Why I Am Considering an iPhone SE 2020

This is maybe one of the vain posts that I will be making. You have the option to pass this one up.

This is a recently released iPhone SE 2020 and I plan to buy one once everything normalizes.

I have to admit that I am avid tech follower, updated with the latest bells and whistles when it comes to gadgets. But I never caught up with the Joneses to keep having the latest stuff. I have been always an owner of a mid-range phone because I am a value consumer whenever possible.

Why now consider quite a premium phone?

Some reasons:

1. The features I need for a phone which a typical mid-range phone usually satisfies are starting to creep out of the mid-range price category. Given the short turnover of update support for Android phones of approximately two years, a simple cost benefit analysis will yield to a conclusion that I’ll end up spending more and more to have the same functionalities once a mid-range phone serves itself unserviceable to my consumption. A relatively huge upfront for an iPhone which will support for an extended time is a more worthwhile choice.

2. I don’t need most of the top features which jack up the price of flagship phones. No need for wireless charging, 90 fps screen refresh rate, 50x optical zoom camera. I am a typical business-minded, battery-conscious consumer who needs his essentials working with a reliable unit. A midrange phone used to serve these purposes.

3. As time goes by, smartphones are getting unwieldingly bigger. While the general public and the enthusiasts love the extra screen estate, I rather need an enough-sized phone for my hands that I can reliably carry on my hands and in my pockets. If I need a larger viewing space, I have my laptop with me.

4. In my line of industry in the financial arena, first impressions matters a lot. I don't put any judgement or discrimination against any other brands. What I am telling is that I don't want my phone to capture any unnecessary attention. I can surely live even not with an iPhone or Samsung, but I don't want to have an eyecatcher phone during meetings or formal acquaintances.

5. I have a bad history with Chinese branded phones. They were highly unreliable models, not to mention security risks though I do not fully subscribe to those but I prefer to err on the safe side. That leaves Nokia (my current one), Asus (which stopped selling locally), LG (very weak phone software support), Samsung (terrible bloatware) and iPhones.

6. I’ve realized that I am okay with minimal customizations. Throughout the years, the only tweaks I did on my phone are from the Settings app. Android always flaunts its wide array of customizations and surely has its niche and a user base who prefer to tweak their phones down to the minute detail they can modify. But being the simpleton I am who just demand for a reliable phone, I can comfortably give up this option and go with simplicity instead.

Now the question arises: What is the reason for posting this whole thought process publicly?

While some might see the vanity, I also believe that as consumers we should also do our due diligence whem we are consuming things especially for major purchases.

After all, money is not easy to earn and we should be financially responsible adults and consumers. We must strive to make most out of the peso we spend for the things we buy and not be driven by our impulse to buy a hot commodity merely for bragging rights. A consumer should know his specific needs and find a suitable item at a reasonable price.