn't seem worth it to get a replacement" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49107658)) ## Alternatives hackers recommend - [Apple iPhone](https://hackerapproved.com/p/iphone.md): 706 recommend - [Fairphone](https://hackerapproved.com/p/fairphone.md): 168 recommend - [Apple iPhone Pro](https://hackerapproved.com/p/iphone-17-pro.md): 144 recommend - [iPhone 13 mini](https://hackerapproved.com/p/iphone-13-mini.md): 141 recommend - [Jolla Phone](https://hackerapproved.com/p/jolla-phone.md): 88 recommend ## Where to get it - [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Apple+iPhone+SE&tag=YOURTAG-20) (affiliate link) - [Official site](https://www.apple.com/iphone/) ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "iPhone SE", https://hackerapproved.com/p/iphone-se/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).